Frequent fires in Sundarban mangrove forests in Bangladesh: Who’s to blame?

Sadia Mahjabin Imam

Over the past two decades there have been 24 fires in the Sundarbans. Inquiry committees come up with reports in due time, but the recommendations remain the same, implying that the recommendations are not being implemented.

It did not take long for the fire that swept through Daser Bharani in the Sharankhola range of the Sundarbans in May, to be extinguished from our memories. But the recent spate of forest fires in various countries around the world, have sent alarm bells ringing. Can the small fires in the Sundarbans take on bigger proportions in the dry season? The forest folk feel such fears are not unfounded, given the kind of fire last seen in the Sundarbans.

Over the past two decades there have been 24 fires in the Sundarbans East Forest Division. The inquiry committees come up with reports in due time, but with the same recommendations being made time and again, it is obvious that the recommendations are not being implemented properly.

Every year the source for the fires is cited as lighted cigarettes from the fishermen and honey collectors or from the flames of the torches used to drive away bees. But the forest folk know the forest the best. They say that certain powerful people are behind these fires.

A clear picture of the fierceness of these fires can be ascertained from the local low-income people whose livelihood depends wholly on the forest.

Fires seen by the forest folk

Selim Hossain (pseudonym) saw the fire at Daser Bharani literally race along like the strong current of a river. A resident of the village Sonatola of Sharankhola in Bagerhat, Selim said the fire spread from tree to tree, and sped along the ground as it had started from the piles of dry leaves below. With the wind fanning the flames, it could easily have become a raging forest fire. A fire can be ignited by a fisherman or honey collector’s cigarette only if they are careless. But they are never careless in the place upon which their livelihoods depend. They see this as an insult to the forest. They must come to the same place to catch fish or collect honey. If they are proven to be guilty, they have no way of escaping stern punishment under the forest act.

It should be taken into consideration whether the owners of these factories will be marked as criminals. Unless these factories are removed immediately and action is taken against those violating the law, it will not be possible to save the Sundarbans

Selim went on to say, when the forest was closed for three months due to coronavirus, many of the forest people did not even get two square meals a day. Some had no alternative but to sneak to the canals and ditches to catch fish secretly. They managed to buy 2kgs of rice in exchange of fish. There are instances of fish being hunted with poison, but that is very rare. It is the big, organised fishing syndicates who block the canal mouths and use poison to catch fish. Those in power protect them. Police don’t catch them, while the actual fishermen and honey collectors go hungry.

Afzal (pseudonym) of Sharankhola works gratis for the community patrol group (CPG). This work took him to the Daser Bharani during the fire where he stayed for four days at a stretch. He said that the fire from the dry leaves spread to the dead trees. If the fire service and forest department workers didn’t take timely action with the fire line, it could have turned much worse. The place was replete with dry undergrowth. There was no water nearby. Water must be brought by pipes from the large river. This fire line is the actual ‘line of fire’ where the easily flammable trees are cut down and separated from centre of the fire. If the fire fighters had arrived late on the scene, there’s no telling what could have happened. And one can’t expect them to always learn about the fire immediately. And it took time for the fire service personnel to arrive from Morolganj, Sharankhola and Bagerhat.

Honey collectors in the dock

Honey collectors are looked upon with the most suspicion in incidents of fire. Honey researcher Syed Muhammad Mainul Anwar enters the forest every year during the season to collect honey. Accompanied by a few groups when he comes to the forest, Mainul spoke about the method of lighting the flaming torch. The torch has dry leaves in the middle but is surrounded by green leaves on the outside. The local people call this ‘karu’. There are only a few dry leaves in the middle. When the dry leaves are burnt, the fire reaches the green leaves which then smolder and spread smoke rather than catching on fire. So, this ‘karu’ is extinguished while the beehives are being removed. And even if some of the embers remain, these are extinguished with water or wet soil. Referring to the honey collection in the East and West Forest Division, he asked — is it simply because of the damp soil of the West Sundarbans that there has been no fire there?

In the 2019-20 financial year, 3227.50 quintals of honey were collected from the West Forest Division, bringing in a revenue of Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) 2,420,625 (28,000 USD). During the same span of time, 1220.50 quintals of honey were collected from the East Forest Division, the revenue totaling BDT 915,375 (10,500 USD). So, the honey collected in the West Forest Division is almost three times the amount collected in the East Forest Division. Naturally there are more honey collectors in that division, yet no fires have occurred there.

The matter was cleared somewhat in the explanation given by Selim of the East Forest Division. He told Prothom Alo, local powerful persons control the fisheries in the fresh water bils (water bodies) within the forests. Even when the forest was closed, they still farmed fish there and sent their people to collect the fish. Selim said that when the soil is burnt, it turns reddish and fish like gojar and shing come to nibble on this soil.

And when small trees are burnt down, hollows are formed where fish gather. Fish worth huge sums of money can easily be caught there.

