Diganta tv news .pkg 1 power plant 1320MW electricity Rampal Upazila in Bangladesh

Diganta tv news .pkg 1 onair 13.08.11.People of several villages of Faila Mouja of Rampal Upazila of Bagerhat district . The land is to be used to install a coal-based thermal power plant to produce 1320MW electricity by a private Indian company to be installed under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Bangladesh and the Indian company in Delhi in August 2010....Saving crop land should be a top priority for Bangladesh as the country is small but the population is big. The recently conducted census indicate that the figure will exceed 15 crore (final result has not been made public as yet). In a land of 55,000 Sq. miles, covered one third of it by river, per capita arable land is the lowest here in the world. Moreover, more than 50 per cent population depend on agriculture for livelihood. The sector contributes 34 percent in the gross domestic product (GDP). Against this backdrop how important is agriculture and every inch of cultivable land is to be understood by all, specially by the ones who determine government policy. Our food situation is not at all comfortable. According to government estimate the annual requirement is more than 30 million metric tonnes. In the years of good harvest we produce nearly 27 million tonnes and the shortage is over three million tonnes. But agriculture here, to a great extent, is a mercy of the monsoon. During the years of drought or flood food production falls much below the average quantum (27 million tonnes). In those years people suffer for want of food and the year 2008 is a nightmarish experience. Despite having foreign exchange rice was not available in the international market. Neighbouring and nearby countries - India, Thailand forbade rice export by statutory regulations. Such situation is not unlikely to repeat and we must take lesson from that and should not destroy our fertile farm land thoughtlessly. The proposed Rampal coal-based thermal electric project, if installed there, shall not only deprive poor and marginal farmers from their parental home, cultivable land and living, it will, in a severe way, affect the environment as well. The project will be coal-based. Unlike gas or petroleum based projects coal-based project affect wide surroundings very adversely by heal dusts and surplus dioxide. Environmental experts have already expressed their utmost concern about the project because it is not far from Sundarbans. In view of agricultural jeopardy and environmental degradation relevant NGOs have extended their support to the cause. Some of such NGOs are: Centre for Human Rights Movement, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, Sundarban Parjatan Club, Save the Sundarbans and so on. The cause of the farmers and the environment issue are fully justified. Cultivable land must be saved and farmers must be given the protection of law they deserve. In many places we note with disappointment that government agencies ignore agricultural land being used for industrial and other purposes despite law prohibiting such use. We want government agencies to be vigilant against misuse of cultivable land because poor farmers sell them cheap. The country's urgent need to save agricultural land must be taken seriously.... Reputer Zunaid Ali Saqee Senior Cameraman Nahid Anjuman Nayon This Best News & Video ..

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