Rampal Coal-fire Power Plant and the destruction of Sundarban

[Rabz]

While we are busy beating ourselves with Shahbagi, Hefazoti, BAL, BNP Jamaati, the incumbent BAL govt is going ahead with the proposed construction of 1320 MW Coal fire Power Plant at Rampal, Sundarban, with India.

On April 20, 2013, three agreements were signed between the Bangladeshi state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) and the Indian state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) have agreed to jointly develop the plant in very environmentally sensitive area in Bangladesh following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Dhaka and New Delhi in 2010.

There has been riots in that area in the past over the issue and even the local BAL MP opposed the decision of the proposed power plant which is set to destroy our Sundarbans.

Here are some of the very very alarming facts:

- It will be built at Rampal, Bagerhat, which is about only 10-15 kms away from Sundarban. The project will take away about 1834 acres of land.
- NTPC already backed off from building one on the Indian side of the Sundarban after protest from their local people.
- A 50:50 Joint venture, with Debt Equity ratio 70:30.
That mean, 30 percent of the estimated USD 1.5 billion would have to provided by the two countries (BD 15%, India 15%) and the rest is to be borrowed from financial institutes.
- Despite Bangladesh having to sacrifice 1834 acres of land and the possible destruction of the her own eco system and Sundarban, India will have an equal share of the ownership of the power plant.

Some more interesting facts:
- Bangladesh last month waived tax on the dividends to be earned as profit by NTPC from the power plant project paving the way for signing the deals. The country's tax regulator National Board of Revenue (NBR) waived the tax on NTPC's dividends for 10 years, following request from the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

This is the first-ever instance that the government has exempted a foreign firm in the power sector from paying tax on dividends. NTPC had been demanding the tax waiver, which held up the progress in the first-ever joint venture power plant project involving the two neighbouring countries in South Asia.

The BPDB will, however, have to pay tax on its dividends as the NBR did not waive it for the Bangladeshi company.

Now that was the financial mumbo jumbo part.

Now, lets see the environmental effect on the Sundarban :

The report also reveals that the most likely impacts from the thermal power plants are deterioration of surface water quality due to sediment runoff, runoff from coal yard, and discharge thermal plume. It presumes that the water quality will reduce due to leakage and spillage of oil and chemical. It continues, ‘Excess mining of ground water intake for cooling purpose may reduce the ground water level, subsequently killing juvenile fish and other micro lives in water resources.’

Coal is one of the large toxic emitters. It emits carbon mono-oxide, carbon dioxide, sulphuric acid, which are risky to bio-diversity. Even when coal is kept on soil, it emits hydro-carbonates that usually mix up with the soil. Due to this, plants do not grow in these areas later on.

Moreover, a large amount of sweet water, mainly from surface and deep underground sources, will be needed in cooling the machines and in the recycling process of the steam. The discharged and waste water will affect the flora and fauna. Coal burning emissions and greenhouse gas will pass over the Sundarbans in dry seasons when wind blows from north to south, affecting the trees heavily. ‘In monsoon there will be acid rain that will severely affect the green land, vegetation and habitat,’ says Engineer Inamul Haque.

Source : https://openblogbd.wordpress.com/tag...l-power-plant/



Bangladesh will derive an economic benefit of TK 3000 crore per year from the power plant while the cost would be TK 5000 crore. So, approx Tk 2000 negative effect, approx 2000 acres of land lost, loss of vegetation, plantation and habitat and the possible destruction of Sundarban, with an equal equity favoured by tax benefit, Bangladesh is building this power plant with India, who themselves have a policy of not building any such within 25 kms of locality.

Well done BAL
Not only you have managed to mess up everything you have touched over the last 5 years, now you are on course to help set up another possible destruction of Bangladesh. Before India destroyed our North Bengal with Farakka and now going to destroy the South with this Power Plant.

I think its time we rise against this power plant and stop this BAL thugs to destroy our country.

Sources:
Bangladeshi Environmentalist Protests:
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.co...8yXzE2NzAyOA==

Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network raises questions too
http://www.aecen.org/stories/power-d...-eia-clearance

Penn Energy Reports :
Coal fire Power Plant to hit Sundarban
http://www.pennenergy.com/wirenews/p...undarbans.html

Reports and more in details:
https://openblogbd.wordpress.com/tag...l-power-plant/

Would love to hear more from the experts on this issue.

[WarWolf]

Nothing will change even if the whole country protest. Probably we didn't forget that our government let India take the heavy machineries of the proposed power plan in Tripura by stopping the flow of the Titas river. This is Bangladesh.

