The Forest Department has formed a committee to assess the loss of biodiversity in Sundarban after the fire incident.
Headed by Mihir Kumar Doe, Conservator of Forests of Khulna Region, Divisional Forest Officer of Khulna Management Planning Department was made the member-secretary of the committee, a release said.
The committee has been asked to submit a detailed report within the next ten working days assessing the damage to forest resources and biodiversity and making recommendations about the next steps to be taken.
Other members of the committee are representatives of the Department of Environment, Divisional Forest Officer, Bagerhat, Sundarban East Forest Division, Dr. SM Feroz, Professor of Forestry and Wood Technology discipline of Khulna University, Dr. Swapan Kumar Sarker, Mangrove Ecologist of Aranyak Foundation and Professor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet and representative of Wildlife Conservation Society.
Meanwhile, the forest workers put out the scattered small fire and smokes in all the places through team-based own firefighting equipment in Amurbunia patrol post under Chandpai range of Sundarban East Forest Division in Bagerhat district. Although the fire is completely under control, the Forest Department is now constantly monitoring it through drones, the release said.
Smoke from the fire was detected three times on Monday by drone monitoring and subsequently quickly extinguished. The area of the fire was 7.9 acres, out of which 5 acres were damaged. In the case of forest fires, the fire also remains deep in the soil in the roots of the trees, which can then re-ignite or emit smoke after a few hours, it added. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed and Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury are supervising and coordinating the firefighting activities of Sundarban round the clock, it further said.
