Shipwrecks in the Sundarbans are increasing, as are the number of ships plying the rivers of the world’s largest mangrove forest.
The increased traffic puts the delicate ecosystem at risk.
Increasing marine vessel movement, mainly on the Pashur River channel of the Sundarbans, is set to increase even further when the coal -fired Rampal power plant goes into operation.
The coal power plant’s environment impact assessment (EIA) report states that the plant will require 4.7 million tonnes of coal and limestone annually, which will be carried by at least 157 vessels with an average capacity of 30,000 tonnes.
Port records show that the number of merchant ships calling on the port quadrupled from 110 in 2006-07 to 482 in 2015-16.
Of the nine shipwrecks that the Mongla Port Authority recorded since 1984, four occurred in just the last three years.
The most recent shipwreck occurred on January 13 this year, near Fairway Boa 10, located 12 nautical miles away from the Sundarban’s Hiron Point. This is the southern most point of the mangroves, and is home to Bengal Tigers, Irawaddy dolphins, primates, the Indian fishing cat, Indian otter and spotted deer besides other flora and fauna.
The Rampal plant EIA anticipated that more vessels carrying coal would harm the world heritage site and suggested that the government review shipping impacts on a regular basis and work with related stakeholders to lessen adverse impacts on protected areas.
Hydrologist Ainun Nishat, professor emeritus of BRAC University, said the risk to the forest and its biodiversity would multiply as the number of vessels plying the Sundarbans’ rivers multiplied. The mangrove straddles the border of Bangladesh and India, with 60% lying in Bangladesh.
“It is not just the coal laden ships. There will be others carrying machinery and fuel for the power plant,” he added.
The Shela River shipwreck of 2014 which saw 350,000 litres of black furnace oil dumped into the waterway is still fresh in the public memory.
A study by Khulna University professor Dr Abdullah Harun Chowdhury soon after that accident, carried out between December 11 and December 25, 2014, in 15 locations of the 10,000 square kilometre UNESCO world heritage site, found low densities of phytoplankton – essential to marine life.
The study found only 18 species of phytoplankton in the oil contaminated areas with a density of 24-67 units per litre compared to 47 species with 226 – 456 units per litre, clearly indicating the effects of oil contamination.
Images of congealed furnace oil floating on the river and destroying animal and plant life are at the heart of protests to protect the area.
The shipping ministry concurs that increased ship traffic would be a problem. “Increased ship movement in the Sundarbans will disturb the environment,” it said in its opinion as far back as 2011.
It said there could be more oil pollution due to seepage, leakage and pumping of bilge from ships.
“Discharged oil may cover the breathing roots of the Sundori trees (the species after which the forest is named), endangering their growth and ultimately leading towards depletion of the forest.”
Md Waliullah, harbour master commander of Mongla Port, has watched the growth of traffic first hand.
“The number of ships playing the rivers has increased and so have the accidents,” he said.
He said port authorities were trying to discourage vessels without fitness permits from plying river channels in the Sundarbans. The Forest Department red-flagged the issue almost six years ago. A letter written by then Chief Conservator of Forests Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed in July 2011, says: “The proposed power plant might destroy the biodiversity including the Bengal Tiger population of the forest.”
