The West Bengal government has stressed the need for a joint master plan by India and Bangladesh to reconstruct and strengthen river embankments for the protection of the Sundarbans and people living around it. Replying to the debate on his department's budget in the State Assembly on Thursday, Sundarbans Affairs Minister Kanti Ganguly said the Sundarbans cannot be saved unless the embankments are reconstructed and strengthened and for this a joint master plan by India and Bangladesh is needed. Sunderbans covers 10 thousand sq km of which about 6 thousand sq km are in Bangladesh. Mr. Ganguly said, despite massive devastation by cyclone 'Aila' in the Sundarbans, the state government is yet to receive adequate financial aids from the Centre. Raising an issue of deforestation in an area of around 10 acres of land under Kultali block in the Sundarbans, the minister demanded a joint high-level inquiry by irrigation, environment and forest departments into the case.