{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='INDIA: WORLD\u0026#39;S LARGEST MANGROVE SWAMP FORESTS UNDER THREAT' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c031d8eafeecae148ec7' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c031d8eafeecae148ec7' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nINDIA: WORLD\u0026#39;S LARGEST MANGROVE SWAMP FORESTS UNDER THREAT\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eEng/Bengali/NatOne of the world's largest mangrove swamp forests in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal is rapidly being depleted because a new power generation plant is using the trees as fuel.The state government claims the power...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eEng/Bengali/Nat\u003cbr/\u003eOne of the world's largest mangrove swamp forests in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal is rapidly being depleted because a new power generation plant is using the trees as fuel.\u003cbr/\u003eThe state government claims the power plant has brought a much-needed supply of electricity to people living nearby.\u003cbr/\u003eBut environmental campaigners say they are preparing to go to court to prevent further damage to the area.\u003cbr/\u003eSunderban, a wildlife reserve in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, is one of the world's largest mangrove forests - an area with trees surrounded by water.\u003cbr/\u003eSituated 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Calcutta, this vast mangrove swamp is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.\u003cbr/\u003eThe area has been declared a world heritage site and has one of the highest tiger populations in India.\u003cbr/\u003eThe expanse of lush green forest is considered a safe haven for tigers, as it protects them from poachers.\u003cbr/\u003eBut it is this fragile ecosystem which is at stake.\u003cbr/\u003eA power plant on nearby Gosaba island in Sunderban is cutting down the trees to use the wood as fuel to generate much-needed electricity for the area.\u003cbr/\u003eNumerous islands dotting the Sunderban habitat support a population of almost a (m) million people.\u003cbr/\u003eFishing and wood cutting are the mainstay of their livelihood.\u003cbr/\u003eMany people in Sunderban use natural resources to help them make power because they can't afford to connect their homes to the power plant.\u003cbr/\u003eSOUNDBITE: (Bengali) \u003cbr/\u003e\"Presently, 375 consumers (in Sunderban) are benefiting from this power plant, but we have provisions for servicing 700 consumers. However, Sunderban's people are very poor. They can't afford to get the wiring done inside their homes to use our connections.\"\u003cbr/\u003eSUPER CAPTION: Balaram Bera, Chairman, Gosaba Power Plant\u003cbr/\u003eFor those who are connected to the power plant, life is much brighter.\u003cbr/\u003eFor decades, the people of Gosaba lived without electricity because it is such a remote area.\u003cbr/\u003eThe demand for power grew, but the geographical limitation of the area posed the main problem for the government.\u003cbr/\u003ePower supply through a conventional overhead wiring system from the mainland was not practical for these islands.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Gosaba power plant came into operation about a year ago and uses nearly 500 kilogrammes of timber every hour.\u003cbr/\u003eMost of the wood comes from local villagers who sell it to earn a living, and so depend on the Sunderban forest.\u003cbr/\u003eLarge areas of denuded forest have become noticeable in Sunderban.\u003cbr/\u003eThe dense forest now has patches of bare land, dotted with the lopped off trunks of felled trees.\u003cbr/\u003eEnvironmentalists say such indiscriminate felling of trees could be disastrous for this reserve forest.\u003cbr/\u003eSOUNDBITE: (English)\u003cbr/\u003e\"They are collecting the wood from the local sources. These are damaging the trees. The trees are being butchered.\"\u003cbr/\u003eSUPER CAPTION: Subhash Dutta, Environmental activist\u003cbr/\u003eBut the state government denies the mangrove forest is being affected by the power plant.\u003cbr/\u003eThe power plant generator is only supposed to use branches of one inch diameter as fuel, although much thicker logs can be seen lying around the plant area.\u003cbr/\u003eThe state government says the wood supply for the power plant comes from the plantations recently made on fallow land.\u003cbr/\u003eBut the plantations would take seven to eight years to mature.