The ongoing fire in the Sundarbans, though still flaring up in parts, has been largely brought under control, according to officials from the Forest Department.
Despite visible patches of smoke and occasional flames, authorities have reassured the public that the fire is no longer a major threat.
Forest officials first spotted the smoke on Saturday afternoon near the Kolomteji Patrol Outpost in the Chandpai Range of the Eastern Sundarbans.
Firefighting teams, including forest workers, have been working round-the-clock to prevent the fire from spreading, with water being pumped in from the nearby Bhola River using the Forest Department’s own water pumps.
Kazi Mohammad Nurul Karim, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Eastern Division, stated on Sunday morning,
“There aren’t any large flames, just smoke. We’re spraying water wherever smoke is detected. We worked late into the night and, based on the current situation, the fire is at least 60 to 70 percent under control.”
Efforts to douse the fire have been challenging due to the distance between the fire and the nearest water source.
Sakaria Haider, Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of the Bagerhat Fire Service, explained,
“We’ve deployed five units from Bagerhat, Sharankhola, and Morrelganj along the banks of the Bhola River. However, the fire is around three kilometers from the dried-up Bhola River, making it extremely difficult to carry water such a long distance. Nonetheless, our teams are using pipelines and the Forest Department’s water pumps to manage the situation.”
In response to the fire, a three-member investigation committee has been formed to determine its cause and assess the damage.
The committee is led by Dipan Chandra Das, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of the Chandpai Range, along with Dhansagar Station Officer Bipuleshwar Das and Kolomteji Patrol Outpost Officer-in-Charge Rafiqul Islam.
The committee has been tasked with submitting a report within seven working days, detailing their findings and estimating the damage to the forest.
Although the exact cause of the fire remains unclear, the committee’s investigation is expected to provide more insight. Meanwhile, the Forest Department has taken measures to ensure that the fire does not spread further, cutting fire lines and closely monitoring the situation.
This incident comes just over a year after a similar fire in the Amurbunia area of the Chandpai Range, which damaged five acres of forest in May 2023.
While the current fire has not yet been fully extinguished, authorities remain optimistic that they can fully control it soon.
For now, the focus remains on preventing any further damage to the Sundarbans, one of the world’s largest mangrove forests.
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