Oil spill near Sundarbans!

Sada Kalo Blog reported quoting Bangla Newspaper Prothom Alo that water in the rivers in the Sundarbans (largest mangrove forest in the world) are turning black, oily, and sticky. The report informs that fishes are swimming upstream and sharks and crocodiles are floating on the water.

Today Sada kalo has spotted a Reuters report which informs that the Iranian registered vessel Mir Damad, en-route from Chittagong to Kolkata, has a crack in the bottom, and is on the verge of submersion approximately 22 miles south-west of Mongla.

Its strange that local media has not picked up the news (except Prothom Alo). Bangladesh has no experience in tackling oil spills.

A 2002 study warned about the possibility and the consequences of such spill. So it might turn out to be really devastating for the ecology of the Sundarbans coastal areas (especially the inter-tidal and sub-tidal near-shore habitats) if prompt measures are not taken.