Khulna – Some missing links in the movement of the oil tanket – ‘OT Southern Star 7’- from mongla depot to the Shela River have surprised concerned quarters in Khulna, highly placed sources have said.
It is gathered that the vessel – ‘OT Southern Star 7’- sailed from the Mongla depot at about 12-30 pm on Monday and was bound for Gopalganj. A senior official at the Mongla Port Authority has said that the vessel had enough time to reach its destination by the same afternoon. Why did the oil tanker stay back in the Sunderbans that night, they asked.The OT Southern Star 7’, carrying some 3.57 lakh litres of furnace oil, sank in the river at Mrigmari under East Zone of the Sundarbans after being hit by a cargo vessel, ‘Total Cargo, at 5am on Tuesday, causing a serious threat to the existence of the mangrove forest and its natural resources due to the oil spill.
Mongla port officials also raised the question as to why the vessel was anchored in the midstream of the Shela river instead of on side of one of its banks as was the norm. Plying through the river at night as well as anchoring in the midstream are both illegal.
Then again an anchored vessel would have a position against the current because the ebb and flow of tide moves the hind sides of vessels from one direction to the other while the front side faces the current. The ‘OT Southern Star 7’ was found positioned facing one of the banks of the river.
They said a thorough investi gation would reveal the misteries and unearth the cause of the accident. Meanwhile, some experts said jute could be brought from mills in khulna to remove the oil from the river quickly, because the natural fibre would soak oil and help quick removal of oil from the surface of water. The oil from the sunken tanker has spread to about 80 kilometres of rivers and canals, sources said. – Our Correspondent
