A human chain and rally held in Barisal on Wednesday demanding cancellation of environmentally devastating project under the joint venture of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited to set up 1,320 megawatt coal based power plant at Rampal, only nine kilometres from Sundarban.The proposed power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat district would create huge loss of arable land in the area and affect the Sundarbans, the world heritage and world’s largest mangrove forest. The deal also unequal and contrary to the national interests as Bangladesh would be deprived from justice according to the agreement, they said. They also demanded price control of essential items and introducing rationing system for poor and rural people.Bangladesher United Communist League Barisal district unit organized the programme in front of Ashini Kumara Hall in the city presided over by Prof. Jalilur Rahman, convener of the league. Among others Prof. Abdus Sattar, Harun Or Rashid, Nripendranath Baroi, Abdur Razzak, D N Roy, Abdur Rashid Milu, Moslemuddin, Abdur Razzak Shikdar, leaders of the league.The construction of the 1,320 megawatt coal-fired thermal power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat under the joint venture between Bangladesh Power Development Board and the Indian National Thermal Power Corporation, near Bangladesh part of Sundarban, when India is trying to protect the Sundarbans forest on its side, the speakers at the rally said. Speakers alleged that after setting up costly rental and quick rental power plants, the government has been resorting to costly ways to resolve the country’s power crisis instead of utilising the least-cost options.The project would destroy the ingredients of the soil that support the lives of millions of inhabitants of a large region, increase the proportion of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the air, and seriously harm the bio-diversity, ecology, water management, flora and fauna of Sundarban, the speakers claimed.‘We do not want Rampal Power Plant to resolve power crisis in the country by damaging the Sundarbans as there is no alternative to it and it protects us from natural calamities, the speakers added. The Bangladesh government finalised the project area without any economical benefit, technical feasibility, social and environmental impact study, they alleged.They said that people of Bangladesh would be affected by the project which would only benefit the Indian company. The power plant will not be a financially viable as the government has to buy electricity from the plant at Tk 9 per unit. -Our Correspondent’
