Gazi Anowarul Hoque :
The repeated capsizing of oil and coal-laden ships near the sundarbans is a serious threat to its environment and also a sign of the danger of transporting coal for the Rampal Power Plant, experts say.
MV Aichgati, a lighterage ship carrying over 1,000 tonnes of coal to Noapara in Jessore, sank on Friday in the estuary of the Pasur river and the Bay of Bengal, to the west of Zulfikar channel near Hiron Point in the Chandpai range.
Previously, four vessels sank in the Sundarbans in two years causing devastating impacts to the waters of Bangladesh and drawing criticism for ignoring the safety of the world heritage site.
Statistics say that in March 2016, the Sea Horse, fully loaded with 1,245 metric tonnes of coal, sank in the Shela River inside the Sundarbans.
In October 2016, a fully loaded coal barge sank in the Passur near the Sundarbans and in May 2015, a vessel filled with 500 tonnes of toxic fertilizer capsized in the Bhola River.
And in December 2014, an oil tanker carrying 350,000 litres of furnace oil collided with a cargo vessel and sank in the Shela River, spilling
oil into the Dhangmari and Chandpai dolphin sanctuaries.
The oil spread into more than 37 miles through the canals in the Sundarbans, blackening the shoreline and threatening trees and vast populations of fish and dolphins.
But government did not adequately protect these precious waterways or regulate shipping business in the waters of the Sundarbans, alleged the environmentalists.
Expressing concern, environmentalists said such incidents could be disastrous for the Sundarbans, world’s largest mangrove forest, especially for the aquatic life.
Asked whether this coal can harm the forest, Prof Harun ur Rashid of Environmental Science Discipline at Khulna University said “One microgram of mercury can poison 100-litre water. We do not know the quantity of toxic materials in the coal (the ship was carrying). But certainly it is going to be harmful to the Sundarbans and its species.”
Without carrying out a study, nobody can claim that this accident would not be damaging the Sundarbans. As it is near the “Swatch of No Ground”, the toxic material could reach there during the low tide, he said.
The “Swatch of No Ground”, a submarine canyon in the Bay and known as a hotspot for cetaceans and other aquatic species, has been declared Bangladesh’s first “marine protected area”.
“If the authorities want to transport coal for the operation of Rampal Power Plant, the way it is being done now, it would be disastrous for the mangrove forest Sundarbans,” Dr Anisuzzaman Khan, Chairperson of Biodiversity World. Such accidents are happening one after another as the ministry of shipping has been allowing faulty vessels to operate here, he said. If the government does not take necessary measures, the Sundarbans will always remain under threat.
As per the environment impact assessment of the Rampal project, mother vessels will bring 80,000 tonnes of coal and offload it at Akram Point of the Sundarbans and later lighterage vessels would bring the coal through the Pasur river to Rampal “controlling” dust.
“Not only the Rampal Power Plant, the government should stop all sorts of commercial activities in the Sundarbans for the sake of environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Mongla port authorities had asked the Noapara traders, the owner of sunken vessel to take necessary steps to identify the spot and salvage the vessel.
The repeated capsizing of oil and coal-laden ships near the sundarbans is a serious threat to its environment and also a sign of the danger of transporting coal for the Rampal Power Plant, experts say.
MV Aichgati, a lighterage ship carrying over 1,000 tonnes of coal to Noapara in Jessore, sank on Friday in the estuary of the Pasur river and the Bay of Bengal, to the west of Zulfikar channel near Hiron Point in the Chandpai range.
Previously, four vessels sank in the Sundarbans in two years causing devastating impacts to the waters of Bangladesh and drawing criticism for ignoring the safety of the world heritage site.
Statistics say that in March 2016, the Sea Horse, fully loaded with 1,245 metric tonnes of coal, sank in the Shela River inside the Sundarbans.
In October 2016, a fully loaded coal barge sank in the Passur near the Sundarbans and in May 2015, a vessel filled with 500 tonnes of toxic fertilizer capsized in the Bhola River.
And in December 2014, an oil tanker carrying 350,000 litres of furnace oil collided with a cargo vessel and sank in the Shela River, spilling
oil into the Dhangmari and Chandpai dolphin sanctuaries.
The oil spread into more than 37 miles through the canals in the Sundarbans, blackening the shoreline and threatening trees and vast populations of fish and dolphins.
But government did not adequately protect these precious waterways or regulate shipping business in the waters of the Sundarbans, alleged the environmentalists.
Expressing concern, environmentalists said such incidents could be disastrous for the Sundarbans, world’s largest mangrove forest, especially for the aquatic life.
Asked whether this coal can harm the forest, Prof Harun ur Rashid of Environmental Science Discipline at Khulna University said “One microgram of mercury can poison 100-litre water. We do not know the quantity of toxic materials in the coal (the ship was carrying). But certainly it is going to be harmful to the Sundarbans and its species.”
Without carrying out a study, nobody can claim that this accident would not be damaging the Sundarbans. As it is near the “Swatch of No Ground”, the toxic material could reach there during the low tide, he said.
The “Swatch of No Ground”, a submarine canyon in the Bay and known as a hotspot for cetaceans and other aquatic species, has been declared Bangladesh’s first “marine protected area”.
“If the authorities want to transport coal for the operation of Rampal Power Plant, the way it is being done now, it would be disastrous for the mangrove forest Sundarbans,” Dr Anisuzzaman Khan, Chairperson of Biodiversity World. Such accidents are happening one after another as the ministry of shipping has been allowing faulty vessels to operate here, he said. If the government does not take necessary measures, the Sundarbans will always remain under threat.
As per the environment impact assessment of the Rampal project, mother vessels will bring 80,000 tonnes of coal and offload it at Akram Point of the Sundarbans and later lighterage vessels would bring the coal through the Pasur river to Rampal “controlling” dust.
“Not only the Rampal Power Plant, the government should stop all sorts of commercial activities in the Sundarbans for the sake of environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Mongla port authorities had asked the Noapara traders, the owner of sunken vessel to take necessary steps to identify the spot and salvage the vessel.
