Phulbari Coal Deposit
Open pit mining to affect environment
Speakers tell roundtable
Speakers at a roundtable yesterday strongly opposed plans for open pit mining at Phulbari coal deposit, saying it would cause serious environmental damage and displace around 10 lakh people.
They demanded withdrawal of a recent home ministry circular directing the local administration to help Asia Energy, which will conduct a survey at the coal deposit.
Shaptahik, a weekly news magazine, organised the roundtable in the capital's Bilia auditorium.
Open pit mining will cause a decrease in groundwater levels within a 15km radius of the deposit, said Prof Badrul Imam.
Prof Nurul Islam said the government must carry out the pilot project, ensure its ownership of the resources and impose a ban on coal export.
BD Rahmatullah said Bangladesh should go for alternative energy sources like the air and the sun to meet the demand.
Criticising the finance minister, columnist Syed Abul Maksud said the minister should have called Asia Energy, not Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, “stupid”. Shaptahik Editor Golam Murtaza moderated the event where Fara Kabir and Shubho Kibria also spoke.
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