Eminent citizens for site change
Eminent citizens yesterday said unveiling the foundation plaque for Rampal power plant was actually the beginning of a process disastrous for the unique biodiversity of the Sundarbans.
With the construction of this coal-fired plant, both Bangladesh and India are violating some of their national laws, policies, bilateral treaty and international conventions.
The Sundarbans is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also Ramsar site, they said in a statement. It not only protects the country like a wall from natural disasters, it works as the national resource upon which thousands of people’s livelihoods depend.
The statement added the plant would ruin the reputation Bangladesh earned for its role in climate change adaptation.
Coal is now worldwide known as “dirty fuel” and its use is being reduced.
According to experts, coal is not the only source of power. Natural resources like strong wind, sunlight and bio wastes could generate as much as 35 thousand megawatt (MW) of electricity.
Another two thousand megawatt electricity could be arranged by repairing the rundown machinery of Bangladesh Power Development Board, it adds.
The statement was signed by Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, former adviser to the caretaker government M Hafiz Uddin Khan, Professor Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, Farah Kabir, country director of Action Aid Bangladesh; Sultana Kamal, executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra; Dr MA Matin, secretary general of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA); and member secretary of National Committee for the Protection of the Sundarbans; Abu Naser, chairman of Paribesh Andolon; Aroma Dutta, executive director of Pip Trust; Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori; Badiul Alam Mazumder, executive director of Sujan, and Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB.
They strongly condemned the project terming it anti-environment and demanded the plant’s relocation at a safe distance.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart opened the foundation plaque yesterday, amid public concern that the power plant, only 14km off the Sundarbans, will wreak havoc on the largest mangrove forest of the world.
Manmohan joined the ceremony through video conference from his New Delhi office.
Though the project site is in Bagerhat, the unveiling took place at Bheramara in Kushtia, where the two prime ministers also inaugurated the Bangladesh-India Power Transmission Centre.
-With The Daily Star input
