India Peoples’ Science Forum’s national general secretary Soumya Dutta said that the carbon emissions from the proposed 1320 MW coal-fired Rampal plant may lead to a disaster for the world’s largest mangrove forest in the sensitive coastal area of Bangladesh.

“The release of millions of tonnes of carbon from such a huge coal-fired power plant will increase the quantity of acid in the soil of the mangrove forest in the Sundarbans,” he said.

He made the apprehension while addressing a seminar on Rampal power plant and impact on Sundarbans forest at Brac Centre Auditorium in the city.

“For Sundarbans”, a newly created forum, organised the seminar with Gonosasthaya Kendra trustee Zafrullah Chowdhury in the chair.

The function was also addressed, among others, by Member Secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power, and Ports Anu Mohammad, eminent energy specialist and Dhaka University professor Badrul Imam, former power secretary ANH Aktar Hossain, former director general of Power Cell BD Rahmatullah and Sujit Chowdhury.

Soumya Dutta, the leading Indian environmentalist extended his support to the ongoing campaign against the setting up of power plant near Sundarbans.
He observed the quantity of carbon emission in Bangladesh is still lower compared with other countries.

He said a similar campaign against any power plant near Sundarbans will be organized in India to save the mangrove forest and ecology of the forest area.
He said not only Rampal, but the new phenomenon of industrialization around Sundarbans will invite great harm for the mangrove forest.

He said once the Rampal project is implemented, it would lead to a displacement of the livelihood of the whole forest and adjoining areas.

Kazi Zafrullah Chowdhury said the people of the country would never allow destroying the Sundarbans forest by setting up any power plant.

He said the administration has been committing a crime against humanity by setting up the power plant near Sundarbans.

Professor Anu Mohammad said the government might pull out of the Rampal plant in future. But by then, the country would have suffered a lot, he fears.