Amphan destruction highlights Sundarbans need a different development model

Human interference and a flawed development model are making cyclones more destructive for the ecologically fragile region, writes Namrata Acharya

On May 20, when Amphan, the tropical cyclone that ravaged coastal West Bengal, was gathering pace, a 12-year-old child of Indrapur village in the Sundarbans stepped out of his house to answer nature’s call. From out of nowhere, a monstrous spell of wind blew up a nearby asbestos roof that cut right across the child’s neck, killing him on the spot.
 

That’s just one story in the trail of destruction caused by Amphan, as it swept a part of humanity in the Sundarban deltaic region with gusts of 185 kmph and waves 15 feet tall. Nevertheless, all the 102 islands