400 vessels in a single day!

IT is disquieting to see that despite the government's direction on 'controlled movement of vessels' through Shela River, 400 vessels plied through the route on the very first day of its reopening. Though the Sundarbans is still reeling in a catastrophe, the government decided to reopen the route only 26 days after the disaster. It defied recommendations of environmentalists and UN experts. The people remain in the dark as to the basis on which the government took the decision; whether it has conducted any study on the feasibility of the route and what precautionary measures it has taken to avoid any repetition of the disaster. These are important questions awaiting answers.

According to a report in a prominent Bangla daily, though the government endorsed vessel movement under strict supervision of the Coast Guards and BIWTA, there was no trace of these watch bodies on the opening day. The forest department volunteers made an announcement for staggered movement of vessels. But almost none paid heed to such caution. This is a glaring example of lack of coordination among the government bodies in the management of the Sundarbans.

Earlier, the oil spillage incident exposed the government's irresponsible attitude towards the Sundarbans. The present incident shows it has learnt very little from the disaster and is still resting on rhetoric like 'controlled movement' rather than taking any sincere measure to protect the Sudarbans. We urge the government to form an expert committee to go into the points at issue, employ adequate supervision on the spot and, for the time being, allow minimum traffic along the channel. In the meantime, the authorities should expedite the dredging of Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel and explore alternative safer routes.