Shawdesh Desk:

Around 12,368 large mangrove trees were uprooted, 150 infrastructures, 10 vessels, 3,450 wood made running foot were damaged and a number of trees were floated, causing a loss of about Taka 2.25 crore in Sundarbans as it took a blow of Super cyclone Amphan last week, according to an official survey.

Till now, the forest department has found no evidence of death of any Bengal Tiger or Deer.

Super cyclone Amphan hit southwestern Bangladesh coastlines bordering India coast on May 20 evening with pounding winds and torrential rains, inflating sea waters causing as high as 10 to 12 feet tidal surges.

Meteorologists said the “super cyclonic storm” was packing maximum sustained winds around 160-170 km/h (100-120 mph) and gusts to 190 km/h (120 mph) as it roared ashore with both the East and west Sundarbans absorbing its main brut in Bangladesh part .

Experts said that the trail of devastation the Amphan would have been much higher in Bangladesh, had the Sundarbans not been there.

The west-south part of the world’s biggest single unit of mangrove forest sustained the main blow of the cyclone, saving human lives by slowing down the nature’s wrath.

The forest department, however, has got a total picture of the damage inflicted upon the wildlife of the forest that provides livelihood for more than five lakh people.

In west Sundarbans, at least 12,332 trees were uprooted worth about Taka 10.11 lakh while others wealth including around 70 infrastructures of the forest worth about 47.50 lakh has been damaged completely,” said Bashir-Al-Mamun, Divisional Forest Officer of Khulna West Zone.

The damaged infrastructures include 25 office-cum-residence and barrack, 10 vessels, 3 pontoon and gangway, 8 wood jetty, 23 ponds, two generators, 2,450 running foot roads. Apart from this, 112 sundarees, 1,282 geoa, 36 pashur, 184 keora, 139 baeen and 10,579 goran has been damaged.

“We have completed our primary assessment,” Bashir-Al-Mamun said, adding, “Most of our officers visited the Sundarbans after the cyclone. They witnessed Amphan damaged a far less than that of like Sidr and Aila.”

In East Sundarbans, at least 36 trees were uprooted worth about Taka 1.61 lakh while huge seized trees were floated worth about Taka 5.71 lakh and around 80 infrastructures were damaged worth around Taka 1.60 crore, said Md Belayet Hossain, Divisional Forest Officer of Khulna East Zone.

The damaged infrastructure includes eight pontoon, one watch tower, 17 ponds, 18 wood jetties, 16 office-cum-residences and barrack, 21 solars and around 1000 running foot roads.

He said forest officials went to East Sundarbans to witness post cyclone Amphan situation.

On May 20, cyclonic Amphan crossed Bangladesh with a 100-120 wind speed.At least 36,000 houses were totally damaged and 42,000 were partially damaged in Sundarbans coastal belt.