Hakaluki Haor, one of Asia’s biggest marsh wetland resources, is also the country’s largest pet coal storehouse with around 112 million tonnes of coal reserve, says a recent survey of the Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB).
The GSB survey found that the coal is deposited at a layer of 0.5 to 5 metres below surface over 90 square kilometers of Chatal Beel in Hakaluki Haor of greater Sylhet division.
The GSB conducted the survey, titled ‘Pet Exploration at Chatal Beel and its adjourning areas in Hakaluki Haor of Moulvibazar and Sylhet’ during the last two years under the second phase of a geo-scientific project for mineral resources.
A GSB team identified the coal after conducting the survey in two phases-one conducted from January to March last year and another from January to April this year.
It conducted surveys in six upazilas-Kulaura, Juri and Baralekha under Moulvibazar district, and Beanibazar, Fenchuganj and Gopalganj under Sylhet district.
The GSB has collected samples putting up a total of 1352 auger-holes in the area and found the coal reservoir. Each hole (depth 4-11 metres) was installed in every 200 square metres. After examining the coal samples, the GSB predicted that around 112 million tonnes of pet coal is stored underground in the wetland. It, however, says the quantity will be around 282 million tonnes if it is counted in wet state.
GSB Director (Geology) M Nehal Uddin told UNB that the quantity of pet coal reserved in the Chatal Beel and its adjourning areas shows that Hakaluki is the largest pet field in the country.
“The pet coal could be used for producing electricity. A small power plant with a capacity of 50 MW could be run at least 30-40 years using the coal reserved in Hakaluki Haor,” he said.
Nehal, who led the survey, said if the pet coal is extracted scientifically and used for producing electricity, it will help address the country’s growing electricity demand to some extent at the local level.
Hakaluki Haor is a marsh-wetland ecological system of the Eastern Bangladesh in an area bordering Assam, India. It has a unique ecosystem with a total of 558 species of animals and birds. A number of threatened, vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species are found in the wetland.
Considering its environmental importance, Hakaluki Haor is already announced an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) and a protected Ramsar site of international importance.
About the vulnerability of open coal-mining to the environment, Nehal Uddin said the extraction of pet coal may play havoc on the wetland biodiversity as open mining of coal deteriorates the environment.
He said, the authorities concerned should carry out a detailed survey environmental survey and socioeconomic survey – before going for extracting the pet coal from the Hakaluki Haor.
