May 23, 2013

Bangladesh's Planned Coal Power Plant Threatens Sundarbans Mangrove Forest

A plan to erect a coal-fired power plant in Bangladesh next to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world which straddles Bangladesh and India, is drawing fire from activists in the country who say it would destroy the world heritage site.

The proposed 1320-megawatt plant, to be built in the area of Rampal in the southern Bagerhat district, was initially put into motion in a bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and India during the Bangladeshi prime minister's tour of India in 2011 before an environmental impact assessment was conducted by Bangladesh's Environment Ministry.

On 20 April, 2013, the Power Development Board of Bangladesh signed [bn] three agreements with India's National Thermal Power Corporation, which made the implementation official. The project, estimated to cost 1.6 billion US dollars, is expected to be completed by 2018.

When the government finally released an environmental impact assessment (download in PDF from here) on the power plant, environmentalists rejected it in a consultative meeting, organized by the Power Division on April 12, arguing that the report did not take into consideration most of the important environmental aspects of the Sundarbans, its ecology, flora, and fauna as well as a large number of local people.

Moreover, the report stated that (page 208) once the proposed site was a part of Sundarbans, but had been evacuated by the settlers later.

Bangladesh's energy infrastructure is known to be quite small, insufficient and poorly managed. Only 40% of the population has access to electricity with a per capita availability of 136 kWh per Annum. So there is a huge pressure on the Government to meet the growing demands of electricity.

