RETURNING FROM THE EAST SUNDARBANS: At the moment, movements of vessels in Shyala river is closed for time being. However, the tankers and ships are sailing as before in Pashur, Mongla and other rivers surrounding the Sundarbans.

The waves of water mixed oil that spilled on last Tuesday due to capsize are hitting the shore of Sundarbans.

Most of these vessels, running in thick foggy river channels, do not have fitness. These vessels are sailing with oil and other goods more than their capacity.

Banglanews gathered this information after visiting the east Sundarbans on last Friday and Saturday.

The ecologists apprehend that due to the movement of these unfit vessels disasters can occur again.

They demanded the government that the running of vessels must be stopped right now.

Simultaneously, ‘environmental disaster’ should have to be declared in the Sundarbans urgently.

However, immediate after the accident Mongla port authority, forest department, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation and BIWTA have stopped running of all kinds of vessels in Shyala river on last Wednesday.

It is learnt after investigation that the movement of all kinds of vessels carrying oil and goods started through east Sundarbans in 2011 as the navigability of Mongla-Ghoshiakhali international channel was lost.

At present, about two hundred vessels are running everyday through east Sundarbans region creating heavy sound pollution. Particularly, the goods laden lighter cargoes and oil laden tankers are running – most of them without fitness.

However, the BIWTA officials said that as soon as the Mongla-Ghoshiakhali channel will be ready after dredging then this present route will not be used.

Bangladesh Launch Labor Association president Anwar Hossain Chowdhury told Banglanews that every day more than two hundred vessels of different categories of home and foreign countries are running through the east Sundarbans.

The hydraulic horns of these vessels are disturbing the normal movement of the various kinds of animals and birds.

A number of forest officials told that due to the movement of oil tankers the river bank is eroding causing the filling of the depth of the river where the marine reptiles live.

The Sundarbans is facing heavy risk due to capsize of vessels one after another, they added.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, oil tanker ‘OT Southern Star-7’ capsized in between Mrigamari and Tambulbunia under Chandpai range of east Sundarbans.

The accident occurred when the oil tanker after carrying furnace oil from Padma oil depot of Khulna was going to Gopalganj power station.

After the accident in Shyala river, about 357,000 liters of oil spilled over 200 kilometers of the river touching the Sundarbans causing risks to wildlife, reptiles and environment.

Farhana Akhtar, wildlife conservation society education and research coordinator told Banglanews that these types of risky vessels should not run through the forest.

According to information gathered from Hassan Mehedi, the chief coordinator of Coastal Lifestyle and Environment Alliance, that on last November 24 of 2011 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed to close the river routes through the Sundarbans.

On last August 21, 2012, the Environment and Forest Ministry requested in writing to Ministry of Shipping to close the route. But the ministry did not pay any heed to it.

He informed the media that in 2002 Bangladesh government carried on a study about the possibilities of danger for the forest due to navigation.

In that study, it was told that if the oil pollution is not stopped then birds, crocodiles, small fishes and other reptiles will die within fifteen days.

He alleged that there were several recommendations including strengthening the capacity of forest department with advanced equipments and participation of local people in checking the pollution.
 
But no work was done on that recommendation though a decade has elapsed.

Mehedi stressed the need for direct monitoring from PMO for removing the spilled oil from the river. He also demanded to declare ecological disaster in the area immediately.

DFO of east Sundarbans informed Banglanews that from last Wednesday all types of vessel movement has been stopped through Shyala channel.

When he was asked whether any declaration will come to stop the movement of vessels in the surrounding channels, he replied it is up to the government.

BDST: 1825 HRS, DEC 13, 2014