25 fires in Sundarban over two decades but no move to redress the cause

Fire has now became a new threat for the countrys lone mangrove forest Sundarbans ecosystem, that is already facing multiple challenges including climate change and habitat degradation.

The Saturdays inferno at Amurbunia area of East Sundarban Division has raised question over the Forest Conservation Management system in Bangladesh as it happened 25 times in the last two decades and the possible cause of fire has been identified as the embers carelessly left by the fishermen and honey collectors, but the authority did not establish any monitoring system there.

"The origins of the fires, however, remain shrouded in mystery. Neither the Forest Department nor local authorities have been able to determine the catalyst behind the conflagrations yet, this carelessness will put the carbon trading issue into a new challenge,"  Mohammad Shamsuddoha of Wildlife Conservation Society said.

With every fire, an inquiry committee is formed with officials of the Forest Department for investigation but due to mysterious reasons the investigation reports are never made public, however, we see at least 25 inferno incidents in Sundarban areas in last two decades, he added.

It is a matter of concern that in 24 inquiry reports, the possible cause of fire has been identified 15 times as the embers carelessly left by the fishermen and honey collectors. Only in five appendages attached along with the list of causes of fire, there are indications that those were manmade disasters.

The Sundarban, renowned for its unique biodiversity and vital ecological significance, is the largest mangrove forest in the world. Spanning across Bangladesh and India, it serves as a critical habitat for numerous species, including Royal Bengal tiger.

 "Fire incidents in Sundarban happen almost every year due to lack of proper investigation by the Forest Department, said local people. Moreover, exemplary punishment for miscreants responsible for fire incidents are never meted out," environment and climate expert Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder said.

On 22 March, 2002 when the World Water Day was being observed, a fire broke out at the Katka Sanctuary in Sharankhola Range and about one acre of forest was wiped out.

Besides, two fires broke out in Nangli and Mandarbaria under the same range.

On March 25, 2004, a fire engulfed three acres of forest in Madrashachhila area of Nangli Camp in Chandpai Range and on 27 December 2004 Aryarber area was burnt.

On April 6, 2005, fire destroyed two and half acres of forest in Kalamteji area of Dhansagar Station under Chandpai Range.

On April13 of the same year, four acres of forest were burnt  at Tulatala in Chandpai Range. On March 9, 2006 one acre of forest was completely razed in Terabekay area in Sharankhola Range. The same year on April 11 about 0.5 acre of forest in Amurbunia Patrol Outpost area of Chandpai Range was burnt.

On April 12 one and half acres of forest in Khutabaria area under Kalamteji was burnt to ashes.

Three fire incidents were reported in the year of 2007. On January 15 five acres of forest was burnt in Dumuria Camp area of Sharankhola, on March 19, two acres in Nangli area of Chandpai Range and on March 28 about eight acres in the same area.

On March 20, 2010, five acres of forest was burst in Gulishakhali area of Dhansagar Station of Chandpai Range.

In the year of 2011, there were three fires incidents as well. On March 1 about two acres of forest was burnt in Nangli area and on March 8 three acres of forest was damaged in Aaryarber area. 10 acres of forest was destroyed on March 25 in the area of Gulishakhali under Chandpai range.  

From March 27 to April 27, 2016 the miscreants set fire to the mangrove forest of Pachakoralia, Tengra and Tulatuli in this Nangli Camp of Dhansagar Station.

On May 26, 2017, about five acres of forest in Abdullahharchilla area of Nangli Camp at Dhansagar Station in Chandpai Range was burnt down.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, a fire broke out at Dhansagar Station on February 8, 2021 and lastly, on May 3, 2021, a fire broke out in the Das Bharani area of Sharankhola Range.

The financial damages caused by the fires over the past two decades were never mentioned in any of the report.

While mentioning extreme heat and dry weather issue Mohammad Samsusdoha said if it was so than "Shalbon" should have faced the worst situation, however, we talked with the local people and have got an impression that it was a manmade disaster; it has no relation with the climate issue.

To ensure the safety of Sundarban, we should implement the recommendations mentioned in the inquiry reports and strengthen the Forest Conservation Management system, otherwise no authority or person will be accountable for such an incident there, Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder said.