Furnace oil spilled from four rail wagons and a locomotive has already spread in waterways, including the River Karnaphuli, and adjacent areas, including cultivable land at Boalkhali in Chittagong, local people said.
The oil spill would have long-term harmful impact on the environment, experts fear.
Halda river expert Monjurul Kibria, who is an associate professor of zoology at Chittagong University, has said this huge amount of furnace oil will mix up in the water of the River Karnaphuli through ebb tide and will cause three types of harms — the toxic elements of the furnace oil will damage the food cycle of the river, damage the ecosystem creating shortage of oxygen and eventually the cultivable lands adjacent to the canal will become barren.
He also mentioned that on July 31, 2013, a train carrying furnace oil went off the tracks at Kalurghat Bridge and spilled a large amount of oil in the Karnaphuli causing severe damage to the surroundings.
Railway’s general manager (east) Mozammel Haque told New Age that four, out of eight, tank wagons of the Dohazari-bound oil-filled train and its locomotive fell into a canal at Boalkhali around 2:00pm on Friday.
The train was carrying around two and half lakh litres of furnace oil for the 100MW power plant at Dohazari, he said.
Of the four tank wagons, two had completely sunk in the waterways and the spilled oil already spread in the entire water body and adjacent lands, he said.
Professor Joshim Uddin of forestry and environmental science department of Chittagong University told New Age that as it was now rainy season, and if it rained for 10 more days, the magnitude of the damage to the environment might be mitigated.
‘Otherwise it will have a prolonged impact on the biodiversity including people,’ he said.
Officials of the Department of Environment have alleged that the railway authorities did not inform the department of the accident.
Md Mokbul Hossain, director of the Chittagong Divisional Environment Office, told New Age, ‘It is unfortunate that no one informed us on the day of accident; we could have acted promptly if we were informed.’
Salvage activities after the incident are still slow, locals and witnesses have alleged.
While asked about the slack salvage process, Firoz Iftekhar, divisional transportation officer of Bangladesh Railway East Zone, refuted the allegations.
‘We have already started rescue works and informed the environment department,’ he said.
Abidur Rahman, head of the three-member probe committee and divisional engineer, Chittagong-1, who was at the spot on Saturday, told New Age that the authorities started transshipment of furnace oil from the four oil tank wagons that didn’t fall off the track.
The rescue equipment is also on the way to lift the fallen and tilted wagons, he said.
Railway officials also said it will take at least three to four days to clear the leaked oil.
Local member of parliament Mainuddin Khan Badal visited the area Saturday afternoon.
He asked the local administration including UNO, the DOE officials and the railway officials to act as a body to resolve the pollution as soon as possible.
‘It is unfortunate that the railway did not act accordingly even after the bridge was declared risky long ago,’ Badal told New Age.
The railway authorities suspended assistant executive engineer Abdul Halim and senior sub-assistant engineer Akhter Ahmed Ferdous for their negligence in duties.
A three-member committee was also formed to probe the incident and asked it to submit report within three working days.
The oil spill would have long-term harmful impact on the environment, experts fear.
Halda river expert Monjurul Kibria, who is an associate professor of zoology at Chittagong University, has said this huge amount of furnace oil will mix up in the water of the River Karnaphuli through ebb tide and will cause three types of harms — the toxic elements of the furnace oil will damage the food cycle of the river, damage the ecosystem creating shortage of oxygen and eventually the cultivable lands adjacent to the canal will become barren.
He also mentioned that on July 31, 2013, a train carrying furnace oil went off the tracks at Kalurghat Bridge and spilled a large amount of oil in the Karnaphuli causing severe damage to the surroundings.
Railway’s general manager (east) Mozammel Haque told New Age that four, out of eight, tank wagons of the Dohazari-bound oil-filled train and its locomotive fell into a canal at Boalkhali around 2:00pm on Friday.
The train was carrying around two and half lakh litres of furnace oil for the 100MW power plant at Dohazari, he said.
Of the four tank wagons, two had completely sunk in the waterways and the spilled oil already spread in the entire water body and adjacent lands, he said.
Professor Joshim Uddin of forestry and environmental science department of Chittagong University told New Age that as it was now rainy season, and if it rained for 10 more days, the magnitude of the damage to the environment might be mitigated.
‘Otherwise it will have a prolonged impact on the biodiversity including people,’ he said.
Officials of the Department of Environment have alleged that the railway authorities did not inform the department of the accident.
Md Mokbul Hossain, director of the Chittagong Divisional Environment Office, told New Age, ‘It is unfortunate that no one informed us on the day of accident; we could have acted promptly if we were informed.’
Salvage activities after the incident are still slow, locals and witnesses have alleged.
While asked about the slack salvage process, Firoz Iftekhar, divisional transportation officer of Bangladesh Railway East Zone, refuted the allegations.
‘We have already started rescue works and informed the environment department,’ he said.
Abidur Rahman, head of the three-member probe committee and divisional engineer, Chittagong-1, who was at the spot on Saturday, told New Age that the authorities started transshipment of furnace oil from the four oil tank wagons that didn’t fall off the track.
The rescue equipment is also on the way to lift the fallen and tilted wagons, he said.
Railway officials also said it will take at least three to four days to clear the leaked oil.
Local member of parliament Mainuddin Khan Badal visited the area Saturday afternoon.
He asked the local administration including UNO, the DOE officials and the railway officials to act as a body to resolve the pollution as soon as possible.
‘It is unfortunate that the railway did not act accordingly even after the bridge was declared risky long ago,’ Badal told New Age.
The railway authorities suspended assistant executive engineer Abdul Halim and senior sub-assistant engineer Akhter Ahmed Ferdous for their negligence in duties.
A three-member committee was also formed to probe the incident and asked it to submit report within three working days.
Source: New Age