Ctg oil spill

Medical team despatched to monitor health hazards

Bangladesh Railways (BR) have not been able to salvage the wagons that plunged into the canal and spilled furnace oil, although five days have passed since the massive accident. Moreover, train services on the Chittagong-Dohazari route are yet to be restored. BR sources said rail communications might be restored today.
The BR authorities said inclement weather, coupled with the heavy downpour, has slowed down repairs at the accident site. It might take a few more days before the wagons can be salvaged.
During a visit to the Halda river yesterday, this correspondent came across water hyacinths mixed with the spilled furnace oil. Besides, soil, grass and plants on the riverbanks are smeared with furnace oil. The slick, albeit thin now (thanks to the torrential rain), was seen floating on the Halda’s waters at Modunaghat area in the river.
“The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) had decided to buy furnace oil from local people at Tk. 60 per litre. However, the decision to buy the spilled oil did not elicit much response from the locals, as only around 100 litres of such oil could have been collected,” said Khondoker Nurul Haque, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Boalkhali.  

Meanwhile, the Chittagong Civil Surgeon’s Office has dispatched a team of physicians to Boalkhali, the accident site, to preclude any possible human health hazard. “We have sent a team of physicians to the site accident to provide medical assistance. The three-member team has been sent as part of a precautionary measure to check the outbreak of any disease. People may suffer from skin diseases if they come in contact into spilled furnace oil,” said Dr Md Sarfaraz Khan Chowdhury, civil surgeon of Chittagong.
“The oil slick has become diluted with the torrential rain and tide. We are trying to minimise the impact of the oil spill on the environment,” said Mohammad Abdullah, Chittagong divisional commissioner and head of the coordination committee formed by the environment and forests ministry to address and minimise the oil spill and its subsequent consequences.
“We have visited the Halda, and saw the slick was spreading towards the river with the tide. We cannot say for sure how many fishes have died from the oil spill. We, however, apprehend that the oil slick may have a long-term negative impact on the Halda. Apart from being a sanctuary, the Halda is also one of the country's major natural sweet water fish-breeding spots. Moreover, the Halda river is the habitat of Gangetic dolphins,” said Prabhati Deb, district fisheries officer.
“Every year, at this juncture, the brood fishes (mother fishes) of some indigenous sweet water fish species release eggs in the Halda. But the oil spill may prevent the mother fishes from spawning and the production of fish may witness a sharp decline,” Deb said, adding that prawn production might also decrease.
“This is very alarming for aquatic mammals like Gangetic dolphins, since the toxic oil slick can wipe them out,” said Manzoorul Kibria, associate professor of Zoology at Chittagong University.
“Dolphins are called an indicator species as their existence proves that the aquatic environment of a water body is pollution-free,” said the zoologist.
“The heavy downpour comes as a blessing following the massive oil spill. The thick layer of the slick has become diluted due to the tide and torrential rain,” added Kibria, who is also an expert on the Halda river.
The Department of Environment (DoE) and the district fisheries department have collected water samples from the Halda and the Karnaphuli. “We have collected water samples from five points of the river and tested the level of dissolved oxygen in the Halda. The oil has not spilled all over the Halda. The level of oxygen in some spots of the river is below standard,” said Prabhati Deb.
“We collected water samples from some spots of the Karnaphuli and the Halda. The tests showed that oil and grease were not detected in the two rivers. The level of dissolved oxygen was found to be very little in Military Pole area of Boalkhali canal and at the site of the accident,” said Al Mamun, assistant director of DoE, Chittagong.  
Echoing him, Chittagong DC Mohammad Abdullah said the level of dissolved oxygen did not drop after the oil spill. “Tests have been carried out, but nothing alarming was found,” Abdullah claimed.  
The oil spill occurred on June 19 when a freight train, carrying furnace oil from Chittagong, derailed at Boalkhali. The derailment occurred after a berth of Bridge No. 24 near Dhalghat railway station broke down.

Ctg oil spill

Medical team despatched to monitor health hazards

Bangladesh Railways (BR) have not been able to salvage the wagons that plunged into the canal and spilled furnace oil, although five days have passed since the massive accident. Moreover, train services on the Chittagong-Dohazari route are yet to be restored. BR sources said rail communications might be restored today. The BR authorities said inclement weather, coupled with the heavy downpour, has slowed down repairs at the accident site. It might take a few more days before the wagons can be salvaged. During a visit to the Halda river yesterday, this correspondent came across water hyacinths mixed with the spilled furnace oil. Besides, soil, grass and plants on the riverbanks are smeared with furnace oil. The slick, albeit thin now (thanks to the torrential rain), was seen floating on the Haldas waters at Modunaghat area in the river. The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) had decided to buy furnace oil from local people at Tk. 60 per litre. However, the decision to buy the spilled oil did not elicit much response from the locals, as only around 100 litres of such oil could have been collected, said Khondoker Nurul Haque, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Boalkhali. Meanwhile, the Chittagong Civil Surgeons Office has dispatched a team of physicians to Boalkhali, the accident site, to preclude any possible human health hazard. We have sent a team of physicians to the site accident to provide medical assistance. The three-member team has been sent as part of a precautionary measure to check the outbreak of any disease. People may suffer from skin diseases if they come in contact into spilled furnace oil, said Dr Md Sarfaraz Khan Chowdhury, civil surgeon of Chittagong. The oil slick has become diluted with the torrential rain and tide. We are trying to minimise the impact of the oil spill on the environment, said Mohammad Abdullah, Chittagong divisional commissioner and head of the coordination committee formed by the environment and forests ministry to address and minimise the oil spill and its subsequent consequences. We have visited the Halda, and saw the slick was spreading towards the river with the tide. We cannot say for sure how many fishes have died from the oil spill. We, however, apprehend that the oil slick may have a long-term negative impact on the Halda. Apart from being a sanctuary, the Halda is also one of the countrys major natural sweet water fish-breeding spots. Moreover, the Halda river is the habitat of Gangetic dolphins, said Prabhati Deb, district fisheries officer. Every year, at this juncture, the brood fishes (mother fishes) of some indigenous sweet water fish species release eggs in the Halda. But the oil spill may prevent the mother fishes from spawning and the production of fish may witness a sharp decline, Deb said, adding that prawn production might also decrease. This is very alarming for aquatic mammals like Gangetic dolphins, since the toxic oil slick can wipe them out, said Manzoorul Kibria, associate professor of Zoology at Chittagong University. Dolphins are called an indicator species as their existence proves that the aquatic environment of a water body is pollution-free, said the zoologist. The heavy downpour comes as a blessing following the massive oil spill. The thick layer of the slick has become diluted due to the tide and torrential rain, added Kibria, who is also an expert on the Halda river. The Department of Environment (DoE) and the district fisheries department have collected water samples from the Halda and the Karnaphuli. We have collected water samples from five points of the river and tested the level of dissolved oxygen in the Halda. The oil has not spilled all over the Halda. The level of oxygen in some spots of the river is below standard, said Prabhati Deb. We collected water samples from some spots of the Karnaphuli and the Halda. The tests showed that oil and grease were not detected in the two rivers. The level of dissolved oxygen was found to be very little in Military Pole area of Boalkhali canal and at the site of the accident, said Al Mamun, assistant director of DoE, Chittagong. Echoing him, Chittagong DC Mohammad Abdullah said the level of dissolved oxygen did not drop after the oil spill. Tests have been carried out, but nothing alarming was found, Abdullah claimed. The oil spill occurred on June 19 when a freight train, carrying furnace oil from Chittagong, derailed at Boalkhali. The derailment occurred after a berth of Bridge No. 24 near Dhalghat railway station broke down.