The government yesterday bowed down to an ultimatum given by marine workers and reopened the Mongla-Joymonirgol-Bogi navigation route on the Sela River, despite concerns that use of the waterway could endanger the environment of the Sundarbans.
“We decided to reopen the route under certain conditions in consideration of the movement of vessels, the effectiveness of Mongla port and the livelihood of the workers,” Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said.
The conditions include a continued ban on the use of the route by oil tankers and a requirement that the route be used only in the daytime.
Regarding the use of the waterway by oil tankers, Shahjahan said that a final decision would come after a UN expert team conducting an environmental impact assessment submits its final report on the oil spill on January 15.
The minister said the legal waterway, the Mongla-Ghosiakhali route, will resume operations within the next 6 months.
The Mongla-Joymonirgol-Bogi navigation route on the Sela River has been used as an illegal navigation route since 2011 after siltation hampered navigability on the Mongla-Ghosiakhali route.
Earlier on yesterday morning, the Bangladesh Marine Workers Federation issued the government an ultimatum saying if the Sela River navigation route was not reopened within 24 hours, marine workers would go on indefinite strike from today.
They demanded controlled navigation on the route to reduce negative environmental impacts to the Sundarbans.
Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju told the Dhaka Tribune that the Shipping Ministry had reopened the route in consultation with his ministry and would strictly uphold certain conditions of operation.
On December 9, oil tanker Southern Star 7, with some 358,000 litres of furnace oil in its hold, sank in the river at Mrigmari after being hit by another cargo vessel, causing a massive oil spill.
On December 11, the government prohibited use of the route to all commercial vessels.
Local people have collected 68,000 litres of furnace oil from the river with bare hands and buckets after Padma Oil Company, the owner of the oil, promised cash payments for it.
A UN team of international experts carried out an impact assessment, at the request of the Bangladesh government, from December 22 to December 27.
It disclosed its primary findings on December 31 saying the mangrove ecosystem and aquatic species of the Sundarbans had experienced a “limited” environmental impact due to the oil spill.
It suggested controlled navigation on the Sela River, together with appropriate safeguards, to protect the environment.
