The government is trying to save Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, from spilled oil pollution and extinction threat as quickly as possible, Deputy Minister for Environment and Forest Abdullah Al-Islam Jacob has said.
The minister said this while addressing a press conference at his ministry's conference room in the capital on Sunday, reports BSS.
The government ordered an intensified campaign to remove spilled oil from the waters as it had spread quickly through a wide network of rivers and channels in and around the forest, Jacob said.
The oil spread in the areas adjacent to the world's largest mangrove forest Sundarbans from a serious consequence of losing the rich biodiversity of the forest, he said.
"We will seek foreign help for removing spilled oil from the rivers, if needed," he said.
The ministry has directed to use 500 boats to remove the spilled oil from the surface water of the Shela River and nearby areas including adjacent canals in the Sundarbans, Jacod said.
He said the traditional boat systems removed about 23,000 litres of oil so far while oil tanker MV OT Southern Star 7 sank with about 3.58 lakh litres of furnace oil in the Shela river of Sundarbans.
The sunken oil tanker was salvaged from the river on December 11 two days after it sank.
"The government has also taken all sorts of measures to remove the oil by the short time engaging local fishermen to use their traditional methods of neutralising oil," Jacob said.
Replying to a question, he said the forest department filed a case against owner of the vessel immediately after it sank in the water.
"An investigation team has been engaged to assess the forest damage."
"We want to shut down the routes in and around the Sundarbans," he said while replying to another question.
The deputy minister also said the government will take decision whether the chemical will be sprayed or not in the water to neutralise the oil.
"If experts allow spraying of the chemical then it will be sprayed in the water to neutralize oil to save species of wild and aquatic animals of Sundarbans."
On December 9, the oil tanker carrying about 3.58 lakh litres of furnace oil sank in the Shela river of Sundarbans.
