UN team ends Sundarbans investigation
The Sundarbans oil spill response team of the United Nations yesterday ended their five-day investigation in the mangrove forest, collecting samples of water, soil and plants from the affected area along the Shela River.
Two weeks after an oil tanker sank and spilled over 3.5 lakh litres of furnace oil in the river inside the Sundarbans, the 25-member team went to the forest on December 22 for an assessment of the damage done to its environment and wildlife.
“We will prepare our report once we get the laboratory test results of those samples,” said a member of the team, comprising multidisciplinary experts from home and abroad.
They have sent the sample of furnace oil to Bapex, water to the Department of Environment and plant samples to the Atomic Energy Commission. The report will be prepared by December 30 and submitted to the government on December 31, he said.
Led by Emilia Wahlstrom, the team is supposed to return to the capital today.
As per the action plan, the experts will use a combination of literature reviews, on-site assessments and interviews to come up with findings and make recommendations.
The group focused on specific issues from aquatic resources to mangrove plants, from wildlife to human health and also sought to find out the ways to respond immediately to the crisis, said a member of the team.
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