Impact assessment on Sundarbans oil spill

THE joint UN-Bangladesh impact assessment team on the Sundarbans oil spill has submitted its report. The incident involving sinking of an oil tanker and subsequent spill of an estimated 300,000 litres of furnace oil into the ecosystem of the forest is claimed to have had a limited effect on the delicate ecological balance of Sundarbans in the short term.

But there is no room for complacency, for us to fully understand what impact the spill has had on the largest mangrove forest, it has been recommended that the authorities build up permanent monitoring capacity to oversee passage of marine vessels, until an alternative marine route can be found. That the ban on marine vessels has been lifted and the lax monitoring of what vessels are plying the waterways crisscrossing the Sundarbans mean another disastrous incident may occur at any time.

What had become apparent in the aftermath of the spillage is the sheer confusion among various departments of the government on who is responsible for what in terms of response. This is a Achilles' heel that has to be addressed. We also saw a dearth of preparedness to deal with an oil spill and a lack of perception on what chemical agents could be used to contain a spill of this magnitude. The health hazards associated with using people who scooped up nearly 70,000 litres of the oil spilled without protective gear are yet to be ascertained. These are all issues that have to be dealt with sooner rather than later.