MoEF wants shutting down Shela River route in Sundarbans

The government has recommended permanently shutting down the Shela River route in the Sundarbans.
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) suggestion comes nearly a week after an oil-tanker sank there spilling 350,000 litres of furnace oil.
Officials say the oil has spread over 50 kilometres as environmentalists fear it will wreak havoc on the world's largest mangrove forest's ecology.
The MoEF last Wednesday prohibited using the route until further notice.
After Sunday's inter ministerial meeting, Deputy Minister Abdullah Al Islam Jakob said they had recommended closing the Shela River route permanently.
Locals have been collecting the oil and selling them to state-owned Padma Oil at Tk 30 per litre.
The meeting also urges the health ministry to inspect whether the locals face possible health hazards.
Jakob said they had recommended raising the oil purchase price to encourage more people to take part in the mopping up operations. About 300 workers are collecting the spilled oil with 100 boats, according to a news agency.