[mufi_02]

I like Hasina and this BAL government. They are so liberal with everything. They are the liberal, center-left, aro koto ki party, that we all desire for. We are now liberally giving away our Sundarban.

Koidin age shunlam desh bole afg/pak hoye geche. Kintu egula jokhon diya dilo tokhon desh India hoye gelo nah. Hindi practice kora shuru korte hobe.

[Anher]

Thank you Rabz bhai for opening this thread with great details.
What can we do bhai? we are helpless. Bangladesh is not my country anymore as long as i refuse to bow down and accept BAL, BNP, JI thugs are my leaders. Now it feels like BANGLADESH means Bangla Awami Niyontrito Gunda League Adorsher DESH. When BNP will come to power it will be their private poperty.

[MohammedC]

Please BAL er birudde kichu bolben na. Unara shobai fereshta. Boro valo manush.

[roman]

Such an important topic and take a look at the number of replies. And on the other hand Shahbag and HEI threads got 1000s of replies.

We are good at calling each other names but when our national interest is at stake I don't see much enthusiasm. Very sad

[al-Sagar]

amra deshe sob kisu destroy kore bari banaisi, rasta banaisi, kol karkhana banaisi .... ekhon banabo PowerPlant ...... ei deshe ekdin ar natural kisu thakbe na ..... sob thakbe artificial .... ....

[bujhee kom]

I am divastated reading this most horrible, unthinkable, unfathomable news and superb write-up by my dear Rabz.

I am almost speechless and have nothing, absolutely nothing to say. But I will anyway, a few words - I am DISGUSTED by our leadership and by the poor, almost illiterate-like, ignorant, greedy action by the government and it's officials. Ami DHIKKAR dei ederkey.

My final words, when a leadership betrays it's people, it's land, environment, the future, the end is going to be very very sad, brutal and violent. These people never learn, never learn a thing from HISTORY.

[Anher]

I am sharing this well written post in my FB. Hope Rabz bhai wouldn't mind. Thanks again for this post.

[Rabz]

Please do share.
We need to do our part in voicing our concern and raise the issue.

There is still time.

[CricketPagolChele]

MC Bro.. (B)AL ke BAL bolle kinto BC-te jeshob (B)AL supporter ache tara kinto apnar namer (MC) onno ortho ber korbe..

Originally Posted by MohammedC
Please BAL er birudde kichu bolben na. Unara shobai fereshta. Boro valo manush.

[cricket_pagol]

I think the quality of coal used at this power plant will determine how much damage it will cause. If cheap low grade coal loaded with sulphur is used, then it is likely to cause havoc is the area subjected to the emission. It's very sad that bangladesh always gets a "raw" deal from India. However, instead of blaming india, I would blame our leaders, we need to hold them accountable no matter which party is governing our country. This is the pro-bangladesh thing to do, so let's try to overcome our partisan bias.

[Vepu]

keno ekhon lafalafi protest dhikkar janan keno? nirbachone aigularei lafaite lafaite vote diben. ekhon ai forum-a ekta (B) AL leader ashuk na shob gula hujur hujur korte korte morbe. jottoshob hypocrites

[riajul]

Dont want to say anything. AKM Wahiduzzaman name e ek boro vai ei bisoye fb + blog e besh kichu din aage post deyate ekhon khali threat er upor ache.

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[ReZ_1]

It is really a bad decision by the present GoB. Still many things are not clear...
From where they will manage the coal it is not clear. Hope it is not from one of our coal mines in northern part of bd. if it is then that itself is another serious issue because they will then have to extract it in large scale. And mining coal by open pit system is another environmental concern.
Also about the transportation factor of taking tonnes after tonnes of coal regularly from northern to southern part of bangladesh.
But if it is imported then we can quite easily assume the quality of coal and its adverse effect.

It is quite ironic to think that present GoB have decided to site the power plant in such crucial area where degradation to the environment will be much prominent. Though i understand that it takes a huge amount of water to run thermal power plants and the site is well suited for that. But did they ever prioritized other issues...
They will most probably say about the employment of people in that area but i am quite certain that the top posts will be occupied by indians as it happens in most cases.
The present GoB must have some really smart answers to this because they will not only have to face against us but the also environmental agencies across the world who will also look closer at it.
Though the plant is in our side near sundarban but its long term period effect will also stretch towards the indian part of sundarban. Not sure whether the indians are also having a brain fart or what..
We are quite shocked to hear this news but i feel that there are even more such hidden issues between this two countries which we are deprived of learning as a citizen. It is as if our country is being sold and india is taking full toll of it.

GoB=government of bangladesh, to bring back neutrality in the forum instead of the slang BAL.though it best descirbes them ..