Unesco steps urged against Rampal project

National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port on Thursday urged Unesco to take steps to halt the setting up of Rampal coal-fired power plant that will wreck havoc on the Sundarbans - a Unesco World Heritage site. A statement signed by the national committee convener Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and member secretary Prof Anu Muhammad also alleged that parties concerned are spreading ‘false and confusing information’ about the power project. The two national committee leaders raised questions about the role played by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India in the Rampal project, and also in similar endeavours in India. The Rampal project is being implemented by authorities in Bangladesh and India despite serious environmental concerns, they observed, according to a news agency.