The coal debate
Monday, 13 August 2007
ALMOST a year ago locals of Phulbari organised a large demonstration against the proposed open pit mine there by the UK-based Asia Energy that ended in a bloody incidence of violence with three men dead and many injured when the law enforcers opened fire on a rally of some 50,000 people on August 26. Currently a committee is discussing the formulation of a coal policy that would be crucial to planned investment in coal and, therefore, is also of much interest to the potential investors.
A citizens' commission of the Bangladesh Economic Association, protesting against several news reports, criticised the advocacy of a section of the media and rejected open pit mining.
While we acknowledge that open-pit mining to be the most commercially feasible means and the one through which the maximum amount of coal could be extracted, there still remains much doubt about the potentially adverse effects it will have on the environment and the largely agrarian populace of the localities.
The investors should be concerned about the impact of their project on people's livelihoods, heritage or the environment. At the same time we expect the government to address these issues for a cost-benefit analysis. No worthwhile exercise has yet been made to analyse the losses, accounting for lost livelihoods, crops and the projected benefits from an open pit mine, which would surely provide a better perspective when considering such proposals.
Ahmed Reza
Dhanmandi R/A
Dhaka
A citizens' commission of the Bangladesh Economic Association, protesting against several news reports, criticised the advocacy of a section of the media and rejected open pit mining.
While we acknowledge that open-pit mining to be the most commercially feasible means and the one through which the maximum amount of coal could be extracted, there still remains much doubt about the potentially adverse effects it will have on the environment and the largely agrarian populace of the localities.
The investors should be concerned about the impact of their project on people's livelihoods, heritage or the environment. At the same time we expect the government to address these issues for a cost-benefit analysis. No worthwhile exercise has yet been made to analyse the losses, accounting for lost livelihoods, crops and the projected benefits from an open pit mine, which would surely provide a better perspective when considering such proposals.
Ahmed Reza
Dhanmandi R/A
Dhaka