DEMONSTRATORS are on a ‘four-day long march’ from Dhaka to Khulna to protest the construction of Rampal Power Plant, which people believe to be a big threat to the world’s largest mangrove forest in the Sundarbans. Environmentalists, cultural and political activists, and professionals from many other fields started the march from Jatiya Press Club last morning towards Rampal Power Plants. Located in the Bagerhat district, it is only 14 km away from the Sundarbans forest its very closer proximity poising threat to the forest’s existence is what is the main point that gathered the country’s environmentalists to demand the relocation of 1320 MW power plant to a safe distance. The power plant is being built now under an India-Bangladesh joint venture despite severe opposition by environmentalists basically to save the Sundarbans and its ecosystem. But the most disappointing fact is that Bangladesh government is not responding to people’s concerns despite local and international opposition to the present location of the plant. Sundarbans is a UNESCO heritage and the Paris based UN body has even threatened to delist the Sundarbans to ‘endangered heritage’ along with the calls from other international organizations, human rights bodies and environmental groups to relocate the plant. Indian environmentalists are equally vocal about it. Many wonder why the Bangladesh government is not taking the people’s concerns seriously and moreover why the Indian government is equally uncompromising. India is preserving the Sundarbans on its part under protective lows but it is not agreeable to similar concerns raised by people in Bangladesh.The land acquisition and development of the project is complete and now search for international financiers of the project is at work prior to calling for international tender for project builders. Such move is however facing setback at international level but the two governments are braving all such opposition to set up the project at its disputed site. What concerns the environmentalists the most is the fact that between 400 and 500 vassals would use the river route through Sundarbans forest to carry coal to the plant site, as it is a coal fired plant. All impact assessment studies show that it would destroy habitat for fish and animals and polluting of air and water would cause severe damage to the ecosystem. The destruction of the forest would destroy the livelihood of thousands of people from around the region. So the people’s opposition to the plant continues despite the fact that the government is giving a damn to the people’s concerns. The long march, which takes place every year and joined by people on the way is a reminder once again to the government that we can build so many power plants but the Sundarbans is irreplaceable. The government must pay heed to the people’s demand and it must agree relocate the plant.
