Long march to be held again to ‘stop’ Rampal power plant and ‘save’ the Sundarbans

The National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports will embark on another long march to the Sundarbans, demanding scrapping of Rampal Thermal Power Plant.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Feb 2016, 09:24 AM
Updated : 6 Feb 2016, 09:25 AM

The programme will be held from Mar 10 to 15, convenor of the committee Anu Muhammad told a press conference on Saturday.

The platform had staged another long march to Sundarbans in 2013 with the same demand.

“Prior to the march, protest rallies will be held in Dhaka and Narayanganj on Feb 15 and across the country on Feb 27,” he said at the press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity Auditorium.

Bangladesh signed a deal with India on Jan 29, 2012, to set up the 1,300-megawatt thermal power plant in Bagerhat’s Rampal.

The two countries will have equal partnership in the venture styled Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd.

Environmentalists and locals say this coal-fired power plant will threaten Sundarbans ecological balance.

The government, however, insists that proper measures will be taken to protect the environment from pollution.

Anu Muhammad said, “We have explained to government on various occasions about harmful consequences of Rampal power plant.”

“The Sundarbans is acting as a natural shield to protect the environment and the people of Bangladesh. As a biodiversity hotspot, it protects the environmental balance.

He alleged, “Indian company NPTC has undertaken the project violating the laws of their own country. According to India’s EIA guidelines, power plants cannot be set up within a 25-kilometre radius of forest areas.”

“Considering a 14-km buffer zone around the Sundarbans, the power plant is going to be set up within 4-km off the forest,” Anu Muhammad added.

Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Ruhin Hossain Prince, Socialist Party of Bangladesh leader Bazlur Rashid Firoz and Ganasanghati coordinator Junayed Saki were present at the press conference.