Environmental groups yesterday demanded immediate cancellation of the construction of the coal-fired Rampal power plant and Orion power plant near the Sundarbans, arguing that the forest’s ecology will be damaged by pollution caused by the use of coal.
They also suggested an independent and science-based assessment of the environmental, socio-cultural and health impacts of the two plants and other coal-based electricity generation facilities elsewhere in the country.
The recommendations were made at a two-day conference on coal energy, which was jointly organised by Waterkeepers Bangladesh, National Committee for Saving the Sundarbans (NCSS) and Waterkeepers Alliance. The programme held at Brac Centre in the capital ended yesterday.
With the financial assistance of an Indian power company, the government is currently setting up a 1,320mW coal-fired power plant some 10 kilometres from the Sundarbans, which it had declared as an Ecologically Critical Area.
But environmental experts warned that implementation of the proposed power plant project would destroy the ecosystem, biodiversity and wildlife of the world’s largest mangrove forest.
The green activists at the conference urged the government to take deliberate action regarding coal-fired power plants as those are highly responsible for polluting the environment.
“A comprehensive and integrated energy and coal policy along with other energy efficient management as well as green development policies must be adopted in the country,” said Dr Abdul Matin, member secretary of NCSS, at the conference.
“Such a policy has the capacity to reduce irregularities, corruption and misuse of power, and to eliminate or minimise the use of coal and other destructive projects in the country.”
Matin said proper public hearings and transparent eco-protective measures for site selection, financing, business agreement, land acquisition and asset evaluation for power plants of any category must be ensured for sustainable development and also to avoid possible environmental damages.
The green groups also suggested the government consider the impacts of climate change while talking about such kind of power projects.
Bangladesh ranks among the countries that have the lowest energy consumption per capita, and is in dire need of energy for its future development.
To meet the demand, the government has been trying to increase energy generation capacity from a range of sources, and Rampal and Orion plants are part of the measures.
According to Waterkeeper Alliance, coal is a dirty fuel and clean coal is a dirty lie.
It says coal will heavily pollute water, air and soil, with profound negative impacts on all living species during every stage of production and burning, including mining, dumping, transportation, combustion and post-burn waste disposal.
