The caretakers neglected energy supply
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Khondkar Abdus Saleque
THE business leaders have been urging the caretaker government (CTG) to approve the coal policy as soon as possible. They have feared that, already delayed, the adoption of the policy might further slow down during the time of the next political government. They also feel that there is no reasons for the production and supply of gas to improve appreciably soon. So exploitation of coal remains the only potential alternative for Bangladesh at this moment. Business leaders had earlier suggested that the CTG should discuss the draft coal policy with political leaders also.
On its part, the CTG felt such an initiative should come from the business leaders. There is some substance in the argument that it is necessary to discuss the associated social and environmental issues of coal mining with political leaders, and other relevant groups of the society.
The CTG has been running the country for about 21 months. It is now left with only about three weeks or so. Why then the caretaker administration allowed the coal policy to gather dust? Business leaders do not lead the country; they do not make policy decisions.
The CTG should have approved coal policy much earlier. Now, it can do nothing. Why the CTG had to sit on the matter for so long? It had option to take the opinion of the coal experts at home and abroad. And a decision could be taken after examining various reports on social and environmental aspects to mining. Instead, the caretaker administration allowed a group of theoreticians to slowdown the coal mining initiative.
The draft coal policy, if approved, in its present shape will never encourage any major mining company to invest in Bangladesh. One motivated group is agitating against open pit mining - the only way to mine economically in shallow seam coal mines. The environmental and social impact issues are unnecessarily exaggerated. Why the CTG did not send its experts to visit shallow seam open pit mining in different countries. Water management and mitigation of environmental impacts are very much parts of open pit mining in western countries, when environment awareness is 10 times more. So, the CTG could do a lot more towards adopting policy, if they really meant business.
Now with about three weeks left to it and the entire energy deployed to holding the national elections, the coal policy has gone out of the sight. It is not to suggest that a coal policy could be hurriedly adopted at this stage. Now it would be responsibility of the representative government to adopt an appropriate coal policy, to meet the growing energy needs.
The CTG claimed that effective initiative had already been taken to expedite exploration and development of gas. In this context, one may mention the provision of the required fund to BAPEX to act as the flagship company for exploration of gas. But is it enough? What Bapex could achieve in the over last two years? It needs to improve its technical capability. It lags way behind other regional exploration companies. It lacks modern technology in many areas.
THE business leaders have been urging the caretaker government (CTG) to approve the coal policy as soon as possible. They have feared that, already delayed, the adoption of the policy might further slow down during the time of the next political government. They also feel that there is no reasons for the production and supply of gas to improve appreciably soon. So exploitation of coal remains the only potential alternative for Bangladesh at this moment. Business leaders had earlier suggested that the CTG should discuss the draft coal policy with political leaders also.
On its part, the CTG felt such an initiative should come from the business leaders. There is some substance in the argument that it is necessary to discuss the associated social and environmental issues of coal mining with political leaders, and other relevant groups of the society.
The CTG has been running the country for about 21 months. It is now left with only about three weeks or so. Why then the caretaker administration allowed the coal policy to gather dust? Business leaders do not lead the country; they do not make policy decisions.
The CTG should have approved coal policy much earlier. Now, it can do nothing. Why the CTG had to sit on the matter for so long? It had option to take the opinion of the coal experts at home and abroad. And a decision could be taken after examining various reports on social and environmental aspects to mining. Instead, the caretaker administration allowed a group of theoreticians to slowdown the coal mining initiative.
The draft coal policy, if approved, in its present shape will never encourage any major mining company to invest in Bangladesh. One motivated group is agitating against open pit mining - the only way to mine economically in shallow seam coal mines. The environmental and social impact issues are unnecessarily exaggerated. Why the CTG did not send its experts to visit shallow seam open pit mining in different countries. Water management and mitigation of environmental impacts are very much parts of open pit mining in western countries, when environment awareness is 10 times more. So, the CTG could do a lot more towards adopting policy, if they really meant business.
Now with about three weeks left to it and the entire energy deployed to holding the national elections, the coal policy has gone out of the sight. It is not to suggest that a coal policy could be hurriedly adopted at this stage. Now it would be responsibility of the representative government to adopt an appropriate coal policy, to meet the growing energy needs.
The CTG claimed that effective initiative had already been taken to expedite exploration and development of gas. In this context, one may mention the provision of the required fund to BAPEX to act as the flagship company for exploration of gas. But is it enough? What Bapex could achieve in the over last two years? It needs to improve its technical capability. It lags way behind other regional exploration companies. It lacks modern technology in many areas.