Thermal power plant in Sunderbans will be disastrous: expert.

Environmental activist Bittu Sahgal recently expressed concern over the proposed construction of the Rampal thermal power plant in the Sunderbans, saying the project would trigger unavoidable environmental consequences resulting in loss of investment.

Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of fourth India for Animals conference, the environmentalist said the Sunderbans is one of the world’s largest carbon sinks. To set up a coal-fired thermal plant there would cause loss of investment, as the project would lead to a rise in water temperature, causing convection. Coupled with strong winds, this would create cyclones that would damage the project within the next ten years.

According to UNESCO, the 1,320-megawatt Rampal super thermal power plant, a joint venture between India and Bangladesh, is to be constructed 65 km from the Sunderbans, a World Heritage site. A report published by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) mentions key concerns related to the project as being: “pollution from coal ash by air, pollution from waste-water and waste ash, increased shipping and dredging, and the cumulative impact of industrial and related development infrastructure.”

The report also says the flow of freshwater into the Sundarbans has been drastically reduced, resulting in substantial increases in siltation and salinity that are threatening the overall balance of the ecosystem.

THE HINDU