Khulna: The Department of Forest (DoF) has launched a cleanup drive to remove plastic and polythene waste from Dublarchar and adjacent coastal areas of the Sundarbans ahead of the upcoming Rash Purnima Puja and Holy Bath from November 3 to 5. The initiative is aimed at preserving the fragile coastal ecosystem of the region.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the drive, which began on Sunday, is being executed by forest guards under the Sundarbans East Division. The operation is led by Subrata Kumar Das, acting officer of Dublar Patrol Outpost, and Tanvir Hasan Imran, acting forester of Alorkol Patrol Outpost. They have been actively collecting waste from areas including Alorkol, Meher Ali, Officekella, Kochikhali, and Shelarchar.
Officials have indicated that the waste, primarily washed in from the sea, poses a significant threat to the coastal ecosystem. Deputy Ranger Subrata Kumar Das reported that forest guards have cleared several maunds of waste over the past three days, following directives from the divisional office.
Divisional Forest Officer Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury stated that the collected waste will be transported to designated dumping stations and that cleanup efforts will persist even after the festival. Meanwhile, Conservator of Forests (Khulna) Imran Ahmed informed BSS that awareness campaigns, training, posters, and leaflets are being utilized to curb pollution by fishermen, tourists, and other forest users. Despite the guidelines issued by the Forest Department, pollution of rivers and coastal areas remains a challenge.