The National Committee for Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Electricity and Ports has demanded cancellation of the deal to implement the Rampal 1,320 megawatt (mw) coal-fired power plant project during the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The committee leaders at a press conference in the city argued on Wednesday that implementation of the project, to be located within 14 kilometres of the Sundarbans, would destroy the ecological balance of the national heritage.
They demanded that both the premiers of India and Bangladesh announce its cancellation during Mr Modi's scheduled visit here from June 6-7.
They alleged that the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Pvt) Limited (BIFPCL), a joint venture (JV) between Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and India's National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), did not care about the environment even during land-filling, the preparatory work of the project.
The NTPC opposed several times such projects in India as the Indian government has a regulation not to build any power plant within 25 kilometres of a forest, they said demanding cancellation of the Rampal power plant project in Bangladesh.
Convener of the committee Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah and member secretary Anu Mohammad, among others, spoke at the press briefing.
The BPDB and the NTPC would have 50:50 partnership in the BIFPCL that will build the Rampal power plant.
This is the first-ever JV power plant between Bangladesh and India and it would be the NTPC's first power plant venture outside India.
The power plant, to be located on 1,834 acres of land, will run on imported coal.
Coal will be sourced from Indonesia, South Africa, Australia and Mozambique.
Around 11,000 tonnes of coal would be required everyday to run the power plant.
mazizur.rahman@outlook.com
