The world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, a unique site of biodiversity and a natural shield against natural disaster, will be destroyed if the proposed 1,320MW coal-based power plant is set up at Rampal in Bagerhat, a citizens’ platform on energy, power and environment suggests.
The National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas and Power-Port leaders on Friday said the project, located close to the Unesco World Heritage site, will affect the Sundarbans, its water resources and the cultivable land in the vicinity.
“This country has a lot of natural resources from which quick and huge electricity can be produced. The government seems to be interested in destroying the Sundarbans instead of utilising these resources,” committee’s Member Secretary Prof Anu Mohammad said while speaking at a discussion in the city, according to a press release.
“Several projects have been undertaken by the government being influenced by local and foreign organisations. These projects will be costly. If the government wants, it can find alternatives, we think.”
As the keynote speaker, BD Rahamat Ullah, an engineer, said: “The country’s energy demands can be met exploiting the renewable resources. The Sundarbans can be kept out of this.”
The speakers also said the Rampal plant would not be cost-effective. They claimed that Bangladesh offered all facilities to ensure high profit for the Indian company through giving tax waiver, setting no power tariff and passing over all responsibilities to Bangladesh.
The proposed power plant project, for which Bangladesh and India signed a joint venture agreement on April 20, has created strong ground for a “great natural disaster” in Bangladesh. India will build and operate the plant.
Through signing of the agreement – violating international norms – the two nations made all the final arrangements to destroy the world’s largest mangrove forest, they said.
The coal-run plants emit carbon dioxide, a key factor for global warming, some other toxic gases, airborne particles, ashes and heat in the air. The sludge they produce contains hazardous arsenic, mercury, cadmium and chromium. These toxins contaminate ground water and damage vital organs and the nervous systems of the people in the nearby places and affect natural resources.
Moreover, these units draw huge amounts of water every day and discharge hot water into rivers, killing water species.
The government, however, argues that they would use supercritical technology for power generation to avert pollution.
The discussion titled “We do not want Rampal power plant destroying the Sundarbans” was also attended by Mushahida Sultana and engineer Kallol Mustafa among others.
