Sunderbans

WHY IN NEWS?

• The number of tigers in the Sundarbans reserve forest in West Bengal has increased to 96 from the previous estimate of 88, according to a census conducted November 2019 and January 2020.

ABOUT SUNDARBANS

• Sunderbans ecosystem is spread over India and Bangladesh, is the largest halophytic (salt-tolerant plant that grows in soil or waters of high salinity) mangrove forest in the world.
• It is a delta of the two great Indian River Ganga and Brahamputra which converges on the Bengal basin.
• The whole area is kingdom of the famous Royal Bengal Tigers.
• The Sunderbans National Park is a tiger and biosphere reserve located in the Sunderbans delta in the state of West Bengal (India).
• The Sunderbans is named after the Sundari trees which are found in bulk in this area.
• The park was established as a national park in 1984 as earlier it was created as wildlife sanctuary in 1977.