Thursday, October 30th, 2014
NFF & DMF of India issued letter to Indian Govt to stop collaboration in Rampal Project
In solidarity of the on going struggle against NTPC & BPDB’s joint venture- Rampal Coal Power Plant near Sundarbans in Bangladesh, National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF) & Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum, (DMF) of India had issued a letter to Prime Minister, Minister of State (independent charge) of Ministry of Power & Minister-in-Charge of Ministry of External Affairs of India on 8 September,2014.
The text of the letter subjected “Request to stop collaboration in Rampal Thermal Power Plant Project” is as below:
To see the PDF of the original letters click Protest GoI 8.9.2014
“We are alarmed to know that the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), in collaboration with the Power Development Board (PDB) of Bangladesh, is building a 1320 MW coal fired power plant at Rampal in Bangladesh. The place falls within only 4 kilometers of the Environment Conservation Area (ECA) of Sundarban and within only 14 kilometers of the Sundarban reserve forests in Bangladesh.
Different independent studies suggest that this project would cause irreparable damage to the environment and ecology of Sundarban forests. Two studies conducted by two independent experts of environment and engineering namely Dr. Abdullah Harun Chowdhury of Khulna University (“Environmental Impact of coal based power plant of Rampal on the Sundarbans and Surrounding Areas”, 2012) and Dr. M A Sattar of Bangladesh Agricultural University (“Impact of Coal-Fired Power Plant on Air Pollution Climate Changes and Environmental Degradation including Disaster on Sundarban”, 2011) found the proposed coal fired power plant as the destroyer of the largest contiguous mangrove forest shared by both Bangladesh and India.
Sundarban, recognized as a world heritage site for its natural resources, harbours the richest mangrove forest on our planet and is the largest nursery of fish in Bay of Bengal. It carries enormous importance for the environment and ecology of this region and of the whole world. Millions of people, including fishers, are dependent on the natural resources of Sundarban for their livelihood.
We request you to take immediate steps to stop the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India from collaborating with the Power Development Board (PDB) of Bangladesh on Rampal thermal power plant. Our country should not be a partner in the destruction of the environment and ecology of the largest and the richest mangrove forest on our planet that provides the Bay of Bengal eco-system with the largest nursery of fish. To say the least, Government of India should not involve itself to an activity that threatens the livelihood of the citizens of our country, particularly the hundred thousand fishers and wild honey collectors dependent on the natural resources of the Sundarban forests.
Thanking you and in anticipation of an early response from your end,
Yours faithfully,
Pradip Chatterjee,
Secretary, National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF)
&
President, Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum, (DMF)”