A seven-member investigation committee will be formed to examine whether the fire at Amarbunia in the Sundarbans East Forest Division has damaged biodiversity. Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hossain said the committee would be formed on Monday.

He gave the information at a press briefing at 10pm on Sunday at the divisional office of the Sundarbans West Forest Division.

He said the committee will include a professor from the forestry discipline of Khulna University along with other members, and will submit its report within 10 working days. Md Amir Hossain said the fire broke out on 4 May in 4-5 acres of forest between Amarbunia and Gulishakhali in the Chandpai range of the Sundarbans. The fire service, navy, air force and coast guard worked together to bring it under control.

The chief conservator said the fire was finally brought under control on Sunday. A fire lane several feet wide has been cut there. Although no fire is visible above ground, it has not been possible to know whether it is still burning underground, so a 20-member team will spray water there overnight and the fire service will resume work on Monday morning.

He added that the part of the forest where the fire broke out has long been high ground that tidal water does not reach. As a result, the layer of leaves there is 3-4 feet deep, which allowed the fire to spread easily.

Answering a question, he said the forest department has 80 camps across the Sundarbans, with 80 ponds on which people and wildlife depend. But this spot has no camp, because there are few trees there.

The forest department has two pumps and 2,400 feet of pipe to fight fires in the Sundarbans, chief conservator Md Amir Hossain said.

He said drones will now be arranged for the Sundarbans, to keep the forest under constant surveillance.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.