Although it had earlier given environmental clearance to set up the proposed Rampal Power Plant near the world heritage Sundarbans, the Department of Environment (DoE) now has tagged over 50 conditions for implementing the thermal power plant project in the awake of widespread criticism.
The DoE has already put forward the conditions to the project director of the Khulna 1320 MW Coal Based Thermal Power Plant Project (Bangladesh Power Development Board) and other authorities concerned to follow the conditions, according to sources at the DoE. Violation of any of the conditions and any injunction on this project from the higher court will render the environmental clearance void, they said.
According to the conditions, the proposed Khulna 1320 MW Coal Based Thermal Power Plant Project cannot release any pollutant because of its activities that can affect human health or will have damaging impact on the environment or natural resources.
Proper and adequate mitigation measures must be ensured throughout preparation, construction and operation period of the power project. Any heritage site, ecologically critical area, and other environmentally, religious and archaeologically sensitive places must be kept protected during the project construction phase.
In order to control noise pollution, vehicle and equipment shall undergo regular maintenance and locating machinery close to sensitive receptor shall be avoided. Proper and adequate onside precautionary measures must be ensured so that no habit of flora and fauna is endangered or destructed.
As per the conditions, the power plant authorities must deign an enclosed conveyor system to address the entire coal handling system and there should be an integrated dust control system with dust extraction and bag filters at uploading areas and each transfer point on the conveyor system.
Regular monitoring of the susceptible places of the world largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, for protecting its ecosystem, biodiversity and forest coverage shall have to be made using the latest high resolution image for keeping ambient environment.
The DoE also imposes condition on the power plant authorities to regularly collect data regarding to air, water and soil, biological and social through a network monitoring system with a view to assessing the natural quality of the Sundarbans and other fragile ecosystem. Online air and water quality monitoring system must be made functional throughout the life of the power plant.
The power plant project cannot go into operation without installation of 275 Meter Height Chimney, Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), Waste Water Treatment Plant, Settling Pond, Desalination Plant, API Oil Water Separator, High Efficiency Electro Static Precipitator, Low NOx Burner, online air and water quality monitoring system and other pollution control equipment.
The DoE has imposed the conditions on setting up the Rampal Power Pant so that it does not cause any harm to the Sundarbans, a top official at the DoE told UNB wishing not to be named. “If the conditions are fulfilled in construction and operational period of the coal-based power plant, the environment, ecosystem and biodiversity won’t be affected,” he said.
Earlier, on August this year, the DoE approved its environment clearance following the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to set up the proposed 1,320-megawatt power plant near the Sundarbans. The EIA is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impacts that a proposed project may have on the environment, consisting of the environmental, social and economic aspects.
But, the environmental activists and experts claim that the proposed Rampal Power Plant will play havoc on the Sundarbans as the power plant is only 10 kilometers away from the world largest mangrove forest.
Rejecting the EIA report, they have already urged the government to rescind the power project to protect the Sundarbans from any environmental threat. Aiming to put pressure on the government to cancel the power project, the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has announced a long march from Dhaka for September 24, which is expected to reach Rampal on September 28.
The proposed 1,320-MW thermal power plant will be a joint venture of Bangladesh Power Development Board and NTPC Ltd, India, under the name of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company. Accordingly, Bangladesh and India in 2009 signed a deal to set up two power plants in Shapmari and Katakhali, 10 kilometers away from the Sundarbans. – UNB
