Fresh threat looms on Sundarbans
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Khalilur Rahman
Green activists at home and abroad continue to express concern over the latest government plan to set up a coal-based power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat, a shipyard and silo at Chandpai area as this will pose serious threat to the Sundarbans, a wonder of nature. They strongly feel that if these projects are implemented nearer to the forest area, it will cause considerable damage to the world's largest mangrove forest.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB), according to a press report, said last week that the proposed coal-based power plant will be set up at a place 14 kilometres from the main forest. It also said that use of high technology in the power plant will consume less quantity of coal to generate higher volume of power. The PDB has hinted that coal may be imported from Indonesia, South Africa and Australia for the power plant.
The proposed silo will be built at village Jaimani in Mongla Upazila at Bagerhat adjacent to the Sundarbans. The boundary wall around the silo has already been built. The forest and environment ministry, on the other hand, says that the construction of roads through the forest may be necessary for carrying foodgrains to the godown. If the foodgrains are carried through waterways it will use the route inside the Sundarbans.
This will cause harm to the forest, the forest and environment ministry feels. The environment ministry recently wanted to know about the regular movement of cargo vessels and oil tankers through the Sundarbans forest. On December 27 last the ministry of environment and forest convened an inter-ministerial meeting and requested the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to stop the movement of cargo vessels and oil tankers as it will permanently harm those exclusive areas meant for Royal Bengal Tigers, Dolphins, Deer and a variety of fishes. Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Save the Sundarbans, Centre for Human Rights Movement and Farmland Protection Committee (FPC) have already voiced concern over the government plan to set up a thermal power plant with a capacity of 1320 megawatt, a shipyard and a silo in Bagerhat region which, if implemented, will cause damage to the Sundarbans. Large-scale felling of tress will be required to implement the project which will threaten the survival of wildlife in the Sundwbans.
Referring to the proposed coal-based power plant, they demanded relocation of these projects to other places for from the forest. The BAPA general secretary Dr. M Abdul Matin says sulphur dioxide and excessive amount of carbon would increase the greenhouse effect and may cause acid rain in the Sundarbans.
The forest was badly affected in cyclone Sidr and Aila in 2007 and 2009. The number of tigers in the Sundarbans are fast decreasing as poachers in connivance with a section of unscrupulous forest department officials continue to kill those. Shortage of sweet water and food after cyclonic storm Sidr and Aila battered the Sundarbans has also gravely affected the wildlife. Forest department sources say 440 tigers including 221 adults now inhabit the Sundarbans. The number of Royal Bengal Tigers are decreasing gradually in the absence of a comprehensive plan to protect those. Organised gangs of poachers are active in the Sundarbans.
The Sundarbans, natural habitat for over 400 species of trees and about 250 wild animals including spotted deer, some of which are on the verge of extinction, is a source of living for hundreds of thousands of people, particularly in the south-western coastal belt. Above all, the Sundarbans constitutes about 4 per cent of the country's total forest area. A country should have 25 per cent forest area. Bangladesh has only 16 per cent forest area and the Sundarbans alone covers almost half of it.
We know that global climate change has caused serious environmental damage. Therefore, we must understand the importance of the Sundarbans which has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO and try to protect it from all sorts of human interferences.
We suggested in this column earlier that as it is difficult to maintain vigilance over the vast forest area, criss-crossed by innumerable rivers and canals, by law enforcers and forest officials alone, launching of mass awareness campaign among the people, particularly those who are living in large number of villages adjoining the forest, is essential.
Side by side the forest department guards require proper training and modem transports to nab poachers. It is the duty of all to preserve the Sundarbans for the sake of our survival. khalilbdh@gmail.com
Green activists at home and abroad continue to express concern over the latest government plan to set up a coal-based power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat, a shipyard and silo at Chandpai area as this will pose serious threat to the Sundarbans, a wonder of nature. They strongly feel that if these projects are implemented nearer to the forest area, it will cause considerable damage to the world's largest mangrove forest.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB), according to a press report, said last week that the proposed coal-based power plant will be set up at a place 14 kilometres from the main forest. It also said that use of high technology in the power plant will consume less quantity of coal to generate higher volume of power. The PDB has hinted that coal may be imported from Indonesia, South Africa and Australia for the power plant.
The proposed silo will be built at village Jaimani in Mongla Upazila at Bagerhat adjacent to the Sundarbans. The boundary wall around the silo has already been built. The forest and environment ministry, on the other hand, says that the construction of roads through the forest may be necessary for carrying foodgrains to the godown. If the foodgrains are carried through waterways it will use the route inside the Sundarbans.
This will cause harm to the forest, the forest and environment ministry feels. The environment ministry recently wanted to know about the regular movement of cargo vessels and oil tankers through the Sundarbans forest. On December 27 last the ministry of environment and forest convened an inter-ministerial meeting and requested the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to stop the movement of cargo vessels and oil tankers as it will permanently harm those exclusive areas meant for Royal Bengal Tigers, Dolphins, Deer and a variety of fishes. Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Save the Sundarbans, Centre for Human Rights Movement and Farmland Protection Committee (FPC) have already voiced concern over the government plan to set up a thermal power plant with a capacity of 1320 megawatt, a shipyard and a silo in Bagerhat region which, if implemented, will cause damage to the Sundarbans. Large-scale felling of tress will be required to implement the project which will threaten the survival of wildlife in the Sundwbans.
Referring to the proposed coal-based power plant, they demanded relocation of these projects to other places for from the forest. The BAPA general secretary Dr. M Abdul Matin says sulphur dioxide and excessive amount of carbon would increase the greenhouse effect and may cause acid rain in the Sundarbans.
The forest was badly affected in cyclone Sidr and Aila in 2007 and 2009. The number of tigers in the Sundarbans are fast decreasing as poachers in connivance with a section of unscrupulous forest department officials continue to kill those. Shortage of sweet water and food after cyclonic storm Sidr and Aila battered the Sundarbans has also gravely affected the wildlife. Forest department sources say 440 tigers including 221 adults now inhabit the Sundarbans. The number of Royal Bengal Tigers are decreasing gradually in the absence of a comprehensive plan to protect those. Organised gangs of poachers are active in the Sundarbans.
The Sundarbans, natural habitat for over 400 species of trees and about 250 wild animals including spotted deer, some of which are on the verge of extinction, is a source of living for hundreds of thousands of people, particularly in the south-western coastal belt. Above all, the Sundarbans constitutes about 4 per cent of the country's total forest area. A country should have 25 per cent forest area. Bangladesh has only 16 per cent forest area and the Sundarbans alone covers almost half of it.
We know that global climate change has caused serious environmental damage. Therefore, we must understand the importance of the Sundarbans which has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO and try to protect it from all sorts of human interferences.
We suggested in this column earlier that as it is difficult to maintain vigilance over the vast forest area, criss-crossed by innumerable rivers and canals, by law enforcers and forest officials alone, launching of mass awareness campaign among the people, particularly those who are living in large number of villages adjoining the forest, is essential.
Side by side the forest department guards require proper training and modem transports to nab poachers. It is the duty of all to preserve the Sundarbans for the sake of our survival. khalilbdh@gmail.com