Ringing an alarm bell, green activists on Saturday demanded that the government should relocate all power plants including Rampal Thermal Power Plant close by the Sundarban, a world heritage site, to protect the mangrove forest from its adverse impact.
The ecology of the Sundarban, the world’s largest mangrove forest, will be destroyed if the thermal power plant is built, speakers said at a mass gathering programme held in city.
Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Save the Sundarban, Centre for Human Rights Movement, Rampal Agriculture Land Protection Committee, Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) , Green Voice and Bagerhat Development Protection organized the programme.
Human Rights leader Adv Sultan Kamal, member secretary of The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Power and Port Anu Muhammad, TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association chief executive (BELA) Syeda Rezwana Chowdhury, Dr Sheikh Faridul Islam of Save the Sundarban and BAPA general secretary Dr Abdul Matin spoke among others, at the programme.
Comprising of a total of 101 members ‘National Committee for Protecting the Sundarbans, a citizen’s body, formed on saturday to protect the Sundarbans,
Sultana Kamal, chairman of the Transparency International Bangladesh, has been made the convener of the committee while Dr Mohammad
Abdul Matin, Bapa, member secretary of the body.
Sundarban is our national asset, it is violation of constitution to destroy the forest, Adv Sulatan Kamal said adding that we want not only to stop the Rampal Power Plant but also stop all activities of destroying Sundarban.
BAPA general secretary Dr Abdul Matin said the proposed thermal power plant will “destroy the ecological balance and biodiversity” of the Sunderban for excessive spewing of effluents like sulpher dioxide, nitrus oxide, carbon mono oxide, carbon dioxide and chloro-floro carbon, said.
“Apart from these harmful substances, the power plant will also release huge amounts of hot water that will destroy the freshwater dolphin and various species of fish in water body surrounding the Sunderban,” he added.
Through implementing the power plant project, the government will violate Ecologically Critically Area (ECA) acts, Bangladesh Environment Conservation Rules, Forest acts and Convention on Biological Diversity, said Syeda Rezwana Hasan.
She also suggested to form an another law to save the Mangrove Forest.
The government has taken initiative to set up a coal-fired thermal power plant in Rampal area of Bagerhat district. India is financing the power project.
The government has also started acquisition of 186 acres of land for setting up the 1320- megawatt power plant. Prof Anu Muhammad said, when environment expert give opinion against the Rampal Power plan, Indian High commissioner burst aside describing it as a rumor.
-With The Independent input
