The latest oil spill
affecting the Halda river, a previous spill only months ago that threatened the Sundarbans, the going ahead with a project for the establishment of the coal based power plant
at Rampal so near to the Sundarbans, all these seem to suggest a
complete lack of care
of the policymakers towards the environment
Shocking neglect of the environment
The effort to remove furnace oil spilled at Boalkhali river is not satisfactory even after four days of the accident and it is a matter of great worry that the spilled oil has already started entering the Halda river from where fish breeders from all over the country come to collect spawned eggs for introducing into water bodies where they carry out fish breeding. Thus, the importance of this river for countrywide natural breeding of fresh water fish needs hardly elaboration. If the spilled oil spreads into the water of this river with tide where even fish from Karnaphuli and Sangu migrate in the breeding season to spawn, then natural fish breeding will likely suffer a serious blow from this mishap in the coming years.
Responding to the danger, the district fisheries department there has engaged its staff members to remove oil from the water manually. But whether this kind of improvised manual effort would be able to effectively stop oil from getting mixed with Haldas water is in doubt. The danger is thus lurking that this virtual lifeline for natural fresh water fish breeding could meet a serious setback from this incident if all out efforts are not made immediately to stop the spilled oil from mixing with Haldas water in greater quantities.
Why the Shipping Ministry gave permission to tankers to carry oil again through the Shela river just after six months of a major oil spill there ? Now if again an accident like this happens, environmentalists will surely put blame on the ministry but by then the damage will be done. On the other hand, the stage seems all set to establish the coal-based electricity generation plant at Rampal. And if finally it is established, the existence of the Sundarban forest, our national treasure in all respects but specially from the perspective of the environment, will be gravely endangered. There are natural disasters and there are human-induced calamities. We cannot control vagaries of nature but as it appears the policymakers are hardly serious about stopping disasters that can be caused by its own insensitiveness. Can the Sunderbans withstand the impact of such oil spill again and again?
The latest oil spill affecting the Halda river, a previous spill only months ago that threatened the Sundarbans, the going ahead with the establishment of the coal based power plant at Rampal so near to the Sundarbans with potentials to seriously degrade the environment of the forest, all these seem to suggest a complete lack of care of the policymakers towards the environment.
