Assessing oil spill tragedy

The fragile Sundarbans region is now staring helplessly at an ecological nightmare caused by oil spillage after a vessel carrying oil sank after a collision. Furnace oil spread over more than 100 sq. km area along the Shela River, polluting the sanctuary of rare Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins.
Fears, expressed by professionals working with wildlife and biodiversity immediately after the oil spill, are coming true. The media and environmentalists are already vocal about how the oil spill from the crashed tanker is threatening the endangered dolphins and other wild animals in the Sundarbans mangrove region.
The tanker, carrying an estimated 350,000 litres (75,000 gallons) of oil collided with another vessel and partly sank in the Shela River, home to rare Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins. Spread over 10,000 sq km (3,900 sq miles), the Sundarbans is a Unesco-listed World Heritage Site and home to hundreds of the Royal Bengal tigers. The delta comprises a network of rivers and canals straddling Bangladesh and India.
The accident occurred inside one of three sanctuaries set up for the dolphins. Although officials are unsure as to how much oil has been spilled, they warned the slick has spread to another river as well as a network of canals in the vast Sundarbans delta.
Three areas were declared dolphin sanctuaries in 2011 after studies found they are home to some 6,000 of the mammals. Fishermen have been banned from making catches there, but tankers and boats are still allowed to pass through the river.
"The dolphin sanctuary will probably be the worst-hit. Already a dolphin belonging to rare Irrawaddy species was found dead at about 50 kilometres from the site of occurrence. Mangroves, too, are likely to be affected. Trees along the coastal belt may also die soon if the spill cannot be restricted immediately, according to wildlife activists. The symptoms of environmental damage are likely to be visible soon as water quality has already been affected.
The oil spillage is a catastrophe for the delicate ecology of the Sundarbans. It has already blackened the shoreline, threatening trees, plankton, vast populations of small fishes and dolphins. And if crabs are hit, the dolphins and tigers will be affected. While dolphins will find it very difficult to breathe the foul air, the tigers will miss one of their favourite foods.
The oil tanker was salvaged more than 30 hours after it sank, and two of its six containers were badly damaged. A local newspaper reported that oil has covered grasses and other plants on the banks of the rivers. It quoted a local resident as saying that he spotted two dead animals--a monitor lizard and an otter.
Once the water recedes, the thick layer of oil will cover the vegetation and penetrate  the soil. Deer survive on this vegetation and tigers live on them. In the long run, both animals could suffer, environmentalists have warned.
In 2011, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) opened a 'temporary' route through the Shela River. The move drew protests from environmentalists and also forest officials.
Last September, the UNESCO had written to the Bangladesh government seeking suspension of the water route through the Sundarbans immediately and asked the government to send a compliance report by February.
Bangladesh declared the area a dolphin sanctuary in 2011 after studies showed there were hundreds of endangered river dolphins there. The area is also home to about eight species. Besides, salt water crocodiles inhabit the area. Fishing is banned, but tankers and other boats are allowed to pass through.
Year 2014 presented us two deadliest hazards in two different sectors. Before the wounds of Rana Plaza collapse could be healed, the oil tanker tragedy befell us. Rana Plaza losses were mostly visible and measurable, but it will not be possible to ascertain the extent of damages inflicted by the oil spillage in the near future. That is where the real tragedy lies.
Rushing with relief materials is not expected, as there is hardly any loss of human life, but in all fairness, urgent technological help to clean the Shela River and its surroundings could make a lot of difference.
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