Anti-pollution drive

Plume of smoke emits from a foreign vessel at a Chittagong port area. CPA magistracy punished the ship for causing massive air pollution. Photo: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

The vested quarter in the shipping circle lodged complaints with the higher authorities, saying that the ant-pollution drive is hampering the shipping business, they added.

Port officials said the drive had not affected the shipping trade at all, rather it helped reduce pollution in port areas in the sea and it would continue.

Over 600 vessels including 100 foreign flag carriers were fined for oil spills and dumping waste at Chittagong port channel, jetties and surrounding areas during the anti-pollution drive in the past two years, they said.

About Tk 50 lakh was realised as fine from the ships found responsible for pollution at Chittagong port. The port team made sudden drive and took punitive action against the vessels for pollution.

The court of port magistrate summoned the master and crew on various occasions for causing oil spills and dumping wastes from the vessels.

The vessels calling at Chittagong port and the mechanised boats operating in the river Karnaphuli and the sea were blamed for the oil spills.

The marine lives were threatened due to oil pollution in the sea. The Karnaphuli river was badly polluted and this issue was talked about in different seminars and symposiums here. But little was done to save the river Karnaphuli.

The drive began two years ago against the backdrop of reckless pollution by some cargo vessels calling at Chittagong port. The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) launched the drives frequently led by its magistrate. About 1500 vessels call at Chittagong port annually, port reports said.

According to Chittagong port Act, it is a punishable offence if anybody found causing pollution in the port limit areas. But the Act was not implemented properly in this regard, sources said

The problem had been almost ignored for the last 50 years. The CPA played a silent role all these years in this regard. It launched the anti-pollution drive two years back at the instruction of higher authorities after a series of reports in newspapers, sources added. Port officials said the drive has reduced the pollution following oil spillage and dumping of wastes.

The CPA has taken some precautionary measures including early warning to the vessels against oil spill and dumping of wastes, officials said.

Moreover, measures have been taken to keep surveillance on the vessels calling at Chittagong port, they added.