The Department of Environment chief yesterday termed the oil spill followed by derailment of wagons in Chittagong’s Boalkhali Canal a mere accident, though a DoE director the previous day blamed negligence of the railway authorities for the incident and warned legal action.
DoE Director General Raisul Alam Mandal, Bangladesh Railway’s Director General Amzad Hossain, General Manager (east) Mojammel Haque, and senior officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation visited the spot yesterday.
Raisul said biodiversity and ecosystem of the area, the Boalkhali Canal and the Karnaphuli River were affected due to the oil spill. “But it was an accident,” he told reporters.
Sources said the government agencies had held an inter-ministerial meeting on the matter following the incident.
On Saturday, a senior DoE official in Chittagong warned that they would take legal action against those responsible for the oil spill. The official also said they were working to remove the oil from the Karnaphuli River using local methods. However, the activity remained stalled yesterday.
The BPC authorities yesterday announced that they would purchase oil collected by the locals at Tk30 per litre.
Chittagong district Deputy Commissioner Mezbah Uddin also encouraged the local people to collect oil from the canal.
Meanwhile, a team of the Chittagong Port Authority has started monitoring the spot and spread of the oil, Director (admin) Zafar Alam said.
Until Saturday, the oil spread 20km on both sides of the spot causing fear that the oil may reach the Bay of Bengal due to the tidal water.
The engine and three oil wagons derailed when the Number 24 Bridge – locally known as Shakerpool – collapsed around 2pm on Friday, leaving two train drivers injured and causing the spill of around 90,000 litres of furnace oil, meant for the 100MW power plant at Dohajaree.
The dilapidated bridge had been identified as a “death point” by the railway authorities eight years back. There are three other such vulnerable bridges in this route.
Member of Poribesh Bachao Andolon in Chittagong Nasir Uddin Chowdhury blamed negligence of the railway authorities for not repairing the bridge. He criticised the DoE for terming the oil spill a mere accident.
He urged the government to repair the other vulnerable bridges in Chittagong-Dohajaree route as trains carry fuel oil for power plants using this route.
Environmentalists say plants and water animals of the canal and the river would be direct victim of the oil spill incident. Moreover, birds that live on fishes and water plants as well as adjoining farmlands will also be affected.
After a similar incident in 2013, the DoE officials had asked the railway authorities to repair the risky bridges and change the wagons so that oil cannot come out if a wagon turns turtle. But no step was taken to address the issues.
Railways Secretary Firoz Salauddin, after visiting the spot, said they were working to resume the rail link within a week.