It is a matter of concern that in 24 inquiry reports, 15 times the possible cause of fire has been identified as the embers carelessly left by the fishermen and honey collectors. Only in five appendages attached along with the list of causes of fire, it was mentioned that miscreants may also light these fires to expedite their catching fish.

Adverse impact of climate and devious schemes

Way back a certain merchant called Roop Saha had created a canal between the Kazibachha and Bhairab rivers for trading convenience. That canal gradually became a river, Rupsha. And in the times of Raja Pratapaditya, the entire course of Bhairab was changed overnight at Jashore. Folk tales speak of such changes in the rivers, both manmade and natural. But is it so easy now to change the course of a river? Now the changes, the increase in salinity, rise in sea levels, all have a serious impact. The hundreds of shrimp hatcheries in the forests are killing off rivers and reservoirs.

This open communication route between the forest and the settlements is harmful for both sides. The wild animals feel threatened by the presence of humans. And the local people are in danger when the tigers enter their settlements and they become even more aggressive against the wild animals”

Changing a river’s course now means damaging forestland and steady destruction. This is all the truer in the case of the Sundarban forest on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, indicating the threat that climate change poses for us. Global warming equally creates the risk of fires in the Sundarbans and that is a tangible fear.

No matter about the source of the fire, the flames spread in no time if there is a breeze, dry twigs, and leaves. A small spark can become leaping flames or a forest fire. Those who have observed the Sundarbans up close over the decades, see the palpable change in the forest caused by each cyclone, tidal surge, and global warming.

The dead Bhola river by the side of Gulishakhali village of Moralganj was a kilometer wide even just a few years ago. Now during low tide, one can even walk across the river to the Sundarbans. One can even go on foot to the forest from the Sonatala cluster village. Tigers occasionally roam into the settlements. The people living near the forest often take their cows and buffaloes to graze in the forest. And the tigers learn their way to the settlements too. This open communication route between the forest and the settlements is harmful for both sides. The wild animals feel threatened by the presence of humans. And the local people are in danger when the tigers enter their settlements and they become even more aggressive against the wild animals.

Tiger researcher Khasru Chowdhury said, “In 1985 I went by a steam cutter (an ACF boat) through Mrigamari Arobharani of North Shela, from the Dhansagar forest office to the Sharankhola forest office. Ten years from then, even a speedboat cannot go down the same route during low tide. Three decades ago, I went by river from Andharmanik to Daser Bharani. That route completely dries up within just a few years. Now, after some dredging in 2005, small boats can be used there.”

During the fire in May, dry leaves had fallen to the ground, rotted, and had formed an inch-thick layer. With the Bhola river drying up, the boundary has disappeared between the forest and the human settlements. In the dry season, the tide water doesn’t even come up to Daser Bharani. The reason of the fire in March 2007 in the Pachakuraliya swamp of the Chandpai range was that there was with a decrease in navigability, there was no tide in the Arua Ber canal of the Bhola river. Dry branches, leaves and twigs had gathered there, creating conditions conducive to fire. Most of the fires in the Sundarbans have been in the East Forest Division. With the water drying up in these water bodies, the area has become dry, and fire can easily spread.

With no flow of water, it is hard to tell how far the forest can be protected from fires in the future.

Have people no contribution to this adversity of nature? They certainly do. Unplanned river dredging, indiscriminate sand excavation, river training with dams and barrages, have all resulted in this present predicament. And when people directly interfere too, then the horrifying results are evident on the forest fire of California.

There are strong speculations that the various fires in California were intentional. The 47-year-old Gary Stephen Maynard was arrested on charges of arson, after then a woman was arrested too. The authorities of El Dorado country arrested a 43-year-old woman in a non-bailable case in connection with the fire at South Lake Tahoe.

According to the prevailing laws in Bangladesh, no industrial factories can be constructed within a 10km radius of the Sundarbans. The department of environment has identified 190 approved business and industrial units in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans. Of these, 24 have been red listed for extreme pollution. It should be taken into consideration whether the owners of these factories will be marked as criminals. Unless these factories are removed immediately and action is taken against those violating the law, it will not be possible to save the Sundarbans.

Inquiry reports and repetitions

With every fire, an inquiry committee is formed with officials of the forest department. There is room for discussion as to whether environmentalists, local forest folk or those involved in the Sundarbans conservation project should be included too in these committees.

The financial damages caused by the fires over the past two decades in the biodiverse Sundarbans amount to BDT 2,300,533 (26,000 USD). And the environmental damages are calculated based on estimates. There is no specific yardstick to measure the harm to the endangered biodiversity, microorganisms, and animal life. The damages need to be mentioned in some of the inquiry committees. A fire in 2002 which spread over 10 acres in the Katka sanctuary, destroyed 20 sundari trees (Looking Glass Mangrove-Heritiera littoralis), 30 gewa trees (Excoecaria agallocha L) and 450 hental trees (Phoenix Paludosa). The cause of the fire was not known and while the resources destroyed were mentioned, the amount of damage was not calculated.

