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Bangladeshi vessel carrying fly ash capsizes in Bengal river; 12 rescued
Twelve crew members were rescued on Wednesday after a Bangladeshi vessel carrying fly ash from West Bengal to Khulna capsized in the Muri Ganga river in South 24 Parganas
Kolkata: Twelve crew members were rescued on Wednesday after a Bangladeshi vessel carrying fly ash from West Bengal to Khulna capsized in the Muri Ganga river in South 24 Parganas, posing a risk to aquatic life and ecosystem of the estuary, police said.
“A Bangladesh-bound vessel --- MV Tamzid Nasir--- transporting flyash from Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas capsized in the River Muri Ganga. There were one Indian and 11 Bangladeshi crew members. Other vessels present nearby rushed to its aide. All the crew members were rescued,” an officer of the Sundarban police district said.
Fly ash contains heavy metals that can leach into water sources, posing a risk to aquatic life and human health. The area is ecologically sensitive and such incidents involving spilling of flyash in the river threatens the fragile ecosystem of the estuary.
“Every time a vessel laden with flyash sinks in this part of the delta, a pocket with a radius of one kilometre becomes almost dead for the next six months or so. No fishes are available. The impact is long-term. Also, the capsized ship poses a threat to other fishing vessels and nets in its vicinity,” general secretary of the Dakshin Bangla Matsyajibi Forum (fishermen’s association) Milan Das said.
Transportation of cargo on the route is governed by an agreement signed between India and Bangladesh in 1972. This is, however, not the first time that such accidents have taken place near the Sagar Island which forms a part of the Sundarban delta.
