Sunderbans – what to see

  • Hiron Point a beautiful spot, great for spotting tigers and other wildlife
  • Tin Kona Island another popular spot for wildlife spotting.
  • Katka a base for safaris, and good spot to see tigers and for bird-watching.
  • Dublar Char Island it’s possible to fish here.

For people visiting the place from India (West Bengal), the following should form a part of the itinerary:

  • Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower – Most of the tigers are sighted from this tower. Some other wildlife like axis deers and crocodiles may also be seen from this watch tower.
  • Sajnekhali Watch Tower – Another watch tower that also houses a museum, a Bonobibi Temple and a crocodile park within its premises.
  • Sajnekhali Pakiralaya
  • Dobanki Watch Tower
  • Bhagbatpur crocodile project
  • Buridabri
  • Netidhopani – It has a temple that’s 400 years old
  • Kanak – Ideal for viewing the Olive Ridley Turtles
  • Holiday Island – It is famous for the Barking Deers
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Sunderbans – at a glance

Where the land meets the sea at the southern     tip of West Bengal lies the Indian Sundarbans, a stretch of impenetrable mangrove forest     of great size and bio-diversity. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sundarban is a vast     area covering 4262 square kms in India alone, with a larger portion in Bangladesh. 2585     sq. kms of the Indian Sundarban forms the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in     India. The total area of the Indian part of the Sundarban forest, lying within the latitude between 21°13’-22°40’ North and longitude 88°05’-89°06’ East, is about 4,262 sq km, of which 2,125 sq km is occupied by mangrove forest across 56 islands and the balance is   under water. 

The Sundarbans are a part of the world’s largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Situated on the lower end of the Gangetic West Bengal, 21°13’-22°40’ North and longitude 88°05’-89°06’ East, it is also the world’s largest estuarine forest. The     Sundarbans is inhospitable, dangerous and monotonous.  Dense mangrove forests occupy 56 islands and the balance is   under saline water which flows through numerous tidal channels and creeks. It is     difficult to approach and even more difficult to spend time in. But for those who dare, it     must be one of the most attractive and alluring places remaining on earth.

Tiger Reserve Service Directory

Sl.

No.
Name
of the State/UT
Address
of the Official Incharge
Phone
No.
Fax
E-mail
1.
 Andhra
Pradesh		 Nagarjunasagar
Tiger Reserve, Sriasilam District, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh-518002		 08524-286089(O)

08524-286140

 286071
2.
 Arunachal
Pradesh		 Field
Director, Namdapha National Park, P.O. Miao Distt., Changlang,
Arunachal Pradesh-792122		 03807-2222499(O) 03807-222253 222249
3.
 Arunachal
Pradesh		 Field
Director, Pakhui Tiger Reserve P.O. Seijusa, East Kameng District-790103,
Arunachal Pradesh.
4.
 Assam Field
Director,

Manas Tiger Reserve,

P.O. Barpeta Road, Kamrup Assam-781315

 03666-261413(O) 260289< Control Room 260253 abhijitrabha@hotmail.com
5.
 Assam D.F.O.

Nameri Tiger Reserve P.O. Koliabhmora, Tezpur District Sonipur,Assam
Pin.
784001

 03712-220854

220803(R)

 220803
6.
 Bihar Field
Director Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Champaran Forest Circle

P.O. Betiah

District-West Chaparan,
Bihar

 06254-235331(O)
06254-232909(R)		 235331
234181
7.
 Chattisgarh Field
Director, Indravati Tiger Reserve, P.O. Bijapur, District
Bastr,

Chattisgarh

 07782-225073(O)-222006(O)-Jagdalpur

07782-227640(R)

 222931 222120-CF, Jagdalpur cfwlitrjdp@rediffmail.com
8.
 Jharkhand Field
Director, Palamau Tiger Reserve,

P.O. Daltonganj Distt. Palamau,

Jharkhand-822101

 06562-222650(O)
222684® (DY.F.D) 06562-222427(O)		 222650 Dtj_fdptrapl@sancharnet.in
9.
 Karnataka Fild
Director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Govt. of Karnataka Sandalkopti-Premises,
Aranya Bhavan, Ashokpuram

