India won't take responsibility for ecological damage
Proposed power plant poses threat to Sundarbans
Discontent is mounting up among the countrymen fearing a serious threat to the biodiversity of the Sundarbans due to government's rigid decision to set up coal-fired thermal power plants in joint-venture (JV) with India in Bagerhat.
About 25 lakh people directly depend on the Sundarbans region may fall in great danger due to adverse environmental impact while the ecological damage in terms of money could cross billions of Taka due to setting up the coal-fired power plant in a world heritage site.
There is a widespread allegation that India is not going to take any responsibility for the ecological damage though as per joint-venture agreement both the countries should have to shareprofits and losses on an equitable basis.
The main opposition BNP and different organizations, including Save the Sundarbans, Centre for Human Rights Movement (CHRM) and Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), have expressed their dissatisfaction over setting up of the plant at a site close to the Sundarbans.
Even, the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), marking the Global Earth Day-2011, on Saturday,said the world's largest mangrove forest Sundarbans will be affected permanently if the proposed coal-based power plant near the forest is set up. Not only that the officials of the Environment and Forests Ministry recently haveraised serious objection to the JV project during an inter-ministerial meeting.
Sources said two JV coal-based thermal power plants, each 1300 MW are being built in Rampal upazila jointlyfinanced by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) of India.
Whereas, neither Bangladesh norIndia has conducted environmental impact assessment (EIA) study before takingsuch a decision to set up a big power plant project.
The BPDB reportedly has failed to submit the EIA report to the department of environment (DoE) in the expected time-frame while NTPC made a feasibility report excluding the environmentalimpact, sources said.
On the other hand, both thecountries have proposed the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) andsome other multinational donor agencies to finance the project without submitting the EIA report.
The High Court bench on March 1asked the government why the construction of the plants should not be declared illegal, but the land ministry has approved the acquisition of 1,834 acres ofland in Sapmaree, Katakhalee and Koygardaskati Beel of the Rampal upazila. Besides, a total of about 4,000 acres of land beside the Pashur river is now under process.
Meanwhile, the experts have cautioned the project will increase the proportion of carbon monoxide,carbon-dioxide and sulphur-dioxide in the air and would cause acid rains.
It would destroy the ingredients of the soil that support the lives of millions of inhabitants including deerand tiger of the surrounding areas, they added.
They said around 334 plantspecies of 245 genera and trees like sundari, gewa, keora, dhundol, passer andsome other rare species might fall in great danger due to huge carbon emissionand release of enormous dust in the whole area.
Admitting the situation, a high official of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources yesterday said the environmental issue did not get importance when the policymakers took up theplan for the project.
The Mongla port facility to import coal from India or other countries had influenced the decision makers totake the power plant project, he noted.
According to the experts, the number of shrimps and other fishes will be reduced as the quality of the water of the nearby rivers would deteriorate and fish will become inedible due to increase of toxicity and contamination.
The wildlife of the Sundarbans will also be affected due to the loud noise produced by the plants, they said,adding, the number of tourists will be decreased because of contamination of air, water and environment due to the smoke and other emissions from theplants.
As per an approximated calculation, around 450 Royal Bengal Tigers, 80,000 spotted deer, 20,000 wild boars, 315 species of birds, 95 species of waterfowl, 38 species of raptors, 53species of reptiles, 120 species of fish, 100 million mud crabs and large number of crocodile live in the Sundarbans.
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