Cyclones that traverse the Indian peninsula from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea are a common enough feature. But over the past few years, the devastation they cause in Kanniyakumari district has increased because of deforestation.

To reach Hairpur, a remote fishing village along the West Bengal coast, one has to get off the main road and walk 2.5 km over a broad mud dyke. Access to this path is blocked by a log barrier.

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