< Mysore-577101

 0821-480901
484980(R)		 0821-480901 fdptrm@sancharnet.in
10.
 Karnataka Field
Director,

Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Chikmangalur-577101

 08262-34904(O)(T+F)
08262-30751(R)		 2300323 defbadra@sancharnet.in
11.
 Kerala Field
Diector,

Periyar
Tiger Reserve,

Aranya
Bhavan,
Forest
Comples, S.H. Mount P.O., Kottayam Kerala-686006

 0481-231740
(O) 2311197		 2311740 fdptrktym@rediffmail.com
12.
 Madhya
Pradesh		 Field Director,

Kanha Tiger
Reserve,

Madhya
Pradesh-481661

 07642-250760(O)
07645-250761(R)		 251266 zen562@vsnl.net.in
13.
 Madhya
Pradesh		 Field
Director

Pench Tiger Reserve, District Seoni-480661< Madhya Pradesh

 07692-223794
(O)+(R)

07692-223794(R)

 223823

224331

 penchtr@sancharnet.in
14.
 Madhya
Pradesh		 Field Director Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Umaria, Shahdol, Madhya
Pradesh		 07653-222214(O)
Telefax

07653-222357(R)

 223083 222214

222648-Pvt.

 fdbtr@rediffmail.com
15.
 Madhya
Pradesh		 Field
Director

Panna Tiger Reserve, Panna Town, District Panna-488001, Madhya
Pradesh

 07732-252135(O) 252134(R) 07732-252895 252120 pannatr@sancharnet.in
16.
 Madhya
Pradesh		 Director

Bori – Satpura Tiger Reserve Panchamadi, Distt. Hosangabad,

Madhya
Pradesh

 07578-252130,252143(R) 252217,

252189
17.
 Maharashtra Field Director

Melghat Tiger Reserve Camp Road, Amravati-444602, Maharashtra

 0721-2662792
(O)
0721-2663604		 0721-2662792 Ati_meltiger@sancharnet.in
18.
 Maharashtra Field
Director

Pench Tiger Reserve

Near Govt. Printing Press, Zero Miles, Civil Lines

Nagpur-440001

 0172-2528953(O) 2539226(R)

[D.C.F
Sh. N. D. Chowdhary 0712-2524727(O)]
2267282

0721-2552518 fdpench@nagpur.net.in
19.
 Maharashtra Field
Director

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Near Govt. Printing Press, Near
Zero Mile, Civil Lines, Distt. Chandrapur,

Nagpur-440001
Maharashtra

 0712-2528953(O)-Tel+
Fax2539226
(R)
09890190205-(M)		 0712-2552518,

2552765

 cfwl@nagpur.dot.net.in
fdpench@nagpur.net.in
20.
 Mizoram Field
Director

Dampa Tiger Reserve, Distt. Aizawal,

Mizoram-796001

 Having
no phone at office

[0389-2329339 (Aizawl) (R)]

 0389-2325371 CWLW
21.
 Orissa Field
Director

Similipal Tiger Reserves, Baripada-757002 Orissa

 06792-252593(O)
06792-260773(R)		 256705 Bid_simitig@sancharnet.in
22.
 Rajasthan Field
Director Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve,

District- Swai Madhopur,

Rajasthan-322001

 07462-220223(O)
Telefax 07462-220591(R)

(Sh. Reddy, DD:221142(O),

220490 (R)

 220223,

221430(Pvt.)

 cffdswm@sancharnet.in
23.
 Rajasthan Field
Director

Sariska Tiger Reserves, P.O. Thanaganzi, District Alwar,

< Rajasthan

 0144-2841333

(O) +(R)
0141-2355199(R) (Jaipur)

 2344243-Pvt.
24.
 Tamil
Nadu		 Field
Director

Kalakad- Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve,

NGO ‘A’ Colony Trinelveli-627007

Tamil
Nadu

 0462-2552663(O) 2580115(R) +Fax 2580115 2552612-Alt. Tvl_kmtrpt@sancharnet.edu
25.
 Uttranchal Field
Director

Corbett Tiger Reserve, P.O. Ramnagar

District Nanital Uttaranchal

 05947-251376(O+R)
(T+F) (05947-251489- Reception Dy. Dir-251489 DD-251332(R)

(DFO- Kalagarh
01343-245288)

