Sunrise in the Sundarbans, which is the world’s largest mangrove forest, straddling India and Bangladesh. Getty Images
Sunrise in the Sundarbans, which is the world’s largest mangrove forest, straddling India and Bangladesh. Getty Images

India and Bangladesh’s mysterious mangroves: The Sundarbans



The Sundarbans – the world's largest mangrove forest, straddling India and Bangladesh – is ground zero for royal ­Bengal ­tigers, fearsome beasts that swim, drink saltwater, and occasionally catch fish.

With such a skill set, it’s unsurprising that for many years, the Indian state of West ­Bengal made the tiger the face of its ­Sundarbans advertising campaigns. But a decline in numbers, exacerbated by difficulty tracking them in a 10,000-square-­kilometre area accessible only by boat, means few short-term visitors ever see the creatures.

The state has recently decided to demote the elusive tiger from its perch as brand ambassador, and instead promote the many other attractions of this unique ecosystem, situated in the delta formed by the confluence of four mighty rivers – the Brahmaputra, Ganges, Meghna and Padma. Both India and Bangladesh have created protected sanctuaries here, and Unesco has designated two separate world heritage sites.

One sunny Sunday morning, I find myself boarding a comfortable, air-conditioned bus in central Kolkata. Our destination: Gosaba, the embarkation point for boat trips into the Sundarbans on the Indian side. After a pleasant three-hour journey through verdant tropical countryside, I board our double-deck boat, mount stairs to the covered upper deck, and take a rail-side seat. This is my fourth such excursion.

Welcoming us aboard is the boat’s captain, Balaram Mondal. We push off and begin our journey, entering a broad channel, framed on each side by villages housing some of the more than four million people who live in the part of the Sundarbans not off-limits to human habitation.

On the right bank, I see a Bengal monitor lizard basking in the afternoon sun. Widely but wrongly believed to be venomous, this specimen is about a metre long, and looks more threatening than it is. This is the first of several such clear sightings I have over the next couple of days.

After two hours of cruising past seemingly limitless mangroves clustered on small islands, we arrive at the Sunderban Tiger Camp resort, and are soon enjoying a buffet lunch of Bengali specialities – including bhetki, a local fish cooked in a pungent mustard sauce.

We soon assemble again for our afternoon cruise. I notice tiny mudskippers launching themselves along the dull, muddy banks. After pushing off, we soon approach a troop of fawn-­coloured, pink-faced rhesus macaque monkeys patrolling the water’s edge. The alpha male struts, apparently mugging for our cameras. I wonder what they’re doing here, because the water is saline and unfit to drink. I soon get my answer, as I watch a tiny monkey yank a plant out of the mud and munch on its succulent roots.

As the captain pilots our boat, I chat with him about the wildlife he has seen during more than 20 years cruising these waters. The delta is home to many types of endangered wildlife, including the endemic Sundarbans river terrapin – once thought to be extinct – and also provides nesting grounds for olive ridley, green and hawksbill marine turtles.

Two types of dolphin also live here. The smaller, Ganges river dolphin is more commonly found in the northern part of the protected habitat. Most of the world’s remaining Irrawaddy dolphins – a larger species – thrive largely in the southern part, where the water’s more brackish, especially where the delta spills into the Bay of Bengal on the Bangladeshi side of the border.

“I saw some Irrawaddy dolphins three days ago, near Five River Junction,” says Mondal. I spotted the Irrawaddy variety on a previous visit two years ago, and hope to get another sighting this time. Estuarine crocodiles are also common, although Mondal says: “November, December and ­January are the best months for seeing crocodiles.”

We putter back to the resort, docking as the sun begins to set. The evening’s cultural programme – local dances, unexplained and mechanically performed, leaves me unmoved, so after another pleasant meal, I call it an early night.

An insistent rap on my door awakens me at 5.45am on Day 2. I open the door, and receive a flask of steaming sweet masala chai. I walk through the resort, joining other passengers for a cruise into the heart of the national park.

“Low tide time is the best time for the Sundarbans,” says Mondal. We glide along, the steady thump of the boat’s engine punctuated by an occasional bird call.

The Sundarbans experience four tides each day, on a six-hour cycle. At this time, the water level at low tide is five metres lower than at high tide, and the receded waters underscore the striking beauty of the mangroves.

Slate grey, spiky pneumatophores – aerial roots – poke through the mud, rising to a height of about 15 centimetres. Resembling a fossilised army of multiple standing stones, rather than something organic, these tubes allow mangroves to take in oxygen from the air, despite frequent tidal flooding. Rising out of that mud above the skewers are architectural arches of tangled roots, forming an unending series of organic buttresses supporting living cathedrals of leaves: one-third root, crowned by two-thirds greenery.

