The confrontation between the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports and the government over the proposed Rampal coal-based power plant looks set to reach a tipping point as the environmentalists prepare for a long-march towards the location.
An India-Bangladesh joint venture, the power plant project in Bagerhat’s falls in the vicinity of the Sundarbans, the world’s one of the largest Mangrove forests and a Unesco world heritage site.
The National Committee a public platform, is preparing to hold its scheduled long-march from Dhaka to Rampal on September 24-28, demanding relocation of the proposed 1,320MW plant, as it would slowly destroy the already-vulnerable forest.
On the other hand, the government maintains that the project will not affect the ecology and biodiversity of the Sundarbans and its vicinity, and is adamant to begin the main construction as early as next month.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also in charge of the energy and power ministry, likely to inaugurate the project in the first week of October.
“They (the National Committee) should not hold the long-march bearing in mind the interest of the country. The government will act seriously if destructive activities are carried out in the name of long-march,” State Minister for Power and Energy Muhammed Enamul Huq told the Dhaka Tribune.
“Considering the ground reality of nagging power crisis, electricity production needs to be increased urgently,” he said.
However, Prof Anu Muhammad, a teacher of economics at the Jahangirnagar University and member secretary of the committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that they would enforce the long-march at any cost. “The government cannot resist the programme.”
He demanded that the government shift the plant away from the Sundarbans area, and relocate it at anywhere else in the country. He, however, would not suggest any alternative location.
When asked about other coal-based the power plant to be set up at Moheshkhali Island, he said: “We have no objection to the site.”
Bangladesh and Malaysia is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a 1320MW joint venture coal-fired power plant on equal share basis at Moheshkhali Island in Cox’s Bazar district.
The committee is supported by rights activists, environmentalists, professionals and students under the banner of National Committee to Protect the Sundarbans, which was formed in July and is headed by rights advocate Sultana Kamal.
The Rampal project was initiated back in 2010 during the prime minister’s visit to India.
Till now, military-run, BDP Limited has completed 90% of the land filling job at the main construction site at the 1,834-acre project area, which lies beside the Pashur River a sanctuary of rare sweet water dolphins.
Defending the project, the government high-ups including the Department of Environment (DoE) have been maintaining that they will use all the latest technologies and good-quality coal while spending a lot for environmental management. Indian state-owned National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) will build and operate the plant.
The Power Development Board claims they will take adequate measures to cut emission of hazardous carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and other gases, fine particles and fly ash, and will properly dispose the solid and liquid waste.
However, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, approved recently by the DoE elaborated on many adverse impacts of the project.
According to the document, the project area is in Shapmari, Katakhali and Koigordashkathi in Hurka and Gourambha union of Rampal about 14km north eastwards from the Nalian Range of the Sundarbans.
The protesters rejected the EIA, terming it “unclear, inconsistent and having untrue statements and measurements.” They also rejected the EIA at a public hearing held in April.
Bangladesh and India on April 21 this year signed three agreements regarding the project which may start power production in 2017.
Earlier, the two state agencies signed a joint venture agreement on January 29 last year. Pankaj Saran, the Indian high commissioner in Bangladesh recently claimed that the project would not harm the Sundarbans.
Meanwhile, local administration has recently imposed a “ban on gathering” after the National Committee to Protect the Sundarbans and the local Awami League announced rallies in Rampal against and in favour of the project respectively.
The committee leader Anu Muhammad said: “The government is destroying an immense national potential by signing a contract against the national interest in the Bay while it is not producing electricity using the available gas.”
“At the same time, the government is destroying one of the world’s largest mangrove forests in the name of producing electricity.”
