As experts repeatedly cautioned long before the Rampal power plant became partly operational, the project is already causing various environmental issues, harming the Pasur and Maidara rivers near the Sundarbans as well as the forest itself. According to a report by this daily, the first unit of the coal-fired plant began operating in late 2022 without an effluent treatment plant (ETP), and it has since been discharging untreated waste into the rivers. This not only violates a condition set by the Department of Environment (DoE) but is also seriously damaging to aquatic life, potentially making fish unsafe for consumption.

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Stop disturbing the Sundarbans!

A report published by the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) in September revealed that wastewater from the plant is being discharged into the Maidara River—which converges with the Pasur—without proper treatment. As a result, mercury levels in the rivers have risen. CEGIS collected water samples from 14 locations near the plant on four occasions since February 2023, finding that mercury levels had exceeded the government-set acceptable limit of 0.0001 mg/L, reaching 0.001 mg/L. Between February and April this year, CEGIS teams found that while civil works for the ETP were completed, the mechanical and instrumental components were still unfinished.

Mercury contamination poses serious risks to the ecosystem. Phytoplankton and zooplankton, the microscopic organisms essential to aquatic ecosystems, absorb mercury, which then accumulates in fish, reducing their ability to reproduce. Humans and other animals consuming such fish may face serious health risks, according to experts. Moreover, local villagers who bathe in the rivers or use their water for daily chores are exposed to harm. We may recall that, in 2017, Greenpeace released a study warning that the plant would emit enough mercury to make fish within approximately 70 square kilometres unsafe for consumption. All this underscores why building the plant near the Sundarbans was a terrible idea from the outset.

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Fire in the Sundarbans: What we must do to protect our protector

The CEGIS report highlights many other alarming issues. Interestingly, however, the deputy general manager of the plant claims that the ETP has been "fully operational" for some time. If that's the case, why is the environment around the plant still being damaged? This is a question the government must investigate urgently. Immediate steps must be taken to mitigate the environmental damage caused by the plant, while a long-term plan for its discontinuation should be considered to prevent lasting damage to the ecosystems of Sundarbans, which is invaluable to Bangladesh and its people.