Cancel Rampal Power Plant and Ensure Just Transition to the Sustainable Renewable Energy

November 29, 2024
2nd admin

On the afternoon of Friday, November 29, 2024, a public assembly was held at Kanainagar Church Ground in Mongla, Bagerhat, demanding the protection of the Pashur River, the Sundarbans, and climate justice. The event was jointly organized by Dhoritri Rokhhay Amra (DHORA), Sundarban Rokhhay Amra, Waterkeepers Bangladesh, and Pasur River Waterkeeper.

The assembly was presided over by environmental activist Md. Nur Alam Sheikh, the coordinator of Sundarban Rokhhay Amra. The chief guest was Sharif Jamil, Member Secretary of DHORA and Coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh. Other speakers included Faisal Ahmed, Editor of River Bangla; environmental activists Ibnul Saeed Rana and Mushfiq Arif; and Mostafizur Rahman Milon, President of Service Bangladesh.

Sharif Jamil stated that before 2010, the number of fish eggs per liter of water in the Pashur River exceeded 6,000, whereas now it has dropped to below 3,000. Riverbank erosion along both sides of the Pashur River has displaced thousands of people from Banisanta, Chila, and Chandpai unions in Dakop and Mongla upazilas. Pollution levels in the Pashur River have risen alarmingly, and the construction of the Rampal Power Plant has significantly worsened the situation. He emphasized the urgent need to cancel this harmful power plant to protect both the people and the environment of the region.

Other speakers highlighted that the Rampal coal-fired power plant is causing irreversible damage to the Sundarbans. The pollution of the Pashur River, the lifeline of the Sundarbans, is killing aquatic life. Mercury levels in the river are now ten times higher than the permissible limit. They warned that if the Rampal Power Plant is not shut down immediately, it will lead to the desertification of the Sundarbans. To save this unique ecosystem, the power plant must be closed, and renewable energy alternatives must be ensured.

The public assembly was attended by thousands of climate-affected coastal community members, including forest-dependent people, fishermen, honey collectors, and women.