Tourism to get more eco-friendly in the Sunderbans

Litter problem in National Park to be tackled

Tourists are to be encouraged to take better care of the Sunderban National Park in western India as part of a new eco-tourism drive.

Concerned about the effect that litter is having on the vast 4,264 sq km Unesco World Heritage Site, Sunderban Biosphere Reserve director Pradeep Vyas wants to see boat and lodge owners, non-governmental organisations and tour operators banding together to help protect the environment.

“We want to end irresponsible tourism and promote eco-tourism in the Sunderbans,” he said.

“Unless we adopt these practices, the Sunderbans will be over-run by waste plastic.”

The Sunderbans sits on the world’s largest delta, which is formed by the combined might of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.

A huge mangrove forest criss-crossed by hundreds of creeks, the Sunderbans forms the largest tiger reserve and National Park in India and it is also a birdwatchers’ paradise, with rare varieties hiding in the trees.

Written by Ruth Norris

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