 251376 dvskhati@yahoo.com pandey_wii@indiatimes.com
26.
 Uttar
Pradesh		 Field
Director

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, District Lakimpur Kheri, Pin-262701(U.P)

 05872-252106-Tel
Fax (Off) Sh. Ashist Tiwari, Dy. Dir-05871-233485(O)		 252106 prashanvermaifs@rediffmail.com
27.
 West
Bengal		 Field
Director Sundarbans Tiger
Reserve P.O. Canning Twon, District 24 Parganas,

West
Bengal-743329

 03218-256159(O)

& 255280(O)

033-24746342(R)

 256159

Tele-Fax

 suntiger@cal2.vsnl.net.in
28.
 West
Bengal		 Field
Director

Buxa Tiger Reserve Alipurduar

Jalpaiguri-736122

West
Bengal

 03564-256333(O)
03564-255577 255579(R)		 256391 btrtiger@dte.vsnl.net.in

Sunderbans – where to stay

Forest lodges and forest rest houses are available for accommodation at Sajnekhali.

Desgination and Address of the Official : Field Director Sundarbans Tiger Reserves P.O. Canning Twon, District 24 Parganas,   West Bengal-743329

Telephone No. :  03218-256159(O) & 255280(O) 033-24746342(R) 256159

E-mail address : suntiger@cal2.vsnl.net.in

LINKS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD

At Sajnekhali, STD/ISD facilities and postal facilities are available. Internet facilities are available

TRAVEL TIPS

Permission has to be acquired to visit the tiger reserve from the Field Director, Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, Port Canning.

CONTACT FIELD DIRECTOR

Field Director,
Sundarbans Tiger Reserves P.O.
Canning Twon,
District 24 Parganas,
West Bengal-743329

Sunderbans – Getting there

By Air

Dum Dum (166kms), is the nearest airport at Calcutta.

By Rail
The nearest railhead is at Canning, 48 km away. The nearest town is Gosaba, 50 km away.
Sunderbans is accessible only by riverine waterways. From Calcutta there are suburban trains to Canning and buses to Namkhana, Raidighi, Sonakhali and Najat from where motor launch services are available for Sunderbans.

By Road

Means of road transport are available from Calcutta for the places like Namkhana (105 km), Sonakhali (100 km), Raidighi (76 km), Canning (64 km), and Najat (92 km), which are all near the Sunderbans and have access to the riverine waterways leading to it.

Waterways
The approximate time taken between various points is :

From Namkhana – Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project (2.5 hours) Sagar Island (2.5 hours) Jambudwip (3.5 hours)

From Sajnekhali – Sudhanyakhali (40 minutes) Buridabri (Tiger Project Area) (5 hours) Netidhopan (3.5 hours) Holiday Island (3 hours)

From Sonakhali – Gosaba (1 hour) From Raidighi – Kalas (5 hours).

Sunderbans – Salient Features

Area

Core : 1330 sq km

Buffer : 1255 sq km

Total : 2585 sq. km.

Longitude : 88°05′ and 89°10′ East

Latitude : 21°32′ and 22°40′ North

Altitude : 5.8 m to 6.1 m above M.S.L.

Rainfall : Average annual 1920.30 mm

Temperature

Minimum : 20° C

Maximum : 33.88° C

Seasons

Winter – October to January

Summer – February to May

Monsoon – June to September

Sunderbans – Flora, Fauna and the Forest

Forest Types

Tidal swamp forests,Saline water type mixed forests ,brackish water type mixed forests palm swamp type

Major Flora

There are 64 plant species in Sundarbans and they have the capacity to withstand estuarine conditions and saline inundation on account of tidal effects.

Main Species

Excaecaria sp., Heritiera sp., Ceriops sp., Phoenix sp., Sonneratia sp., Avicennia sp., Rhizophora sp., Xylocarpus sp., Bruguiera sp. etc.

Major Fauna

Main Species

Tiger, fishing cat, chital, wildboar, water monitor, estuarine crocodile.

Endanger Species

Tiger, Estuarian Crocodile, River Terrapin (Batagur baska), Olive Ridlay Turtle, Gangetic Dolphin, Ground Turtle, Hawks Bill Turtle, King Crabs (Horse shoe)