‘Revoke permission for industrial units around ‘Sundarbans

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has reiterated its demand for cancelling permission for all kinds of industrial units including Rampal power plant within the Sundarbans area.

The civic group alleged on Saturday that the government has been destroying the mangrove forest only to serve the interest of certain quarters.

"We need electricity. But we cannot destroy our natural protection like Sundarbans against natural calamities at the cost of power generation," said Anu Mohammad, member secretary of the committee, while addressing an opinion exchange meeting at Mukti Bhaban in the city.

The committee organised the function to explain its alternative options on Rampal power plant, Rooppur nuclear power plant and power system master plan 2016.

With the committee leader Zulfiquar Ali in the chair, the programme was also addressed by Ruhin Hossain Prince, Moshahida Sultana, Bazlur Rashid Firoz, and Akbar Khan.

National Committee leader Moudud Rahman made a presentation on the Rampal and Rooppur Power plant projects.

Anu Mohammad alleged that the government has been pushing the country towards a dangerous situation through implementation of the projects like Rampur coal-fired power plant, Rooppur nuclear power and also awarding contracts to foreign oil companies for hydrocarbon exploration.

"The country`s debt burden will reach to a dangerous level if these projects are implemented with foreign loans", he said adding that Sundarbans works as a natural protection. But Rampal project will destroy Sundarbans making the entire coastal belt unprotected.

He said the government can generate huge power from renewable energy as alternative to Rampal coal-fired power and Rooppur nuclear.

"But they are proceeding towards import of solar power from abroad instead of generating nuclear power locally', said the national committee leader.

In his presentation, Moudud Rahman said the government has prepared the power system master plant with lot of inconsistencies.

He claimed the master plan says the country will need 19,000 MW of coal fired power and 7000 MW nuclear power by 2041.

But this estimate is wrong as actual need for coal-fired power generation will be 11,000 MW while 3000 MW nuclear power will be good enough for the country at that time, he said.