Badrul Imam
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1997 declared the Sundarbans to be a world heritage site. This unique and unusual forest, replete with its rare biodiversity, has been a matter of great pride to Bangladesh. But now almost 20 years hence, UNESCO may rescind the Sundarban status due to the Rampal coal-fired power plant project.
The government has chosen to reject all concerns about the dire environmental harm that the Rampal coal-fired power plant will bring about. This inflexible stand of the government may cost the Sundarbans its world heritage status.
Experts, environmentalists and researchers have offered hard facts and figures to highlight the damage the project will do to the forest, but the government has swept aside all reasons as unfounded, untrue and anti-development.
In March this year, UNESCO sent a three-member team to visit the Rampal project site and the Sundarbans. In June it submitted its report to the government, pointing out the specific harm that the project will cause in the forest, and recommended that it be shelved or relocated. Following the government’s rejection of the recommendation, UNESCO reiterated its stand. It said that at the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee to be held in 2017 in Istanbul, a decision will be taken as to whether the Sundarbans will be included in the World Heritage in Danger list.
The government argues that the Rampal coal-fired power plant will have such advanced technology, that it will not harm the forest. The common people may not grasp the half-truths, lies and cunningness in this assertion, but the research and study of international experts reveal the obvious. Five eminent scientists of the US, who have studied coal-fired power plants and their effects in various places of the world, bluntly state that the Rampal project will undoubtedly harm the Sundarbans.
The ultra-super-critical technology being talked about will not render the project pollution free. The government’s reassurances in this regard are not at all plausible. The focus is on what technology can be utilised to prevent the air pollution, water pollution and solid waste pollution of the project. A brief review of the scientists’ contentions in this regard is presented here.
First let’s look into the issue of water pollution. The water of the river Pasur will be used for the power plant and the polluted water will then be discharged back into the river, going downstream to enter and pollute the Sundarbans. The government claims the water will be treated before being discharged and its PH level will be brought to an acceptable 7. However, US water pollution expert Donna Lisenby says that bringing the PH level down to 7 does not make the water pollution-free. The most advanced technology in this regard is ‘zero liquid discharge’, where no water will be released into the river. This method is used in 160 power plants around the world, but NTPC has not arranged to install this at the Rampal plant.
Another problem is the heat generated from the waste water dumped into Pasur. It is being said that the waste water will first be cooled. However, even after cooling it will remain at least two degrees higher than the river water. This will harm the biodiversity there and have an impact downstream on the Sundarbans.
Then there is the ash emission for which the government says an electro static precipitator will be used. US experts say the most advanced technology to combat ash pollution and mercury pollution is the ‘bag house’ technology. This is not being used in Rampal. The government maintains that 290-metre high chimneys will be constructed to dispose of the ash. Experts say the ash will not fall on Rampal, but from 14 to 80 kms away, on the Sundarbans.
As for the ash generated from the coal, the government states that this will be stored in dry form and it will be possible to sell this. But experts point out that the documents have detailed description of a pond into which the water-ash mixture will be disposed. This ash pond will pollute the ground water and the nearby river and environment as the ash contains all sorts of toxic heavy metals.
Nitrogen oxide is emitted from burning coal and US experts say the advanced technology to deal with this is selective collective reduction. Rampal will not use this technology. It will use ‘low NOx burner’, which is not considered effective at all. It is a 30-year-old technology, not used anymore in developed countries.
The coal dust spreading out from the piles of coal can create extensive pollution. The documents indicate that the water sprinkling method will be used for Rampal, which is not effective at all. The use of chemical spray will not be applied to the Rampal project.
No matter what scientific evidence is given concerning the harmful effect of the Rampal project, the government remains deaf. Local and foreign scientists, local and foreign agencies, UNESCO and even Ramsar have all failed to convince the government to scrap the project.
The prestige attached to the Sundarbans being a world heritage site is indeed an invaluable honour for Bangladesh. The government’s illogical stance regarding the Rampal power plant has annoyed people at home and abroad and has even displeased UNESCO.
UNESCO may place the Sundarbans on the endangered world heritage list. This can prove to be a precursor to it losing the world heritage status completely.
Setting up massive coal-fired power plants as planned by the government in Maheshkhali, Matarbari, Chittagong, Payra and other places, is acceptable to address the energy crisis. But the government’s development plans have been tarnished by the single Rampal power plant project. Unless this project is shelved, it will forever remain as a black mark in history.
Source: Prothom Alo
