Kolkata: Police on Monday stopped the crew of sinking Bangladeshi vessel MV Sea World from dumping fly ash into the Muriganga. The development comes after TOI front-paged a report on the toxic cargo being dumped from the ship, raising serious concerns about the environment.
TOI's report, which was published on Monday, was based on a video shared by a panchayat member from Ghoramara island.
Sagar PS sent over a team in the morning to the site of the sinking vessel — a sandbar near Ghoramara. The cops told the crew that their equipment would be confiscated if they continued to dump the toxic fly ash into the river. Following this, the owner of the vessel brought in an empty barge to transfer the cargo, so that the damaged vessel could be towed to Bangladesh.
"I am shocked to see that despite the flagrant violation of norms, common people are not coming forward in protest," said Sanjib Sagar, upapradhan, Ghoramara panchayat, who had shared the video. "The pollution will not remain confined to this area; it will spread and cause massive damage to the environment. I don't believe the dumping has completely stopped. If they get a chance to do it away from public view, they will continue to do so," he added.
Local residents and fishermen's organisations have objected to the unethical practice of dumping fly ash into the river. They have also written to the South 24 Parganas district magistrate, demanding the vessel be immediately removed from the site.
Kanaiya Kumar Rai, BDO of Sagar, confirmed the illegal dumping of fly ash. He also said that he had instructed the police to "put an end to this practice immediately."
Surajit Bag, additional director of fisheries (marine), also condemned the act. "The practice of dumping fly ash into the river must be stopped immediately, as it can cause severe harm to both fishermen and the general public," he said.
Experts warned that the stranded ship itself posed a long-term threat. Over time, the sandbar where the vessel is stuck could expand, creating additional navigational and environmental challenges, they said.
Bijon Maity, secretary of fishermen's association and general secretary of the West Bengal United Fishermen's Association, strongly opposed the dumping, saying they had written to the DM, assistant director of fisheries (marine) and other departments, seeking urgent action. Milon Das, secretary, South Bengal Fishermen's Forum, said: "Fuel from the barge is also leaking into the river, causing damage. We have written to the DM, demanding immediate action."
Attempts to contact the South 24 Parganas DM for comment have been unsuccessful, despite multiple calls and messages.