Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque :
We have already have lot of slogans advocating protection of our mangrove forest like Sunder ban. Both government and civil societies including news media voice concern about safeguarding bio-diversity and shining beauty of this largest mangrove. Vote for sunder ban stands out to be their ardent appeal. Already the devastating tidal surge like aila battered sunder ban destroying its natural gifts and bio-diversity.
The news that hit the headlines was the oil spill following the capsize of southern star 7 oil tanker in the shela river. As reports have it Sundarbans is now facing a major environmental disaster, after a vessel carrying over 350,000 litres of furnace oil capsized in Sela River, as spill particularly jeopardises a dolphin sanctuary, the local food chain and the entire local ecology. The tanker capsize will have short-term and long-term impact on the Sundarbans. The immediate danger is obvious. But if effective measures are not taken to remove the oil, there will be serious damage to the mangrove forest, its flora and fauna.The vegetation is the main food of various kinds of deer that live in the dense forest surrounding the river. The deer, in turn, is one of the main foods of the Bengal tigers. So, in the long run, the population of deer and tigers – the two best known animals from the Sundarbans – will be affected.The mangrove ecosystem of Sundarbans is primarily made up of four kinds of salt-water trees: Sundari, Kewra, Goran, Poshur and Gol. These trees reproduce from the windfall seeds that fall on the ground.
As oil settles on the forest topsoil, these seeds will die and in the long run, the regeneration of the Sundarbans will be badly affected. That in turn will put the deer and different types of primates in trouble who depend on these trees for living.
This mishap has taken place marking that the concerned authority has been caught napping. The cargo has long been plying inside the forest with forest department taking no conspicuous action except objections. Because of little or no visible action the world largest heritage and Bangladesh pride has been left in the lurch. The question that may arise is that whether it was an accident or sabotage? The government has been asked to announce the largest mangrove as the troubled area. The TIB called for permanently shutting down the water routes through the forest including Shela River. ‘The plying of engine-run water vessels through the rivers of sunder ban is an utter violation of the national and international rules and standards. The authority who gave permission to run water vessels through the forest must take the liability of this calamity.’
The incidence this eventuality posing a formidable threat to the wild life and environment of the largest forest. Now the government seems to take a serious view of it. Already the cargo that hit the tanker has been seized at Narayanganj. Woth-mentioning is the spontaneous participation of locals in cleaning the river protecting it from oil spill. The government from now on would take necessary action to keep the forest unharmed. The PM has already to dredge the river canals and sub-canals. Even then there has been little marked intervention to stop spread of oil from the tanker has spread all around. Oil has entered the forest due to the force of tide. In some places death fishes have been seen in the water. Affected crocodile and tiger have been found. Living water places for Dolphin have been in danger. The people picking up oil at different places connected with the affected river. Due to the current the layer of oil slick floating on the river is relatively thin, although sunlight and oxygen cannot penetrate even this thin layer and reach the water beneath. This is pushing all the aquatic lifeforms including aquatic vegetation and fish to their demise. When the oil enters the still waters of the canals it s forming thick and impenetrable tar-like deposits, rising and lowering with the high- and low-tides. Even when the water goes down along the banks, the oil sticks to the slope of the mud-banks, junk gathers at the roots of the trees, the breathing roots, trunks and leaves.
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Professor, Department of Public Administration, Chittagong University, Bangladesh)
