Sandeshkhali

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Sandeshkhali | type = city | latd = 22.36 | longd = 88.90
locator_position = right | state_name = West Bengal
district = North 24 Parganas
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 5
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 276,693 | population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code = 743446
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio = 948
unlocode =
website =
footnotes =

Sandeshkhali ( _bn. সন্দেশখালি) is a town with a police station, a community development block, and an assembly constituency in Basirhat subdivision of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sandeshkhali is considered a gateway to the Sundarbans. The area faces some challenges, as for example, trafficking in girls and use of non-conventional source of power.

Geography

Sandeshkhali is located at coord|22.36|N|88.90|E| [cite web | url = http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Sandeshkhali.html
title = Sandeshkhali, India Page | accessdate = 2007-09-19 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Falling Rain Genomics ]

The area is full of creeks and swamps in the deltaic region of southern Bengal. The wide Dalma and Besti rivers flow through the area.

Administration

Sandeshkhali I and II are intermediate panchayat (local self government) under North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad. Village panchayats under Sandeshkhali I and II intermediate panchayat are: Bayermari I and II, Hatgachhi, Kalinagar, Nazat I and II, Sarberia Agarhati, Sahera Radhanagar, Bermajur I and II, Durgamandop, Jeliakhali, Khulna, Korakati, Manipur, and Sandeshkhali. [cite web | url = http://panchayat.gov.in/adminreps/viewpansumr.asp?selstate=32&pno=4&ptype=V | title = Admin Reports of NPP| accessdate = 2007-09-12 | last = | first = | work = Details of West Bengal till Village Panchayat Tier | publisher = Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India]

Crime

Sandeshkhali and its surrounding areas are known for “notorious activities and incidents of common people being attacked and robbed by pirates frequently”. Some localities close to Sundarbans have been found vulnerable to women trafficking. More than 100 women from this region get trafficked to red-light areas in Mumbai and Pune each year. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?date=2006-11-14&usrsess=1&clid=23&id=164107 | title = Cops don grease-paint to create awareness | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = Chatterjee | first = Raiib | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 14 November 2006] Over the period 2002 – 2007, Sandeshkhali has reported hundreds of missing boys and girls. Most affected families have not registered cases, as they feel the police will not be of much help. Many keep on hoping that their children will return someday. [cite web | url = http://www.indianexpress.com/story/25381.html | title = They left these villages for jobs, never to return | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = Bhattacharya | first = Ravik | work = | publisher = "Indian Express", 12 March 2007]

”Save The Children”, a self-help group run by a non-governmental organisation has done yeomen service in the area. They started motivating the trafficking agents. The focal point was talk about their own daughters and children. The risk involved in this illegal business was highlighted. That seemed to work and they were assured of their source of living once they quit the profession. They vowed to do away with the scourge of trafficking from their village and started motivating fellow villagers as well as other agents. [cite web | url = http://cities.expressindia.com/local-news/fullstory.php?newsid=230504 | title = Once trafficking agents, they have now vowed to remove the scourge | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "Indian Express", 7 April 2007]

Demographics

Sandeshkhali has two community development blocks.

Sandeshkhali I
In the 2001 census, Sandeshkhali I community development block had a population of 140,446 out of which 71,912 were males and 68,534 were females.cite web | url =http://www.wbcensus.gov.in/DataTables/02/Table4_8.htm | title = Census of India 2001 | accessdate = 2007-08-24 | last = | first = | work = Provisional population totals, West Bengal, Table 4 | publisher = Census Commission of India ]

Sandeshkhali II
In the 2001 census, Sandeshkhali II community development block had a population of 136,247 out of which 70,114 were males and 66,133 were females.

Economy

Power

The remote villages and hamlets situated in the area suffer from chronic shortage of energy due to non-availability of grid power. It is extremely difficult to extend high voltage transmission lines because of technical limitations in an area with inhospitable terrain and prohibitive cost. A scheme is being formulated to cover about 750,000 people in the difficult areas of Sundarbans with non-conventional energy power within the year 2012. The scheme covers Gosaba, Sagar, Pathar Pratima, Namkhana, Kultali, Hingalganj and Sandeshkhali. [cite web | url = http://www.wbreda.org/success-inner.htm | title = Electrification of Sundarbans through non-convetional energy sources | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = WBREDA]

Micro-credit

Micro credit is serving as an effective tool of economic emancipation of women, empowering them to fight against many social evils and the age-old atrocities in the villages. A NGO, in collaboration with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has established 470 self-help groups with 6580 members spread over 400 villages. SHG members of Sandeshkhali raised Rs.40,000/-loan from Bank of Baroda to start a poultry farm. [cite web | url =http://www.babalokenath.org/CHARITIES/Micro%20Credit.htm | title = Micro credit tool for women’s empowerment | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = Bhattacharya | first = Ravik | work = Micr credit for poultry farming | publisher = babaloknath.org]

Politics

In the 2006 assembly elections, Abani Roy of CPI(M) won the Sandeshkhali (SC) seat defeating his nearest rival Gita Mondal of AITC. Kanti Biswas of CPI(M) defeated Ranjit Kumar Das of AITC/ INC in 2001 and 1996. Kumud Ranjan Biswas of CPI(M) defeated Ranjit Kumar Das of INC in 1987 and 1977, and Ananata Kumar Bera of INC in 1982. [cite web | url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/ElectionAnalysis/AE/S25/Partycomp98.htm | title = 98 - Sandeshkhali (SC) Assembly Constituency | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = Partywise comparison since 1977 | publisher = Election Commission of India]

Sandeshkhali is part of Joynagar (Lok Sabha constituency). [cite web | url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S25/WB_ACPC.pdf | title = General election to the Legislative Assembly, 2001 – List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies | accessdate = 2007-09-19 | last = | first = | work = West Bengal | publisher = Election Commission of India.]

Health

Although in North 24 Parganas district groundwater is affected by arsenic contamination, tubewells in Sandeshkhali II block are arsenic safe according to Indian standard (50µg/L) and in Sandeshkhali I block only 0.6% tubewells exceed 50µg/L. The probable reason may be, in Sandeshkhali, most of the tubewells are deep tubewells. Shallow tubewells are saline, so people do not construct shallow tubewells. [cite web | url = http://www.soesju.org/arsenic/wb2.htm | title = Groundwater Arsenic contamination in West Bengal-India (19 years study ) | accessdate = 2007-08-24 | last = | first = | work = Groundwater arsenic contamination status of North 24-Parganas district, one of the nine arsenic affected districts of West Bengal-India | publisher = SOES] A study of iodine deficiency disorder amongst children found that prevalence of goitre amongst school children was very high at Sandeshkhali. [cite web | url = http://www.cababstractsplus.org/google/abstract.asp?AcNo=20053013317 | title = A cross sectional study on iodine deficiency disorder among school children in West Bengal | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = cababstractsplus]

Four launches with doctors carrying medicines, sophisticated portable X-ray and echo-cardiograph machines, provided by the French author Dominique Lapierre move along the waterways of the Sundarbans to its furthest corners. Residents of such places as Sandeshkhali, Basanti, Gosaba and Kultali have felicitated him when he came in 2004. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041130/asp/bengal/story_4066942.asp
title = Sundarbans gratitude to Lapierre | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 30 November 2004]

References

ee also