Sunken vessel yet to be salvaged

Days after a ship sank near the Sundarbans with 1,000 tonnes of coal, any attempt to salvage the sunken ship is still lacking on part of the authorities and its owner. Meanwhile, experts have already expressed deep concerns regarding the damaging impact it would have on the Sundarbans, particularly if the seepage is allowed to continue. Another worrying aspect is that the longer the delay in salvaging the ship, the more there is chance of silt accumulating over the vessel which could result in the blockage of the channel.

With all these concerns near at hand, how is it that the authorities have been so lethargic in handling the situation? The authorities claim to have instructed the owner to recover the ship within a specified time, but more than 10 days have passed with nothing being done. 

Moreover, if the owner fails, the authorities themselves are supposed to recover it. Yet, the Mongla Port Authorities have no rescue ship and will have to depend on the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority. With that in mind, shouldn't the authorities have started to make preparations?

Over the last few years, we have seen similar such incidents repeating itself quite frequently. And yet, the authorities seem to care little at best about the negative impact all of these toxic materials are having on the Sundarbans. Such a lackadaisical attitude is not only harmful to the wellbeing of the Sundarbans, but does little to instil any confidence in their ability to look after the environment in general.