Birds are active this morning, and we soon see common, collared, black-capped and white-throated kingfishers, iridescent plumage shimmering in different shades of blue. I pull out my bird book, and fellow passengers are soon enthusiastically spotting species. We pass a gangly Indian pond heron – moving slowly and deliberately, before a lightning-quick strike as it spears a fish with its bill.

As we turn away from the main channel into Sharak Khali – ­Canal Road – a flock of chattering, bright-green rose-ringed parakeets passes to the right. To the left, four hours away, says Mondal, lies Bangladesh. Another monitor lizard loiters on the shore. A whimbrel announces itself overhead with its distinctive laughing call, before disappearing into the distance.

It’s warm, but not hot, as the sun begins to ascend rapidly. A steady breeze moderates the ambient temperature. Such breezes continue throughout the year, says Mondal, making it pleasant to visit the Sundarbans in any season. The monsoon, from mid-June through August, offers its own delights – including a chance to sample succulent hilsa, Bengal’s most celebrated fish. Although visibility is often limited, and during stormy weather, the water must be treated with respect.

Mondal notices a small herd of spotted deer in a side channel, their presence obscured by thick vegetation. He stops the boat, reverses, then hovers in place to allow the group a better view.

We move forward again, and the main channel narrows to 20 metres across. A brown-winged kingfisher whizzes by, heading left before stopping to perch, allowing us an unobstructed view of its rich cinnamon feathers and striking red bill. Then a changeable hawk eagle, a magnificent raptor, the first we have seen, soars overhead, its wings held flat.

The channel tapers to less than 10 metres across. “It becomes mesmerising, this scenery,” says Vanessa Graham, a visitor from London. “It provides a curious sense of tranquility.”

The mangrove forest’s limited colour palette creates this soothing effect. The sun’s harsh light bleaches the sky to the palest of blues, mottled by even paler white cumulus clouds. Against this backdrop, we see silvery green, lime green, a darker green, exposed banks that appear khaki in this light, and olive drab water. That water is now impossibly still, perfectly reflecting the subtle colours surrounding us.

Lulled by balmy weather, the engine noise and hypnotic scenery, I find it hard to credit this area’s fierce reputation for harbouring predators – until I spy two jellyfish swimming alongside our boat. I’m told a plethora of endangered lethal reptiles, including king cobras and Russell’s vipers, also lurk underfoot. Thankfully, these pose little danger to tourists safely ensconced in tour boats or segregated inside fenced resorts.

But that’s not the case for locals forced to enter the heart of the forest to eke out a living by fishing or collecting honey or firewood. As we boarded the boat this morning, I noticed two sari-clad women, immersed to their waists, dragging nets behind them to trawl for tiger prawn seedlings. Such activity is unhealthy and dangerous. Long-term immersion in saline water causes skin problems, and the women are also attacked by crocodiles, sharks and even tigers. Tigers still feature vividly in local nightmares. Even in reduced numbers – last surveyed at 75 on the Indian side and about 100 on the Bangladeshi – they still kill dozens of people each year.

Onshore, on the starboard side, looms one of the many makeshift temples dedicated to local goddess Bonbibi. Regardless of religion, locals typically visit her shrine to ask her protection before venturing into the forest. Honey collectors – mouley – take additional precautions. Since tigers attack from behind, mouley wear human face masks on the back of their heads, hoping to confuse tigers who won’t know which of the two faces to attack.

We return to the resort for a final meal there, and I purchase some local honey. It’s the least I can do to compensate the collectors who run such risks to gather it.

During the return journey, I notice signs of spring: occasional flashes of crimson blossom against the ubiquitous mangroves. We pass a flock of lesser whistling ducks off the port side. As the boat pulls into the dock, a pair of pied kingfishers – black and white – criss-cross quite close to the boat, one from the left, the other from the right.

“The Sundarbans remain a place of mystery. We still have little idea about what occurs during high tide in the mangrove forest. Where, for example, do the tiger cubs go? Or, for that matter, the spotted deer?” asks Tushar Roy, a Kolkata native and frequent visitor to the area for more than three decades. While tigers and crocodiles make it dangerous for naturalists to explore the area, and answer these and many other questions, these hazards pose little threat to casual sightseers.

Indeed, for this repeat visitor, the mysteries concealed among the mangroves only deepen their mesmerising pleasures.

travel@thenational.ae

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EDate%20started%3A%20January%202022%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Omar%20Abu%20Innab%2C%20Silvia%20Eldawi%2C%20Walid%20Shihabi%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20PropTech%20%2F%20investment%3Cbr%3EEmployees%3A%2040%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Multiple%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
What is the definition of an SME?

SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.

A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors. 

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

CHELSEA SQUAD

Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku. 

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Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Details

Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny

Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
THE%20SPECS
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

How it works

1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground

2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water

3) One application is said to last five years

4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare 

Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House

Calls

Directed by: Fede Alvarez

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

4/5

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