Tankers start plying Shela river route again

Oil-tankers have again started plying the Shela river route through the Sundabans, where a tanker met an accident in December, spilling 350,000 litres of furnace oil and poising serious threat to flora and fauna of the world's largest mangrove forest.
Environmentalists expressed grave concern over reopening of the route for oil-tankers, and fear occurrence of such disaster again, which will 'bring shame to the country'.
Officials said the Ministry of Shipping gave go ahead to a proposal of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) on February 14, considering the difficulties in transporting fuel oil through an alternative route, as the sea has become rough.
Shipping secretary Shafique Alam Mehdi told the FE on Friday that the permission was given, as the country's northern and western regions were about to face acute fuel oil shortage due to difficulties in transportation.
He said the sea route, through which the oil-tankers were plying after the Shela river route was closed, has become very rough with the beginning of the summer season. As a result, the fuel oil-carrying vessels were failing to reach the country's northern and western regions.
"We have opened the Shela route conditionally. The oil-tankers will have to take no objection certificates from the Bangladesh Coast Guard and the Department of Environment, and have to ply carefully," said Mr Mehdi.
When asked about the consequence on the mangrove forest if the oil-tankers meet accidents again, the shipping secretary said, "Accidents may occur anytime. An aeroplane may fall down any moment. Flying of aeroplane has not been stopped due to this reason."
When contacted BPC chairman A M Badrudduja told the FE that after the Shela river route was closed for oil-tankers in December, the vessels were using the deep sea route.
"The sea was calm during the winter. Vessels were plying smoothly. But with the beginning of the summer season the sea has become rough, leading to stoppage of fuel oil transportation from early April."
He said the entire northern and western regions were suffering from fuel oil shortage due to the sstoppage. The Daulatpur oil depot had stock of fuel oil for only seven days. The fuel oil for Gopalganj power plant is also being supplied from the depot, whose operation could face difficulties if the Shela river route was not opened.
Mr Badrudduja said the oil-tankers have been asked to ply carefully to avoid any untoward incident.
The BPC chairman said tankers having double hull and double bottom will be allowed to carry heavy grade oil on inland coastal routes, so that oil cannot spill out in case of any accident.
He said necessary order has been given to stop plying single hull and single bottom tankers on the river route.
"We are hopeful that no incident will occur. The tankers have been asked to take highest cautionary measures to avoid accident," he added.
However, Dr MA Matin, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon - an environmentalist organisation, termed reopening of the Shela river route for plying oil tankers as a 'sad news' for the world heritage site.
"It's sad news for the mangrove forest. Ecosystem of the forest will suffer badly, if any incident occurs again. That will be shameful for the country." Mr Matin raised question about the slow pace in dredging the Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel.
"The channel should be ready in the mean time for plying vessels to avoid any hazard to the wildlife of the Sundarbans." He opined that the government should not be so kind to local fish farm owners and make delay in dredging the channel.
Atiq Morshed, coordinator of Poribesh Bachao Andolon - another environmentalist organisation, told the FE that he did not know the news of reopening the channel for plying oil-tankers.
He said the government did not consult with the environmentalists before reopening the route. Recurrence of any incident in the rivers inside the Sundarbans may become catastrophic to the forest.
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