The value of the dry grass burnt on 9 decimals of land in the Chandpai Range in 2004 was determined to be only BDT 230 (2.6 USD). In 2006, when 50 to 60 per cent of the Chandpai Range was burned, the damages were seen as only BDT 550 (6.3 USD). Of the BDT 2.3 million (26,350 USD) in damages to forest resources, BDT 395,000 (4500 USD) were in the fire that took place in May this year.

Two dozen reports mention 15 times that the fires were caused by flames left by the fishermen and honey collectors. In these 15 times, it was also mentioned four times that the fires could have been caused by extreme heat, four times that the fires were intentionally lit to facilitate catching fish, and four times that the fires were intentionally lit as an act of vengeance.

While mentioning extreme heat and dry weather, the major recommendations included to be extremely cautious when entering the forest with inflammable material, river dredging and mobilising awareness. The repetition of the recommendations indicates a recurring failure to implement previous recommendations.

DFO of Sundarbans’ East Forest Division, Belayet Hossain, said, “Fishermen and honey collectors were in the forest when the fire broke out in May. The local people are consulted, even though their names are not mentioned, in the investigations and recommendations by the inquiry committees in every fire incident. It has been a habit from the past to just simply place the blame on the forest department if no clue is found. It took four to five years to get the canal dredging project passed. The temporary watchtower proposal was passed. That is why whenever the East watchtower was made, it was made with bamboo and poles and soon collapsed. The proposal for the construction of the permanent watchtower is under process.”

The most fires in a single year occurred in 2016. These accidents took place four times in the Dhansagar station of Chandpai Range. Brig Gen (retd) Ali Ahmad Khan was the director general of the fire service at the time. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, “The inquiry committee reports on fires in Sundarbans would be sent to the ministry. There is a lack of publicity and exposure regarding the fires in the forest. In any fire, saving lives is the priority. Then comes resources and then protecting nature.”

Learning from others

As most of the fires take place in the East Forest Division, the West Forest Division was asked about their management. DFO of the West Forest Division, Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain said, “There is need to use mikes to raise awareness and increase caution in the East zone. Rivers and canals should be dredged in a planned manner. Awareness mobilisation can be carried out in trawlers, through mosque mikes and so on. Watchtowers must be set up where there are frequent fires so smoke can be spotted, and illegal entry can be halted.”

The Indian part of the Sundarbans is 2000 sq km less than that of Bangladesh. The forest structure is different there too. The Bangladesh side is called ‘planted’ because of the large number of sundari and goran trees. The Indian side is seen as ‘bush’. In India they have used a nylon rope to demarcate the forest and segregate it from the neighbouring settlements. The village people can’t just enter the forest whenever they want to catch crabs or wild animals. This also decreases contact between the tigers and humans.

In our country, the people attacked by tigers were invariably in the forest catching crabs when they came face to face with the tigers. Khasru Chowdhury said, “Previously people would catch crabs from the boat. Now they go in groups of three into the forest with rods. They encounter tigers.

Sanctuaries have been a vital part of Bangladesh’s tourism system, but in India tourists are strictly prohibited from entering for such sanctuaries.”

Sundarban Academy’s director Anwarul Kadir said, “When anything happens in the Sundarbans, it is hard to determine who is in charge. If a coal-laden cargo vessel sinks in the Sundarbans, the shipping ministry starts looking into it. In this manner, from the home ministry to the land ministry, everyone gets involved in every incident in the Sundarbans. The forest department does not always have the authority in all cases. Fires occur more in one part, in another part fish are caught with poison. The forest department and the forest are often helpless in the face of the powerful quarters. Even involving the local government has not yielded any good results. There are so many issues involved in the forest. In India they have a separate ministry. If there are so many ministries in one place, it will not be possible to prevent fires or even any type of sabotage. There is need for structural change and that means a separate ministry for the Sundarbans.”

In conclusion

There was a time when the rivers in the Sundarbans were said to grow wider at every turn. Now the locals say the rivers grow drier at every turn. The changes in the Sundarbans are a message from nature that people do not have the competence to rule it. If there is a man-made fire, there will be no time for the fire brigade to arrive and extinguish it. Even if a spark ignites a fire, there will be no time to record that crime in the annals of history.

If the recommendations mentioned in the inquiry reports were implemented, then perhaps the Sundarbans would be somewhat safe. If the forest is to be protected from fires and wildlife saved, the concerned ministry and officials must be held accountable. Are the concerned persons ready to take on that responsibility?

Sadia Mahjabin Imam is a senior reporter of Bangladesh’s leading daily Prothom Alo. Reporting on the possible threats of climate change and the plight of ordinary people is an important part of her regular works. She is working on salinity, dam mismanagement and women’s health risks in coastal area near Sundarbans. She has made special reports on the displaced people after the ‘Amphan’ storm. As a writer, she has won various awards.