The Sundarbans district is a proposed administrative district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The proposal envisages carving out a separate district covering the Indian portion of the Sundarbans region, which currently lies within the South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts. The intention behind the proposal is to provide focused administration to the deltaic islands and ecologically sensitive zones that face distinct development, disaster-management and connectivity challenges.
| Name | Sundarbans district |
|---|---|
| Status | Proposed |
| State | West Bengal |
| Country | India |
| Region | Sundarbans delta |
| Parent districts | South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas |
The Sundarbans is a vast mangrove delta formed at the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, shared between India and Bangladesh. The Indian section comprises a network of inhabited and uninhabited islands, tidal creeks and protected forest areas, including the Sundarbans National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a tiger reserve. Administratively, this region is presently distributed across several community development blocks of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas.
Successive proposals to reorganise West Bengal's districts have included the creation of a dedicated Sundarbans district, with the rationale that the region's geography—remote islands, limited road connectivity, vulnerability to cyclones and tidal flooding—warrants a separate district headquarters and dedicated administrative machinery.
The proposed district would cover the islands and mainland tracts that together form the inhabited fringe of the Sundarbans. The terrain is characterised by tidal rivers, embankments, mangrove forests and low-lying agricultural land. The population is predominantly engaged in agriculture, fishing, honey collection and tourism related to the mangrove ecosystem.
A separate district status is seen as relevant to: