UNB, Dhaka :
Speakers at a roundtable in the city have called for making the river routes in Sundarbans off limit for the ships carrying oil, chemical, coal and harmful materials and preserve the mangrove forest.
The speakers expressed their concern over the repeated ship capsize in Sundarbans at the roundtable on ‘Repeated Ship-Capsize, Unprotected Sundarbans and Rail Accident; Causes and Responsibilities’ organized by green group POBA (Save the Environment Movement) at its office on Thursday. POBA said, at least 12 commercial ships carrying coal, oil and chemicals capsized in the Sundarbans water routesfrom 1994 to
2018 and in last five years 19 incidents of fire took place in the East Zone of the mangrove forest. On August, 1994, a foreign oil-carrying cargo ship sank near Banisanta area of the forest and the oil spread over 20 kilometers radius severely affecting the aquatic creatures and trees as well. In 1998, two incidents of ship capsize happened and the eastern portion of the forest was affected by the harmful chemicals and diesel. According to the speakers, in 2014 three major incidents of ship sinking affected the same portion of the forest and till then the number of accidents raised to twelve.
1 August, 1994 Banisanta Oil carrying ship sank and affected 20 kilometers
2 July 1, 1998 Near Mongla Cargo was licked and diesel spared around the area
3 August 10, 1998 Mazhar Point Clash with another oil carrying tank and spread oil in the area.
4 September 30, 2014 Pashur Channel N V Nayon Shri – 3 capsized with 600 Metric ton of raw materials of Cement
5 September 12, 2014 Pashur Channel NV Hazera – 2 sank with 630 Metric ton of raw materials of Cement
6 November 24, 2014 Harintana Area Passenger launch sank leaving Tk. 50 crore loss of forest according to Forest Department
7 December 9, 2014 Shela Riverat Jaimanigol A tanker carrying over 357,000 lakh liters of furnace oil and oil had spilled over into 45 miles along the river and 20 canals.
8 October 27, 2015 Estuary of Shela and Pashur River MV Zia Raj sank with 510 Metric Ton of coal
9 April 5, 2015 Sharankhola Range MV Jabalenoor sank with 500 Metric Ton of Muriate of Potash
10 March 19, 2016 Shela River MV Sea Horse sank with 1,235 Metric Ton of Coal
11 January 13, 2017 Hironpoint MVAichgati with 1,000 Metric Ton of Cole
12 April 14, 2018 Sundarbans MV Bilash with 775 Metric Ton of Coal
While discussing, BARCIK researcher Pavel Partho said, frequent incidents is harming seriously the flora and fauna and putting total eco-system at stake as well as breaking the food-cycle for the lives of the world’s largest mangrove forest, also the largest harbor of Iraboti Dolphin. He said the eastern side of the forest has been declared as a World Heritage Site and the frequent incidents of fire and ship capsize are putting the heritage site in great danger. Partho also feared that the river routes of Sundarbans will be busier with the start of Rampal Power Plant work, and the incidents of capsize might also increase. POBA President Abu Naser Khan, alleged that there might be unseen hands who are intentionally causing these occurrences for getting insurance money or trying to demolish the flourishing Mongla Sea Port. He also demanded for proper probe of the incidents and bring the culprits to book. In the discussion, the speakers also raised the issue of mismanagement and lack in work force in rail sector, resulting in graft practices causing frequent rail accidents. The speakers said at least 63 percent accidents in rail occurred for derailments and the main reason behind it is rail officials’ irresponsibility. They also said there are only 26,000 workers in rail department.They asked for employing skilled workforce in rail to modernize the sector.
Speakers at a roundtable in the city have called for making the river routes in Sundarbans off limit for the ships carrying oil, chemical, coal and harmful materials and preserve the mangrove forest.
The speakers expressed their concern over the repeated ship capsize in Sundarbans at the roundtable on ‘Repeated Ship-Capsize, Unprotected Sundarbans and Rail Accident; Causes and Responsibilities’ organized by green group POBA (Save the Environment Movement) at its office on Thursday. POBA said, at least 12 commercial ships carrying coal, oil and chemicals capsized in the Sundarbans water routesfrom 1994 to
2018 and in last five years 19 incidents of fire took place in the East Zone of the mangrove forest. On August, 1994, a foreign oil-carrying cargo ship sank near Banisanta area of the forest and the oil spread over 20 kilometers radius severely affecting the aquatic creatures and trees as well. In 1998, two incidents of ship capsize happened and the eastern portion of the forest was affected by the harmful chemicals and diesel. According to the speakers, in 2014 three major incidents of ship sinking affected the same portion of the forest and till then the number of accidents raised to twelve.
1 August, 1994 Banisanta Oil carrying ship sank and affected 20 kilometers
2 July 1, 1998 Near Mongla Cargo was licked and diesel spared around the area
3 August 10, 1998 Mazhar Point Clash with another oil carrying tank and spread oil in the area.
4 September 30, 2014 Pashur Channel N V Nayon Shri – 3 capsized with 600 Metric ton of raw materials of Cement
5 September 12, 2014 Pashur Channel NV Hazera – 2 sank with 630 Metric ton of raw materials of Cement
6 November 24, 2014 Harintana Area Passenger launch sank leaving Tk. 50 crore loss of forest according to Forest Department
7 December 9, 2014 Shela Riverat Jaimanigol A tanker carrying over 357,000 lakh liters of furnace oil and oil had spilled over into 45 miles along the river and 20 canals.
8 October 27, 2015 Estuary of Shela and Pashur River MV Zia Raj sank with 510 Metric Ton of coal
9 April 5, 2015 Sharankhola Range MV Jabalenoor sank with 500 Metric Ton of Muriate of Potash
10 March 19, 2016 Shela River MV Sea Horse sank with 1,235 Metric Ton of Coal
11 January 13, 2017 Hironpoint MVAichgati with 1,000 Metric Ton of Cole
12 April 14, 2018 Sundarbans MV Bilash with 775 Metric Ton of Coal
While discussing, BARCIK researcher Pavel Partho said, frequent incidents is harming seriously the flora and fauna and putting total eco-system at stake as well as breaking the food-cycle for the lives of the world’s largest mangrove forest, also the largest harbor of Iraboti Dolphin. He said the eastern side of the forest has been declared as a World Heritage Site and the frequent incidents of fire and ship capsize are putting the heritage site in great danger. Partho also feared that the river routes of Sundarbans will be busier with the start of Rampal Power Plant work, and the incidents of capsize might also increase. POBA President Abu Naser Khan, alleged that there might be unseen hands who are intentionally causing these occurrences for getting insurance money or trying to demolish the flourishing Mongla Sea Port. He also demanded for proper probe of the incidents and bring the culprits to book. In the discussion, the speakers also raised the issue of mismanagement and lack in work force in rail sector, resulting in graft practices causing frequent rail accidents. The speakers said at least 63 percent accidents in rail occurred for derailments and the main reason behind it is rail officials’ irresponsibility. They also said there are only 26,000 workers in rail department.They asked for employing skilled workforce in rail to modernize the sector.
