Members of civil society yesterday strongly demanded the cancellation of setting up of two coal fired thermal power plants in Rampal near the Sundarbans.
Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), Save the Sundarban Foundation, Green Voice, Bagerhat Development Society and Centre for Human Rights Movement formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka.
The human chain titled "Immediately cancel the Rampal Power Plant project! Save the Sundarbans, the world heritage site."
They said the government should immediately scrap the project to protect the mangrove forest from its adverse impact. These power plants were scheduled to be located in a area that would be in the immediate vicinity of the Sundarbans' territory and would damage its wide range of biodiversity.
Apart from these harmful after-effects, the power plants would also release huge hot water that would ultimately destroy the freshwater and various species of fish in the surrounding water of the Sunderbans, the civil society members commented.
The thermal power plants would destroy the ecological balance and biodiversity of the Sunderbans for extreme spewing of effluents like sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide, carbon mono oxide, carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gas, said Bapa Joint General Secretary Iqbal Habib. He also expressed his concern over the plying of oil tankers and other vessels in the water channels of the Sunderbans, saying that it would damage the flora and fauna of the forest.
Habib presided over the programme while Sheikh Faridul Islam, chairman of Save the Sundarbans, Sheiks Mohammad Zakir Hossain, chairman of Bagerhat Development Society, Md Mujahedul Islam, secretary general of Centre for Human Rights Movemet also spoke among others.
