Oil films can distort reality!

The pollution in the Sundarbans recently had competition from an unlikely quarter when the Hon'ble Shipping Minister went on the airwaves with his reckless spiel that the black oil spill in the Shela River was (mostly) harmless.

A man who clearly has a different interpretation of reality than most of Bangladesh and, indeed, the (sane) world, Shahjahan confidently declared that the 3.5 lakh metric tonne of oil has “not spread that much” and as such, “won't affect dolphins and other animals.”An ignoramus has a rationality of his own, after all, and so never mind that the oil has already spread over a 350 square kilometre area and that, without any real attempt from the government to contain the spill, it is seeping into areas inhabited by communities who rely on nature for their lives and livelihoods. Let's also conveniently side-step the fact that it is, by far, the biggest disaster in any mangrove forest in the world.

Ignore the countless experts who decry that the oil spill will endanger the rare species of dolphins and other animals who reside there. Shame on the fear-mongers who insist that the flora and fauna would be irreparably damaged, and livelihoods hampered, because of our policy-makers' utter disregard for our most prized natural resource. These are all conspiracies, no doubt, dear Mr. Minister, to embarrass the current government that is otherwise kayaking on the tide of debhelopment?

Mr. Minister has the Big Guns, the “foreign experts,” to advise him that the oil spill was No Big Deal. No doubt these experts, if indeed they do exist (except in his imagination), are of the same feather as those denying the existence of global warming. Or perhaps these are the same experts who diligently argue that there is no “evidence” that selling the Sundarbans to private companies and setting up power plants would permanently maim the mighty mangrove forest.

It is clear that the authorities are not listening to the right advice, from the left quarters, and haven't been for a long time. What else explains why the Sundarbans is in this situation to begin with? Why was there an oil-carrying vessel on a route that prohibits such vessels? Why, despite the fact that two similar incidents happened only two months ago, were no steps taken to stop the passage of precarious vessels? Even if, for the sake of argument and in violation of all common sense, we allow the transportation of hazardous chemicals through the forest, what monitoring and enforcement mechanisms were in place? Why would we have no resources, technical know-how or capacity to deal with such accidents? The government, instead of making a mockery of their responsibility, must answer these questions, and fast.

While bringing lawsuits against the owners of both ships is a welcome move, it is not enough. These accidents are all but inevitable if large vessels with hazardous materials are permitted to enter what should be protected areas in the Sundarbans. The respective authorities must be held accountable for their consistent lack of oversight and concern about our natural resources. The government needs to admit what, if anything, the Sundarbans means to them, beyond the wide-angle shot of the resplendent mangrove forests and close-ups of the Royal Bengal Tiger in TVCs about Bangladesh.

Why did it take three, nay, four days, to get the containment mission started, when it was more than obvious that every minute of delay would only risk countless lives there? Bureaucratic foot-dragging, indecision and irresponsible management on the part of the government have been responsible for the oil spreading over such a vast area. Far too late, we are doing far too little, only now beginning a manual operation, and one that, according to environmentalists and experts, can do little to minimise the damage to our ecology. If we do not have the technical know-how to do so, why is it that we have so far refused the help of UN and other international institutions from whom we have no qualms about accepting all other forms of aid?

All of these thorny issues can be cleverly side-stepped if we just presume that the death of the dolphins is a myth, and that the oil coating can keep the fish and animals warm at night, in these cold, wintry days. Jokes aside, the fact that instead of acknowledging the seriousness of the matter and our complicity in it, we are still bent on crying “overreaction,” “subversion,” or “media frenzy” can only highlight that we are not prepared to change our destructive policies on the Sundarbans. The minister has already stated that the government is not considering a permanent ban on the plying of riverine vessels on the route. Apparently, the Sundarbans is nowhere near thelist of priorities of either the minister or the government.

The oil spill is only a fragment of the danger that the Sundarbans is in right now. We will all but wipe out our mangrove forest if we allow Rampal and other power plants to reign over our tigers, dolphins and Shundori trees. Many of us are outraged now by the spill, but how many are prepared to take up the difficult fight against greedy corporations and reckless governments whose idea of “development”is about as developed as a one-year-old's speech? Let alone the construction and operation of the coal-based power plants, the transportation of coal itself through the waters of the forest can cause damage whose magnitude would be far greater than what we see today. Seduced by the establishment of power plants near Sundarbans, a range of industries is already racing to set up their plants there, grabbing and clearing forest landsand violating environmental laws. When our prime minister says that she will ensure no damage is caused by the coal power plants, I can only wonder if her definition of 'harm' is the same as that of Shahjahan's.

When I told a friend of mine that I wanted to write an article of this issue, he exclaimed: “But why! You're not an expert!” He was right, of course. But do we really need an expert, spewing technical terms, to tell us that the dead dolphins, blackened crabs and undrinkable water is a signal of much worse things to come. The fisherfolk in the region, who are washing off the oil from crabs so that they have something to live on next year, can tell you just as well, using much less jargon. Besides, and perhaps more importantly, the destruction of the Sundarbans is not just an environment issue, it is a governance issue, it is a political issue, and as such, one that demands the attention and outrage of not just a handful, but of us all, invested in one way or another in the future of this country, and indeed, the world.

The writer is Senior Editorial Assistant,
The Daily Star.