Oil spill starts taking human toll

The oil spilled in Shela River from a sunken tanker has started to take its toll on the inhabitants in and around Chandpai Range under Sundarbans east zone. Sources at different hospitals in Bagerhat town and Mongla Upazila said people who live in Joymoni, Andhamanik and other parts of the mangrove forest are coming to local hospitals for treatment in the last one week. They said patients include fishermen and their family members and those who collect firewood and large dried leaf from trees on the banks of Shela River. Besides, scores of people, including women and children of fishing community have fallen sick after collecting spilled furnace oil from oil-tanker ‘OT Southern Star 7’, which sank in River Shela on Dec 9. Many local people have started complaining of lungs congestion, vomiting and other health problems at the Upazila health complex. They fell sick while trying to save their only source of livelihood, the Sundarbans, without knowing the impact of the salvage operation on their health. Now after 2 weeks of the sinking of the oil tanker people are facing the great impact of the oil. The accident is threatening trees in the forest and planktons, vast populations of small fish, crabs, dolphins, crocodiles and otters in Shela River and different canals. The locals, mostly fishermen, were seen collecting oil from the water without even wearing protective gloves although it is mandatory for the scavengers to wear masks and gloves while collecting oil which is highly toxic. Moshiur Sena, 40, son of Ali Baksi Sena, of Jaymoni in Mongla said that he was unable to collect oil on that particular day as he had been feeling sick for the last one week days. ‘Sister, I do not feel well, my whole body is burning. And neither a mud bath nor a shower is helping me. I do not know what to do,’ Moshiur told a nurse at a local health complex. Md Sohel Sheikh, 26, and his friend Niaz, 25, also engaged in collecting oil on a hired trawler, was admitted to Mongla hospital, as both of them were suffering from diarrhoea. Fatima Khatun, 38, who along with her twelve-year son Sourav, collected oil from the Joymoni Launch Ghat area, said that her son was feeling unwell. ‘Sourav's asthma has aggravated due to the impact of the spilled oil,’ she added. Prof Dr Masuda Khatun, a Skin Specialist at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, said the effect of the spilled oil on human body is toxic. If anyone consumes the oil it will cause diarrhoea and abdominal pain and may also cause body sore, according to a news agency.