THE latest mindless incident in the Sundarbans area, according to a national daily, was due to the sinking of a cargo vessel carrying 1,235 tonnes of coal in Shela River. Sundarbans, the greatest blessing of nature and a UNESCO-listed world heritage, is rapidly dying due to our mindless pollution, government’s paradoxical attitude, and the power generating project at Rampal. In exchange of the largest mangrove forest in the world, how much development is possible where the concept of development coincides with sustainability. Despite environmentalists crying, people’s protest, and the obliquity of nature, the government is reluctant to reserve the gift of nature in any way. With the rise of the sinking of cargo carrying hazardous goods and oil spillage that already damaged the flora and fauna and biodiversity in the area, a concerted solution is the need of the hour.
Earlier in December 2014, the spill of over 3.5 lakh litres of furnace oil as an oil tanker sank in this Shela River severely disrupted food chain of aquatic species and caused immeasurable damage to the forest. In May last year, a cargo vessel carrying 500 tonnes of chemical fertilizer sank in the Bhola River in the Sundarbans. Environmentalists, political parties and social-cultural groups have been demanding a ban on any traffic movement on this river route since then. A United Nations team following the oil spill suggested closing commercial traffic in the Shela River. Even a government committee that probed the oil spill too recommended a permanent halt to the operation of cargo vessels through the river. But nothing worked due to the government’s indifference to the forest the existence of which is directly related to the existence of the country.
We see, the government is adamantly advancing to set up the much-protested coal-fired power plant at nearby the forest. The damage by the sinking of the coal-laden cargo is yet to be estimated but it is obvious that all species nearby would be affected. If coal based power plant is set up there, such an accident would be beyond estimation, resulting in an almost complete annihilation of the forest.
Ignorance and indifference of the government to Sundarbans is the single major cause which could make the oxygen factory and natural reservoir for several species to degraded beyond recognition. While the Premier appeals to global communities to come forward to saving the Royal Bengal Tiger by saving habitats, her government is unfortunately playing a paramount role in destroying the habitats of the majestic tiger — a paradoxical irony. As Sundarbans is the sole defender of all types of storms, tsunami and natural disaster, striking on it will bounce back to us in a most unpleasant manner.
