Somewhere near Jamnagar....

In a shocking incident, one of the most delicate ecosystems in India — the Marine National Park near Jamnagar — was jolted on Wednesday when a contractor used dynamite to extract the wreckage of a sunken ship. The explosion killed five endangered dolphins and four sea turtles, leaving forest officials enraged. They filed a case against the contractor, Devji, under the Wildlife Protection Act. Officials believe the contractor had been using explosives on the sunken ship, about 4 nautical miles from Okha port, at regular intervals. Okha port officer J G Pandey said that a barge full of scrap had been brought ashore about four days ago, which was only possible if dynamite had been used. Foresters will soon start an extensive search operation along all islands in the region to find out if more endangered species have washed ashore. Officials are also concerned that the explosions may have released hazardous material from the sunken ship into the water, which may further damage the precious flora and fauna. The ship was originally auctioned to Ashwin Vanderia of Porbander for Rs 50 lakh after it sunk on the way to Kandla in 1965. He sub-contracted it to Devji. Because the ship was 15 ft below the ocean floor, he used dynamite to remove the thick layer of silt without permission from the collectorate or park authorities. “Devji stopped the operation only after the blast killed the dolphins and turtles,” said a forest official. Both the species are protected in schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act. S K Nanda, principal secretary, forest and environment, said: “The contractor was finding it difficult to get the ship out and used explosives to loosen it. This was an illegal act. A clearance under the Environment Protection Act was required as there would be some hazardous material or oil in the ship.” Gujarat Pollution Control Board officials have been asked to examine the ship and investigate if it contained dangerous material. “Our officials, who have visited the spot where the explosion took place, have been instructed to examine the role of customs and port authorities as they should have checked permissions given to the contractor. The officials would come under the scanner if they haven’t checked the documents,” Nanda added. Sources said a similar incident had taken place in 1989, but neither was the area declared a sanctuary at that time nor was the Environment Protection Act in place.