Salvage operation to pull out MV Javale Noor yet to begin

Authorities are yet to pull out the chemical fertiliser-laden cargo vessel that sank in the Mora Bhola River in the Sundarbans.

Staff CorrespondentBagerhat and sbdnews24.com
Published : 6 May 2015, 03:43 PM
Updated : 6 May 2015, 03:43 PM

MV Javale Noor was carrying around 500 tonnes Muriate of Potash (MoP) fertiliser on its way from Mongla to Sirajganj on Tuesday.

Owner of the vessel has fled fearing arrest.

Bagerhat district administration, forest and environment ministry, and Sundarbans East Zone formed three committees to investigate the incident and assess the damage.

Sundarbans East Zone also filed a complaint with Sharankhola Police Station fearing environmental damage.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), however, tried to dismiss fear of pollution by environment experts.

Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Jahangir Alam, Conservator of Forest for Khulna Circle Sunil Kumar Kundu, Sundarbans East Zone Divisional Forest Officer Amir Hossain Chowdhury and Bagerhat DAE Deputy Director Zainul Abedin visited the site on Wednesday.

Deputy Commissioner Alam said the three-member probe committee led by an additional deputy commissioner would submit report in three days.

He said salvage operation could not be started due to lack of necessary equipment.

He said they would take help from Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.

Kundu said his assistant for Sharankhola Range Kamal Uddin Ahmed filed a complaint over the incident with Sharankhola Police Station.

Divisional Forest Officer Chowdhury is leading the four-member committee of the Forest Department. He said the panel would submit report within three days.

Officials at his department removed a ‘little’ fertiliser from the capsized vessel.

The forest and environment ministry said a seven-strong committee led by CF Kundu was formed on Wednesday.

It was asked to file a report on the cause of the accident, fix liabilities and ascertain damage within five days.

Chowdhury was made the member secretary of the panel.

Khulna University environmental science department Professor Dr Dilip Datta said, “MoP is a chemical fertiliser. It melts in water easily.”

“The melting of such a huge amount of fertiliser in a small area would impact the aquatic animals and resources.”

He said intensive care and protection should be taken considering that the Sundarbans was a sensitive area.

Bagerhat DAE Deputy Director Abedin, however, said the melted MoP would not harm the aquatic animals in the area as it was largely used in agriculture and fisheries.