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports urged citizens of both India and Bangladesh to carry out concentrated efforts to stop the power plant on its website.
Environment experts, social workers and conscious citizen holding banner-festoon take part at a human Chain in the capital in demand to save Sundarban, the world largest remaining mangrove forests. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (21/3/2013)
Environment experts, social workers, and citizens holding banners form a human chain in the capital Dhaka to demand that the Sundarbans, the world largest remaining mangrove forest, be saved. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (21/3/2013)
Abdullah Al Imran [bn] pointed out in a Facebook note that India is violating its own laws meant to protect wildlife with its involvement in this power plant:
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An 1320 MW plant would be established in Rampal of Bagerhat which is only 14 kilometres away from the Sundarbans. According to the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972, no such power plant should be established within 15 kilometers of a forest which is home to sanctuaries for tigers and elephants and wildlife.
Journalist Kallol Mustafa [bn] summarized on Facebook the environmental impact that the report foresees that the plant will have:
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The building material and equipment for the plant would be transported on the river. So it is stated in the EIA report that the increase in transport of engine ships, oil spillage, noise, light and air pollution, etc. will have an adverse effect on Royal Bengal tigers, deer, dolphins, the mangrove forest and other ecosystems.
Engineer Md. Shahadat Hossain [bn] wrote on the Water Resource Engineers Forum blog:
ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦ø্ą¦¤াą¦¬িą¦¤ ą¦°াą¦®ą¦Ŗাą¦² ą¦•ą¦Æ়ą¦²া ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą§Ž ą¦•েą¦Ø্ą¦¦্ą¦°েą¦° ą¦‡ą¦†ą¦‡ą¦ ą¦°িą¦Ŗোą¦°্ą¦Ÿেą¦° ą¦ą¦‡ ą¦øংą¦•্ą¦·িą¦Ŗ্ą¦¤ ą¦Ŗą¦°্ą¦Æাą¦²োą¦šą¦Øা ą¦„েą¦•ে ą¦ø্ą¦Ŗą¦·্ą¦Ÿ ą¦Æে, [..] ą¦øুą¦Ø্ą¦¦ą¦°ą¦¬ą¦Øেą¦° ą¦Ŗাą¦¶ে ą§§ą§©ą§Øą§¦ ą¦®েą¦—াą¦“ą¦Æ়াą¦Ÿেą¦° ą¦ą¦‡ ą¦•ą¦Æ়ą¦²া ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą§Ž ą¦•েą¦Ø্ą¦¦্ą¦°ą¦•ে ą¦œাą¦Æ়েą¦œ ą¦•ą¦°াą¦° ą¦øą¦°্ą¦¬োą¦š্ą¦š ą¦šেą¦·্ą¦Ÿা ą¦•ą¦°া ą¦ø্ą¦¬ą¦¤্ą¦¤্ą¦¬েą¦“, ą¦ą¦°ą¦Ŗą¦°ą¦“ ą¦–োą¦¦ ą¦‡ą¦†ą¦‡ą¦ ą¦°িą¦Ŗোą¦°্ą¦Ÿে ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą§Ž ą¦•েą¦Ø্ą¦¦্ą¦° ą¦Øিą¦°্ą¦®াą¦£, ą¦Ŗą¦°িą¦šাą¦²াą¦Øা ą¦“ ą¦•ą¦Æ়ą¦²া ą¦Ŗą¦°িą¦¬ą¦¹ą¦Øেą¦° ą¦«ą¦²ে ą¦øুą¦Ø্ą¦¦ą¦°ą¦¬ą¦Øেą¦° ą¦‰ą¦Ŗą¦° ą¦øą¦®্ą¦­াą¦¬্ą¦Æ ą¦•্ą¦·ą¦¤িą¦•ą¦° ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦­াą¦¬ ą¦øą¦®্ą¦Ŗą¦°্ą¦•ে ą¦ą¦®ą¦Ø ą¦øą¦¬ ą¦¤ą¦„্ą¦Æ ą¦¬েą¦°িą¦Æ়ে ą¦ą¦øেą¦›ে ą¦Æা ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦ø্ą¦¤াą¦¬িą¦¤ ą¦•ą¦Æ়ą¦²া ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą§Ž ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦•ą¦²্ą¦Ŗą¦•ে ą¦Ŗą¦°িą¦¬েą¦¶ą¦—ą¦¤ ą¦¬িą¦¬েą¦šą¦Øাą¦Æ় ą¦…ą¦—্ą¦°ą¦¹ą¦£ą¦Æোą¦—্ą¦Æ ą¦¬িą¦¬েą¦šą¦Øা ą¦•ą¦°াą¦° ą¦œą¦Ø্ą¦Æ ą¦Æą¦„েą¦·্ą¦Ÿ।
Analysis of the EIA report for the proposed power plant reveals that the building, operation, and coal transport for the 1320 MW coal-based power plant in the Sundarbans would create an adverse effect on the Sundarbans mangrove forest in the coming years, suggesting that it should be scrapped on environmental grounds.
