BIWTA to step up oil removal along Sundarbans

Oil spilled from the tanker that capsized in the Shela river at Joymoni Ghola of the east range of the Sundarbans after being hit by a cargo vessel early Tuesday. Photo: Star

The government will intensify efforts to remove the layer of oil that seeped through the Sundarbans after an oil tanker sank in the world’s largest mangrove forest two days ago.

A chemical would be used to increase the density of the oil which would be later swiped through the surface, our Bagerhat correspondent said quoting Md Shamsuddoha Khandaker, chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

Meanwhile, the sunken tanker was pulled near the shore under private efforts. Three vessels of the Bangladesh Navy and BIWTA reached the site in the afternoon.

Our Correspondent at the scene, Pinaki Roy, said the plantations at the shore were “oil painted” two-three feet from above the ground and some dead animals were found.

Meanwhile, the ban on vessels from plying the Shela riverine route was still at place.

Oil spilled from the tanker that capsized in the Shela river at Joymoni Ghola of the east range of the Sundarbans after being hit by a cargo vessel early Tuesday. Photo: Star

OIL REMOVAL EFFORTS TO INTENSIFY

A meeting was held in attendance of BIWTA chief Shamsuddoha where the future steps to counter the problems of the oil spill was discussed.

After the meeting, Shamsuddoha said Bangladesh navy vessel Kandari-10 will spray a powder adhesive to increase the density of the oil.

It will then be swiped away through fishing nets from at least 20 points of the canals branched from the Shela river through the Sundarbans.

The administration has also asked the locals to collect this oil and sell them to Padma Oil Company, our correspondent Pinaki Roy adds.

The authorities were yet to ascertain the extent of oil spillage, but it has been reported that the seepage spread over 50 kilometres on the waters of Shela and Pashur rivers.

The local forest department began the use of fishing nets to sweep away oil since last night.

Meanwhile, the sunken vessel, Southern Star-7, was tugged to the shores under Joymoni forest range around 11:30am, said Abul Kalam Azad, officer of Chandpai forest range.

The ship in now in safety, said M Giasuddin, managing director of the owning company Harun & Company.

Two of the six containers of oil in the vessel were completely destroyed, Giasuddin said. “We are checking to see if the two other containers were all right.”

BIWTA vessels Prottoy and Nirbhik arrived at the scene around 2:00pm. Bangladesh Navy’s Kandari-10 arrived on the Shela river around 3:30pm.

FOREST PAINTED OIL, ANIMALS DEAD

The Shela river had a ghastly look as far as the eye could see with the oil sweeping across the surface and the plantation on both sides painted with black layers of oil.

Some Golpata trees and smaller plants were completely covered in the oil. The big trees’ barks were smeared with oil two-three feet from above the ground.

The water hyacinths floating on the river were also coloured black.

One local, Abu Jafar, spotted two animals, a monitor lizard and an otter, dead and smeared with oil along the banks of the Shela river.

Tanker Southern Star-7 sank Tuesday morning carrying 3.58 lakh litres of furnace oil and eight crew members after hit by a cargo vessel from the behind.

Seven crews managed to swim ashore, but its captain Mokhlesur Rahman is still missing.

The oil seep will adversely impact the marine life and the mangroves, experts fear. Fish and other aquatic life-forms will die and the water will become undrinkable for animals.