Fuel oil from leaked tanker spills over Karnaphuli river

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 26: The River Karnaphuli has suffered massive pollution as 10 tonnes of diesel spilled into its water from an oil tanker after it collided with a lighter ship on Thursday.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) started collecting the spilled oil from the river water this morning after the collision between the oil tanker Desh-1 and lighter ship City-38.

The ships named Bay Cleaner-1 and 2 and Kandari 10 and 11 of CPA are doing the oil collection work in the river.

Sources said oil tanker Desh-1 and lighter ship City-38 collided head on in the Dolphin jetty area of CPA in the Karnaphuli at 2am on Thursday night.

As a result, huge oil spilled into the river water from the tanker.

The CPA seized the vessels and nabbed their masters.

Secretary of CPA Omar Faruk said CPA has already seized the ships and detained their masters.

"CPA will take action against the ships for the accident and the ships will have to pay compensation for the river's pollution," he said further.

"CPA has started collecting the spilled oil from the river this morning. Four ships of the CPA- Bay Cleaner -1 and 2 and Kandari 10 and 1- are collecting the oil from the water of the river. The ships have already lifted around 4,000 litres of oil from the river till 4pm today," he added.

Meanwhile, bdnews24.com adds: Both ships were detained and the Coast Guard will take legal actions against them, Faruk said.

CPA Deputy Conservator Capt Faridul Alam said that the spill of the oil was contained fast as a cleaning vessel, Bay Cleaner-2, was nearby.

"We will stop after removing the last drop," he said.

But environmentalists expressed concern over possibilities that high tide may take the spilled oil inward.

"It will harm fishes and small living beings in the river and threaten the ecosystem of the area," said Professor Idris Ali, an environmental scientist.

"Such incidents are occurring up to four times a year in the Karnaphuli, which is a huge environmental threat," he said.

Oil was seen on grass and bushes on the shore of Moheshkhal canal, nearly seven kilometres away from the main site, on Saturday.

The Department of Environment has asked the owners of the ships to appear on Sunday for a hearing.

"We've found evidence of environment pollution," DoE Assistant Director Sanjukta Dasgupa said.