Fishermen get preparation for the fishing before sunset near Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre Centre under Chandpai range in East Sunderbans division. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (26/11/2012)
Fishermen prepare to fish before sunset near Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre in the East Sundarbans. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (26/11/2012)
On community blog Ishtishon, Mahbub Shumon questioned the wisdom of harming the Sundarbans when they protect Bangladesh from natural disasters:
ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦„ą¦®ą¦¤ - ą¦ą¦”় ą¦াą¦Ŗą¦Ÿা ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°াą¦•ৃą¦¤িą¦• ą¦¦ুą¦°্ą¦Æোą¦— ą¦„েą¦•ে ą¦„েą¦•ে ą¦¬ুą¦• ą¦Ŗেą¦¤ে ą¦¬াংą¦²াą¦¦েą¦¶ ą¦°ą¦•্ą¦·াą¦•াą¦°ী ą¦ą¦‡ ą¦¬ą¦Øেą¦° ą¦®ą¦§্ą¦Æে ą¦¬া ą¦•াą¦›া ą¦•াą¦›ি ą¦•্ą¦·ą¦¤িą¦•ą¦° ą¦¦ূą¦°ą¦¤্ą¦¬ে ą¦ą¦®ą¦Ø ą¦•োą¦Ø ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦•ą¦²্ą¦Ŗ ą¦•ą¦°া ą¦‰ą¦šিą§Ž ą¦•িą¦Øা ą¦Æা ą¦œীą¦¬ - ą¦¬ą¦‡ą¦šিą¦¤্ą¦°েą¦° ą¦†ą¦§াą¦° ą¦ą¦¬ং ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°াą¦•ৃą¦¤িą¦• ą¦­াą¦°ą¦øাą¦®্ą¦Æ ą¦°ą¦•্ą¦·াą¦•াą¦°ী, ą¦øą¦°্ą¦¬োą¦Ŗą¦°ি ą¦¦ুą¦°্ą¦Æোą¦— ą¦„েą¦•ে ą¦°ą¦•্ą¦·াą¦•াą¦°ী ą¦ą¦‡ ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°াą¦•ৃą¦¤িą¦• ą¦¦েą¦Æ়াą¦² ą¦§্ą¦¬ংą¦ø ą¦•ą¦°ে ą¦¦িą¦¬ে? ą¦øą¦šেą¦¤ą¦Ø ą¦®াą¦Øুą¦· ą¦®াą¦¤্ą¦°েą¦‡ ą¦ą¦•ą¦®ą¦¤ ą¦¹ą¦¬েą¦Ø ą¦Øাą¦¬োą¦§ą¦• ą¦‰ą¦¤্ą¦¤ą¦°ে। ą¦ą¦®ą¦Ø ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą§Ž ą¦†ą¦®াą¦¦েą¦° ą¦¦ą¦°ą¦•াą¦° ą¦Øাą¦‡ ą¦Æে ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą¦¤েą¦° ą¦œą¦Ø্ą¦Æ ą¦†ą¦®াą¦¦েą¦° ą¦¦েą¦¶ą¦Ÿাą¦‡ ą¦§্ą¦¬ংą¦ø ą¦¹ą¦Æ়ে ą¦Æাą¦¬ে। ą¦¦্ą¦¬িą¦¤ীą¦Æ় ą¦œą¦°ুą¦°ী ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦¶্ą¦Ø ą¦¹ą¦²- ą¦…ą¦Ø্ą¦Æ ą¦•োą¦„াą¦“ ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą§Ž ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦•ą¦²্ą¦Ŗ ą¦•ą¦°া ą¦¹ą¦²েą¦“ ą¦†ą¦®ą¦°া ą¦•ি ą¦•ą¦Æ়ą¦²া ą¦­িą¦¤্ą¦¤িą¦• ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą§Ž ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦•ą¦²্ą¦Ŗেą¦° ą¦•্ą¦·ą¦¤ি ą¦øাą¦®াą¦² ą¦¦িą¦¤ে ą¦Ŗাą¦°ą¦¬?
First of all, these mangrove forests save Bangladesh from natural disasters. So why would you put a project in the vicinity of this forest that will destroy its wildlife, its flora and fauna? Any concerned person would say no. We don't need such power which will destroy my country's ecosystem. Secondly, even if the plant is shifted, will we be able to restrict the damaging effects of burning coal for the plant?
Blogger Banglar Hassan [bn] reminded his readers that a similar project had been turned down in Odisha, India as it failed to obtain environmental clearance. Faisal Caser [bn] asked:
ą¦Æে ą¦¬িą¦¬েą¦šą¦Øাą¦Æ় ą¦ą¦Øą¦Ÿিą¦Ŗিą¦øি ą¦Øিą¦œেą¦° ą¦¦েą¦¶ে ą¦¬িą¦¦্ą¦Æুą§Ž ą¦•েą¦Ø্ą¦¦্ą¦° ą¦Øিą¦°্ą¦®াą¦£ ą¦•ą¦°ą¦¤ে ą¦Ŗাą¦°েą¦Øি ą¦øেą¦‡ ą¦ą¦•ą¦‡ ą¦¬িą¦¬েą¦šą¦Øাą¦Æ় ą¦¬াংą¦²াą¦¦েą¦¶ে ą¦•ী ą¦¤াą¦¦েą¦° ą¦Ŗ্ą¦°ą¦•ą¦²্ą¦Ŗ ą¦¬াą¦¤িą¦² ą¦¹ą¦¤ে ą¦Ŗাą¦°ে ą¦Øা?
The reason why NTPC could not build a power plant in its own country is not strong enough to stall their similar project in Bangladesh?
Facebook event to save Sunderbans. Image courtesy Omi Hasan.
Facebook event to save Sundarbans. Image courtesy Omi Hasan.
Facebook events have been created to raise awareness of the planned plant. The dates of offline protests will be announced soon.

First Published in Global Voices

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