An estimated 30,000 people could die in air pollution if the eight proposed coal-fired power plants in Matarbari and Moheshkhali in Cox's Bazar are installed, according to a study.
The lives could be claimed in the 30 years' journey of those plants, it predicted.
The local environmental movement Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and the international research organisation Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) jointly conducted the study.
The report was revealed during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Rasheda K Chowdhury, a former caretaker-government adviser and BAPA vice-president, chaired the event, moderated by BAPA general secretary Sharif Jamil.
CREA lead analyst Lauri Myllyvirta discussed the scientific perspective of the study and the impact of power plants on the environment and the lives.
If all eight proposed plants are built at Moheshkhali and Matarbari, according to the expert, the area would be the world's largest coal-fired power hub.
"There was extreme negligence in assessing the impact of these power plants, and the management system of the proposed projects is also very weak."
These power plants could cause long-term health risks and a negative economic impact on the people of the greater Chattogram region, the analyst mentioned.
The ability to control toxic emissions is also very inadequate at the plants, according to the study.
For example, it said, the JICA-funded Matarbari 1,200-megawatt (first phase) power plant has about 25 times higher toxic emissions than China, India or the European Union standard.
The study finds that the proposed plants would emit toxic substances into the air during their 30-year lifespan, which is feared to claim 30,000 lives.
Of them, 4,100 could die from chronic lung disease, 7,000 from heart disease, 2,900, including 200 children, from pneumonia, the study cited
Again, 1,300 could die from lung cancer, 6,400 from stroke and 2,400 from nitrogen-dioxide poisoning.
The plants could also put Cox's Bazar's marine fish, dried fish and shrimp farming into threat, the study underlined.
Cox's Bazar is the biggest tourist area of Bangladesh along with the world's longest unbroken sea beach and 11 wildlife sanctuaries.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
