Sundari is insecure. In fact, Insecurity is everywhere in the sundarbans. Trees like Sundari, Gewa, Goran, Goal-Pata are in a hesitant status. Now a days, Tiger’s roar is one of the most infrequent scenario that can be found here in sundarbans. Monkeys and Deer are not also free of fear. It seems, some radical changes committed by both human and nature are causing such insecurity in the sundarbans bio-diversity.
Visiting this world’s largest mangrove forest, it was found that the fauna and flora of Sundarbans are in danger.
On the way of Sundarbans via Khulna, its area starts from Karamjal. Neelkamal of Hiron point is 90 Km away from Karamjal. On this 90 Km path there were thick rows of Sundari trees in both sides of the river even just 10 years earlier. But unfortunately, the rows are found much thinner and less frequent in the recent visit.
Canals derived from the Pasur River are not wild and terrible anymore. Bushes of Goal-pata are not available as before in the river and canal banks. Beekeepers and Woodcutters used to be highly cautious while entering the forest. But the trends are changing now as if it was just a piece of land.
According to the related sources, currently there are no strict regulation or restriction on the random and ever increasing visits of the travelers or tourists in the Sundarbans area. Besides, infrastructures are being constructed officially in the prohibited areas. Again, climate change have been pushing the sea level higher and that causing saltwater to enter deep inside this forest. That is an instance of how the ecosystem of this forest is experiencing slow poisoning.
According to the law, it is prohibited to install any infrastructures within the 10 Km range of the Sandarbans border. The 10 Km border area is declared as the buffer zone. However, in reality you’ll find a lot of industries and residential areas in the buffer zone. It is more alarming that the infrastructures are being installed even around the forest and more are about to come according to proposal. Water traffic have increased alarmingly in the Pasur River, though some are claiming that the width of Pasur is wide enough to handle this traffic.
Starting from 1 no. Custom-Ghat of Khulna by launch, one may witness big industries on both sides of the river. This scenario will continue from Bhairob to Pasur.
Pasur River runs through the Sundarbans in almost a straight manner and falls in the Bay of Bengal at last. You’ll find a series of industries on the bank of Pasur which is also in the buffer zone. In Akram Point, huge ships are anchored in rows. These ships are used to load-unload and carry goods for the adjacent industries. There are complains that these ships emits a lot of wastages in the river and most of them are carried to the Sundarbans by the current of the river and tidal forces.
According to the government there are 149 industries so far in the in the prohibited buffer zone. Among those industries 27 have been identified as most pollutant, 66 as pollutant and 65 as comparatively less pollutant.
A teacher of botany Subeer Kumar Mandal resides on the bank bank of Moidha River, which is a feeder of Pasur. He expressed his disappointment while talking about the current status of the ecosystem of the great Sundarbans. According to him, the river has been losing its depth. This less depth will allow seawater to enter in the river and the increased salinity will destroy trees which depend on fresh water. He also informed that, deer could be seen more frequently than now and same case for the monkeys. Four fisherman were found in a boat while they were sailing in a narrow canal of Karamjol in search of shrimp fry. Three of them were women another one was a man. One of them namely Fatema who is above 30 aged, informed that, they cannot manage to catch as much Shrimps as they used to catch before. The amount of other fishes is also declined a lot, she added.
UNESCO declared the Sundarbans as 798th world heritage site at 1997. In 30th August of 1999 Ministry of Environment and Forests declared an area 10 km rounding the Sundarbans area as Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) or Buffer Zone. According to that government notification, a total of 272 Mouja of 63 Union of 11 Upazilla of 5 District of Khulna and Barishal division was defined as ECA.
Cutting and collecting the woods and trees of the natural Forest, hunting and killing wild animals and birds or destroying their residential facilities, altering natural properties of the land and water, installing industries or infrastructures that may pollute air, water, soil or sound, doing anything that may harm fishes and marine resources and other activities that may harm the ecosystem of the forest are strictly prohibited by the law.
Unfortunately in situ, it was found that the law was broken not only in the buffer zone but also inside the forest areas.If you start approaching the forest by the East side of Pasur river you will find structures of Holcim cement, LPG industry of Omera Petroleum, Dubai-Bangladesh cement Mills, Lube Oil Blending Plant, Petredeck LPG, Oriental Bitumen industries, Teledata Marine Solution, Mongla cement Mills, Petreme, Bashundhara cement, Meghna cement, Sundarbans industrial complex, SKS LPG, Mongla Economic Area Authority etc. Fortunately these industries are a bit far from the Sundarbans. But some of the industries namely Pace Tobacco Industries (BD), Ta and PA Engineering Workshop, electric parts manufacturer Kotibuki Bangladesh, artificial hair manufacturer YCL Industries etc are installed just within the prohibited area.