Govt’s plan to strike off coal power plants appreciable
We welcome the government's plan to get rid of coal power for cleaner options of energy, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum and solar, owing to rising coal import costs and environmental concerns. According to the power, energy and mineral resources ministry, if the plan gets the go-ahead from the highest office, all but five coal-based power projects will be scrapped. Unfortunately, the Rampal power plant is not among the projects that will be cancelled.
Over the last 12 years, the government has approved 18 coal-based power plants, 13 of which could not make any progress or ensure funds to construct the proposed plants. However, the work of the remaining five projects—Payra (1,320MW Bangladesh-China joint venture in Patuakhali), Rampal (1,320MW Bangladesh-India Maitri thermal project in Bagerhat), S Alam (1224MW, at Banshkhali in Chattogram), Barisal Electric Power Company Ltd (307MW, in Barguna), and Matarbari (1200MW Bangladesh-Japan joint venture in Cox's Bazar)—has been going on.
Of these five coal-based projects, the Rampal power plant touched off an unprecedented uproar among green campaigners as well as the general public at home and abroad, as it is being constructed close to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. The state minister for power and energy has insisted that there is no chance of the Rampal power plant being cancelled, as 40 percent of its work has already been completed.
Although the government assures us that none of these power plants will cause any harm to the environment as "ultra super critical technology" is being used in constructing the plants, it is common knowledge how coal-based power plants create black smog and pollute the surrounding air and water. The Rampal power plant will definitely destroy the delicate ecosystem of large parts of the Sundarbans as the fleet of ships carrying coal for the power plant will cause air and water pollution, according to environmentalists.
According to Bangladesh Power Development Board, the country's electricity demand is now a maximum of 12,000-13,000MW against a production capacity of 20,383MW. So, what could be the logic behind building more coal-based power plants, especially Rampal, when they are most likely to be extremely harmful for our environment? While we understand that the government has been working to increase power generation considering future demand, we hope that it will do so by using clean sources of energy and considering the environmental aspects.
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