Editorial
Decimation of mangroves
A brazenly culpable act
We find it hard to understand the senseless act of plundering of national wealth, and that too at the behest, reportedly, of a lawmaker. This is an atrociously insensitive act that merits immediate cognisance of the relevant authorities.
A tract of land has been cleared by cutting down a large number of trees in Bhola, which is a part of a 20,000 acre mangrove forest, to construct a two and half mile of road designed to link the remote island of Char Kukri Mukri. This piece of land is not only a mangrove forest that helps to withstand the effects of tidal surge, it has also been designated as a wildlife sanctuary which shelters a large number of wildlife species. And the project does not have the clearance of the ministry of environment or the forest department, which is mandatory under the law of the land. The damage to the local ecology will be irreparable
We find it outrageous that the local lawmaker would himself break the law and indulge in such senseless acts. For one thing the High Court had issued injunction on the proposed road in 2010 following a writ by BELA. And what is even more outrageous is that it was announced in the name of the lawmaker that the road project would continue no sooner the order was verbally passed on 8 June by the Court.
There are a few more questions that we need answers to. We cannot rationalise why the project was proceeded with without necessary clearance, and why the two alternatives, as suggested by the forest department, had not been explored.
Clearly, the order of the High Court has been defied, which amounts to contempt of court. We would hope that the people concerned will be proceeded with for defiling the environment and defying legal injunctions, irrespective of the political affiliations.
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