\u003cbr/\u003eSOUNDBITE: (English) \u003cbr/\u003e\"Mangrove area, the bio-diversity area - it is not affected by this. Best thing is that if you go there and see, talk to the people, you will see an interesting experiment is going on there. But it is true that there is a concern about environment.\"\u003cbr/\u003eSUPER CAPTION: Sankar Sen, Power Minister, West Bengal\u003cbr/\u003eBut for those concerned about the future of Sunderban, the plantations may come too late.\u003cbr/\u003eThe plant is currently running for five hours every day, using two and a half tonnes of wood as fuel.\u003cbr/\u003eWith plans to increase the generating capacity of the plant, the demand for wood is likely to increase.\u003cbr/\u003eEnvironmental campaigners say the government should have waited for the plantations to mature before making the plant operational.\u003cbr/\u003eThey also plan to approach the Green Bench of the Calcutta High Court, claiming the project is violating environmental laws.\u003cbr/\u003eSOUNDBITE: (English)\u003cbr/\u003e\"This sort of project should not have been taken up at all because it is causing damage to the nature.\"\u003cbr/\u003eSUPER CAPTION: Subhash Dutta, Environmental activist\u003cbr/\u003eWith growing worldwide concern over the long-term implications of ecological damage, the dilemma at Sunderban is not an easy one to resolve.\u003cbr/\u003eThe resource-strapped state government has no plans to set up alternative methods of generating electricity in the area.\u003cbr/\u003eFor the power-starved people of Gosaba island, the choice between having light and conserving nature has been easy to make.\u003cbr/\u003eBut environmentalists say people here don't realise that their lights are fueled by a resource whose depletion may lead to disaster.\u003cbr/\u003e Gosaba island, Sunderban, West Bengal - 20 and 21 August 1998 \u003cbr/\u003e1. Wide shot Sunderban forest and river Ganges\u003cbr/\u003e2. Sunderban Forest\u003cbr/\u003e3. Close up bird\u003cbr/\u003e4. A crocodile resting in the forest\u003cbr/\u003e5. Signboard Sunderban tiger reserve\u003cbr/\u003e6. Track shot of Sunderban forest area\u003cbr/\u003e7. Gas coming out of a pipe at the Gosaba power plant\u003cbr/\u003e8. Close up generator\u003cbr/\u003e9. Engineer monitoring power generator\u003cbr/\u003e10. Wide shot Gosaba village on the island\u003cbr/\u003e11. Woman taking fishing net into the sea\u003cbr/\u003e12. SOUNDBITE (Bengali) Balaram Bera, Chairman of Gosaba Power Plant\u003cbr/\u003e13. Wide shot light bulbs at a shop in Gosaba\u003cbr/\u003e14. Villager watching television\u003cbr/\u003e15. Shopkeeper using table fan\u003cbr/\u003e16. Wide shot woman cutting wood\u003cbr/\u003e17. Close up wood being cut\u003cbr/\u003e18. Cutaway old man with child\u003cbr/\u003e19. Wood being taken on a cart to the power plant\u003cbr/\u003e20. Various of the dunuded parts of the forest from where trees have been cut\u003cbr/\u003e21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Subhash Dutta , Environmental Activist\u003cbr/\u003e22. Various of wood being cut into small pieces by a machine\u003cbr/\u003e23. Various of wood pieces being put in for power generation\u003cbr/\u003e24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sankar Sen, Power Minister, West Bengal\u003cbr/\u003e25. Man putting flame to the gas pipe\u003cbr/\u003e26. Close up gas flame\u003cbr/\u003e27. Various of power lines being switched on\u003cbr/\u003e28. Track shot through river Ganges showing the forest\u003cbr/\u003e29. Boatman standing in a moving boat\u003cbr/\u003e30. SOUNDBITE: (English) Subhash Dutta, Environmental Activist\u003cbr/\u003e31. Power plant lit by electric bulbs at night\u003cbr/\u003e32. Reflection of the lights in water\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" role=\"img\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci 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class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eDate\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e1998\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-solid fa-language'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eAudiences\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?audience_ids%5B%5D=371079\u0026amp;grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\"\u003eFor Teacher Use\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\u003cdd class=\"text-muted\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-lock mr5\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e2 more...\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='concepts-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' 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