No water sprayed due to lack of nearby source

BAGERHAT, Mar 22 (UNB): A fire has broken out in the Sundarbans, the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, but no water could be sprayed on the blaze even after 12 hours due to the lack of a nearby water source.

The fire, which erupted in the Tepar Beel area under the Kolomteji Camp of the Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division, has burned trees and vegetation, with smoke spreading across several parts of the forest.

According to the Forest Department, some foresters spotted the fire at around 7 am on Saturday. Dry leaves fueled the flames, causing the fire to spread rapidly. Several trees and plants have already been burned.

Dipen Chandra Das, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division, said, "A firebreak has been created over a 1.5-kilometre area to prevent the fire from spreading further.

The Forest Department, Fire Brigade, and local villagers are working together to control the fire. However, due to the lack of a nearby water source, no water could be sprayed on the fire until Saturday evening."

He could not confirm the cause of the fire or the extent of damage immediately.

According to the Fire Service, the fire broke out about 3 kilometres away from the Bhola River and the nearest locality.

While five fire service units were dispatched to the Sundarbans, only one unit managed to reach the site and the other four could not.

A pipeline has been laid for 1.5 kilometers to carry water from the Bhola River, but another 1.5 kilometres is needed to establish a connection.

Firefighters said that efforts to douse the fire with water would not be possible before Sunday morning.

Aftab-e-Alam, the acting station officer of Sarankhola Fire Station in Bagerhat, said, "By Saturday evening, we managed to lay pipelines for 1.5 kilometers. Work was halted due to nightfall, and the remaining 1.5 kilometers of pipelines will be installed on Sunday morning before water spraying begins."