The government has decided to further assess environmental impact of the proposed 1320 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant at Ramphal in Bagerhat district close to the Sunderbans. The World Heritage Centre, based in Paris and local environmentalists have expressed grave concern over setting up the power plant near the world's largest mangrove forest.
According to reports, the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has formed a 14-member inter-ministerial committee to prepare recommendations over the impact of proposed Ramphal Power Project, impact of recent oil spill and protection of the Sundarbans, a World Heritage site. The committee has been asked to complete its report by March 25, 2015.
It goes without saying that the government is required to take initiatives for the protection of the Sunderbans under article-5 of the World Heritage Property.
The MoEF has already asked the Bangladesh Power Development (BPDB) to take precautionary measures relating to the ecological and biological system before setting up the power plant. The proposed power plant will be set up 14 kilometres away from the Sundarbans.
The project cost of the 1320MW Ramphal power plant has now been estimated at Tk 177.79 billion, which is Tk 31,95 billion more than the original amount of Tk 145,84 billion.
The government has targeted to produce 20,000 MW of cheap coal-fired power by the year 2021. Fifty per cent of power generated at Ramphal is destined for India but the full brunt of environmental hazards will be borne by the people of Bangladesh.
In a bid to allay fears of environment degradation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told parliament that the plant would not harm the protected mangrove forest. But her assurance was not found enough for the environmental activists. Very recently, Norway has decided to withdraw its pension fund investment from the proposed power plant, citing threat of severe environmental damage.
A recent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) says the proposed power plant project will bring more harm than good for the country destroying the world heritage Sundarbans. The EIA of physical, biological, social and economic environment indicates that most of the impacts of the coal-fired power plant are negative and irreversible, which can't be mitigated in any way.
The climate, topography, land use pattern, air and water (surface and ground both) quality, wetlands, floral and faunal diversity, capturing fisheries and tourism in the Sundarbans will be affected permanently if the proposed coal-fired power plant is established, the EIA report says.
The environmental impact of the Ramphal power plant on the Sundarbans and surrounding areas was studied from August 2011 to July 2012 in Ramphal, Mongla and the Sundarbans. The physico-chemical conditions of air, water and soil, and biological conditions of the proposed coal-fired area (Ramphal), Mongla and Sundrabans were also studied.
Increased water-logging, river erosion, noise pollution and health hazards; decreasing of ground water table; loss of culture fisheries, social forestry and health hazards, and major destruction of agriculture will take place due to the Ramphal power plant, the assessment report says.
These problems may be reversible after long mitigation process except agriculture. Mitigation of agricultural loss will be very difficult and many people will turn landless, it says.
The EIA indicates the area in question is not suitable for industrialisation and urbanisation. By establishing the coal-fired power plant, only electrification in the rural area, and a very few jobs and localised business facilities will be created. The negative irreversible impact of the plant will, thus, far outweigh its possible benefits, the EIA report says.
The flora and fauna are indicating that some plants and animals are already on the verge of extinction due to natural climatic hazards. Due to pollution of the coal-fired power plant, the rest of the flora and fauna will be destroyed changing the air, water and soil quality of the study areas.
The wind flow indicates that the total study areas of Ramphal, Mongla and the Sundarbans will be affected by the toxic gases and ashes of the coal-based power plant in different seasons.
About 0.75 to 1.0 kilogram (kg) of coal is needed to fire to generate one kilobyte of power and about 4.7 million tonnes of coal should be burned annually to keep the plant operational.
The power plant is expected to generate 0.7 million tonnes of sky ash and 0.2 million tonnes of bottom ash per year. As the ashes contain sulfur, carbon dioxide, arsenic, mercury, lead, chromium, and cadmium, it will bring harm to the environment, the EIA study report says.
In fact, the Sundarbans reserve forest is already facing threats from natural calamity, deforestation, rise in salinity and extinction of many species mainly due to human carelessness, ignorance and lack of implementation of laws, poaching and illegal wildlife trade and the power plant will welcome new kind of havoc for the forest.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a USA-based group, the Ramphal Power Plant will burn around 4.75 million tonnes of coal annually which may produce 0.3 million tonnes ashes and around 0.5 million tonnes sludge and liquid waste. It would also emit a good amount of carbon dioxide, the key factor for global warming; some other toxic gases and airborne particles,
The EIA report warns that groundwater of the Poshur river will be polluted by the huge amount of waste produced due to burning of the coal. The toxic substances can contaminate drinking water supplies which will damage vital organs and the nervous system of people living around the place.
To mention, the proposed 1,320-megawatt thermal power plant is a joint venture of Bangladesh Power Development Board and NTPC Ltd, India, under the name of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company.
All said and done, the recent government decision to assess further the impact of the proposed Ramphal power plant is definitely a welcome gesture. An independent impact assessment is the need of the hour.
szkhan@dhaka.net
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