Sunday | 27 April 2025 | Reg No- 06
Bangla
   
Bangla | Sunday | 27 April 2025 | Epaper
BREAKING: ● Jamaat calls for independent Arakan State for Rohingyas      ● 46th BCS written exam postponed amid protests      ● Interpol alert issued against Saima Wazed Putul      ● Khaleda Zia to return soon      ● Zonayed Saki calls for clear timeline for national polls      ● BNP calls for immediate election roadmap      ● Govt decides to form two PSCs: Asif Mahmud      

Fire in Sundarbans: Natural or pre-planned?

Published : Friday, 28 March, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 316
Alok Acharja
For the past few days, the Sundarbans have been engulfed in flames. Fires have broken out at several locations, threatening the lungs of Bangladesh. Unfortunately, this is not the first time, and it may not be the last. The Sundarbans are often referred to as the lifeblood of Bangladesh due to their rich biodiversity and crucial role in maintaining environmental balance. However, this precious forest has suffered extensive damage over the years due to both natural and human-induced causes.

Recent fires have once again raised concerns about the underlying reasons behind these recurring incidents. According to the Forest Department, there have been 27 fires in the Sundarbans over the past 23 years, burning approximately 90 acres of forest land. A fire on May 4, 2024, at Latif's Chila in the Amurbunia Forest Camp in the Chandpai Range burned 7.98 acres of forest. However, the investigation committee at the time could not determine the exact cause of the fire. Other notable incidents include a fire on May 3, 2021, in Das's Bharani area and another on May 26, 2017, in Abdullah's Chila of Nangli Forest Camp, which destroyed around five acres of small trees and shrubs.

Each time a fire occurs, an investigation committee is formed. However, the repeated occurrences suggest that recommendations from these committees are not being effectively implemented. The investigation report following the May 2024 fire recommended closing the passes for honey extraction in compartments 24, 25, and 27 of the Sundarbans. The honey extraction season begins on April 1, which coincides with many of these fire incidents.

Fires in the Sundarbans have been attributed to multiple factors, including negligence, lack of enforcement, and potential foul play. Loopholes in the law, corruption within the Forest Department, and inefficiency among forest guards have exacerbated the situation. The investigation reports indicate that at least 15 fires were started by fishermen. However, environmentalists and local residents allege that unscrupulous fish traders, in collusion with corrupt Forest Department officials, deliberately set fires to clear areas. When these burned regions are later flooded during the monsoon season, it becomes easier to catch fish using nets. This practice not only endangers the forest but also threatens the biodiversity of the Sundarbans.

Despite repeated recommendations from investigation committees, critical measures have not been implemented. Three key recommendations include dredging rivers and canals that connect to local settlements, constructing watchtowers every two kilometers in fire-prone areas, and fencing parts of the Chandpai Range along the Bhola River with barbed wire or rope nets. However, none of these measures have been carried out so far, leaving the Sundarbans vulnerable to further destruction.

Bangladesh is highly susceptible to natural disasters, particularly due to climate change. Cyclones frequently devastate the country, causing widespread loss of life and economic damage. The Sundarbans have historically served as a natural barrier, protecting coastal regions from the full impact of cyclones. It played a critical role in mitigating the effects of Cyclone Sidr on November 15, 2007, and Cyclone Aila on May 25, 2009. Without the Sundarbans, the destruction from such disasters would have been significantly worse.

However, human greed and environmental neglect are pushing this vital ecosystem toward irreversible damage. The Sundarbans, once covering a much larger area, have already been reduced to one-third of their original size. When the Indian subcontinent was partitioned, two-thirds of the Sundarbans remained in Bangladesh, while the rest fell within India. Today, the Bangladesh portion of the Sundarbans spans thousands of square kilometers, but its survival is increasingly threatened. Declared a reserved forest in 1875, the Sundarbans remain a sanctuary for diverse flora, fauna, and medicinal plants. However, without urgent intervention, this invaluable natural heritage will continue to decline.

Protecting the Sundarbans is not an option-it is a necessity. Natural disasters such as Aila, Sidr, and Bulbul are not isolated events; more such calamities will follow. The destruction of the Sundarbans will have far-reaching consequences, affecting not just the environment but also the economy and livelihoods of millions of people. Urgent action is required to address the causes of these fires and implement the necessary preventive measures. Otherwise, unchecked destruction will continue, and the Sundarbans will gradually lose its grandeur. This would spell disaster for Bangladesh, both environmentally and economically.

The Sundarbans protect us-it is our collective responsibility to protect them in return.

The writer is an essayist


LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Jewish diasporas are not Israeli outposts
Impact of salinity intrusion on our agriculture
'Forgotten work force' with their invisible tax contributions
Our health reforms should focus on leprosy
How to save education in haor regions thru locally developed methods 
Our environment is a treasure - and our legacy
Air pollution is playing havoc with human life  
Legal process for business mergers, acquisitions in Bangladesh
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: [email protected], news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close