Villagers say the salty water from the distributaries enters the villages, damaging freshwater ponds and agricultural fields. “If a proper bank is built around the river, our life in these villages will be better. We can’t use water from our ponds to do anything or feed the cattle, and have to walk for more than a kilometre to get water from the tap,” she adds. The nearest college in the Sundarban region is in Pathankhali, which is more than 24kms from the two villages in Basanti. For students living in the delta island region, this is even farther and involves multiple journeys over road and water.

Source: Indian Express May 08, 2019 12:29 UTC