Some NGOs in Bangladesh are against NTPCBSE 1.36 % setting up a 1,320-mw thermal power plant at Rampal in the Sunderbans beyond the Indian border. According to them, a coal-fired plant will pollute the area, rendering permanent damage to the fragile ecological balance in the region — home to mangroves and the Royal Bengal Tiger.
The opposition came up despite both the countries signing an agreement to set up the plant in Bangladesh. It is being set up as a 50:50 joint venture between India's NTPC and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) at an investment of about $1.5 billion.
On October 22, the foundation stone for the plant was laid by senior government officials from both sides. National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources , Power and Ports, a strong local NGO, organised a march to the plant site on the day the foundation stone was laid.
"Coal is the dirtiest means of energy generation. We want the location of the proposed plant to be moved and instead of setting up coalfired thermal power plant, solar and other means of green energy generation can be taken up," Pinaki Bandopadhyay, a senior member of the NGO, told ET from Bangladesh.
"In India, thermal power stations can be built at 25 km away from a forest area. If NTPC abides by that law in India , then why are they setting up the plant so close to the Sunderbans in Bangladesh?" he wondered.
The NGO, which is learned to have the backing of powerful opposition leaders in the country , also does not want national resources like coal and oil to be used by foreign companies. "We also feel that the environment and ecology impact analysis report prepared by the Bangladesh government has a number of flaws and it needs to be prepared again," the activist said.
The report tries to quantify the effect of setting up a factory on the ecology and the environment in the area. The NTPC project has been facing hurdles right from the beginning. The first was the suitability of the land that was offered by the Bangladesh government.
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