M M Jasim :The government is progressing with its plan of setting up of a power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat district despite the fact that the environmentalists, the civil society members, the leaders of different political organisations and some studies said that the project would pose a serious threat to the environment of the Sundarbans which would be diverse and irreversible. They have demanded cancellation of all the initiatives of the project to save the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. Meanwhile, the government is set to hire a consultant for the massive coal-fired power plant at Rampal ignoring the project’s site selection as well as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports.In this situation, Ganatantrik Bam Morcha (GBM), a platform of left leaning organisaitons, has started the ‘Road March’ to Sundarbans to raise awareness against all environmentally destructive activities. The ‘Road March’ will end at Bagerhat town on Sunday.The police charged batons on them when they reached the base of Shaheed Muktijoddha Smrity Stambha in Manikganj and were trying to arrange a rally there on Friday afternoon. At least 15 leaders and activists of GBM were injured in the incident. The injured leaders and activists, including General Secretary of Ganatantrik Biplobi Party were sent to different medical centers for treatment. The GBM took various programmes to make the Road March a success.The protesters started the march from a rally in front of the National Press Club in the city on Friday morning and it will reach Bagerhat district via Manikganj, Faridpur, Jhenidah, Jessore and Khulna districts.The protesters said, the government’s move to set up coal-fired power plant and Orion Group’s power stations near the Sundarbans will affect the mangrove forest destroying its environment, ecosystem and biodiversity. Besides, people who have been residing in the area will be attacked with different diseases, including cancer.Since the people of the country do not want the coal-fired base power plant, the government has no right to implement these projects without their consent, they said.Columnist Syed Abul Moksud in the rally said, the people do not want electricity destroying the ecosystem and biodiversity. They will also use the traditional lamp, if necessary. “The government is telling lies about the Rampal Power Plant Project. The government, even the Prime Minister says that they will not do anything which will be harmful for the nation. But, they are trying to establish a deadly power plant destroying everything,” he said. Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) started their March to save Sundarbans on October 13. The March will end today (Saturday). Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) Joint-General Secretary Iqbal Habib said, “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.” 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.Sheikh Faridul Islam, Chairman of Save the Sundarbans, said, the government should immediately scrap the project to protect the mangrove forest from its adverse impact. The power plant was 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 plant would also release huge hot water that would ultimately destroy the sweetwater and various species of fish in the surrounding water of the Sunderbans,” he said. Meanwhile, an international organisation has raised serious questions about the much-debated Rampal coal-fired power plant, saying it does not maintain the minimum social and environmental standards.”The project is harmful for the Sundarbans and the people in the adjacent areas. It poses significant adverse social and environmental risks and impacts that are diverse and irreversible,” said Bank Track, a Netherlands-based coalition of organisations “targeting the operations and investments of private sector banks and their effect on people and the planet”.In a recent analysis, it said serious deficiencies in project design, planning, and implementation and due diligence obligations render the project non-compliant with the minimum social and environmental standards and the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC’s) performance standards.However, the government as well as the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Pvt Ltd (BIFPLC), which was formed to develop the Rampal project, claimed that the 1,320MW plant would not harm the Sundarbans as international standards are being followed properly.The Rampal Plant is located just 14 kilometres upstream of the Sundarbans Reserve Forest, the world’s largest remaining contiguous mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. India’s largest coal power company National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has formed a joint venture, BIFPLC, with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) on 50:50 share basis to develop the plant.A tender for the project’s Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract has been released and the bidding is due by the end of this year.
