Passur oil spill poses threat
Reject oil from a sunken boat on the Passur River near the Mongla port has continued spilling for over a week, posing threat to environment and ecology of the Sundarbans.Photo: STAR
Burnt oil spill from a watercraft that sank on the Passur River on April has continued polluting the river and the environment in the surroundings as Mongla Port Authority has yet to take any effective step in this regard. The situation poses threat to the ecosystem of the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest of the world, said forest officials and environmentalists. On April 5, one of three watercrafts laden with several tonnes of rejected fuel of a foreign ship sank when they were heading towards Mongla town from the port jetty. "The Antiguan flag bearer MV Bernd arrived at Mongla port with imported equipment last month. But can not understand who gave permission to unload tonnes of burnt lubricating oil from the ship and take it in watercrafts at dead of night" Harbour Master of Mongla Port Authority Commander Inamul Huq said. A reliable source said members of a group, who buy reject materials for throwaway prices, boarded the ship at dead of night on April 5 to load several tonnes of burnt oil in three watercrafts dodging officials of Mongla Port Authority and Mongla Sea customs. When contacted, Dr Tarun Kanti Shikder, director of the Department of Environment (DoE), told this correspondent on Monday that he had visited the spot in the Passur River to prepare a report on findings about extent of damage the oil spill can do to forest resources and fisheries. The UNO of Mongla and OC of Mongla police station have been asked to prepare a report after final investigation, said the director of DoE. "Oil spill that spread fast to a large part of the forest and its surroundings during ebb tide will definitely threaten existence of different species of trees, mosses, orchids, wild animals, reptiles and dolphins. We have written to Mongla Port Authority to sweep out and neutralise the floating oil. The Ministry of Forests and Environment has also been informed," said Mihir Kumar, divisional forest officer (East Wing) of Sundarbans Forest Division.
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