Abdus Salam, Dinajpur
The government’s plan to reduce dependence on imported coal and address the country’s energy crisis has brought the issue of extracting coal from domestic mines through open-pit mining back into discussion. Finance and Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury recently said the government had broadly decided on the country’s power and energy mix and that discussions were under way on open-pit coal mining. He also said a comprehensive energy policy would be published.
The government’s position has revived memories of the anti-coal mine movement that began in Phulbari, Dinajpur, nearly two decades ago. Local residents, as well as political, social and professional organisations, have expressed renewed concern over the issue. However, it remains unclear what specific project, timeline or implementation plan the government has so far adopted for open-pit coal mining.
According to energy sector sources, around 20 million tonnes of coal are imported annually for the country’s coal-fired power plants. If open-pit mining could produce around 15 million tonnes or more of coal annually at full capacity, a significant portion of the imported coal could potentially be replaced with domestic supplies. Imported coal is currently used at several major coal-fired power plants, while coal extracted from the Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur is used at the nearby thermal power plant.
Information on coal reserves is available for five coalfield areas in Bangladesh. These include around 5,450 million tonnes at Jamalganj in Joypurhat, 685 million tonnes at Khalashpir in Rangpur, 706 million tonnes at Dighipara in Dinajpur, 410 million tonnes at Barapukuria and around 572 million tonnes at Phulbari. Various documents and discussions have indicated that coal seams in the Phulbari coalfield are located at comparatively shallow depths. However, separate technical and environmental assessments would be required to determine how much of these reserves could be extracted in an economically and environmentally acceptable manner.
The issue of open-pit coal mining in Phulbari is not new. In 2006, local residents, along with various political, social and professional organisations at the national level, took part in protests against the method. Protesters feared that open-pit mining could damage large areas of farmland and homesteads, alter groundwater levels and have long-term environmental impacts. They also expressed concern that a large number of people might have to be relocated.
With the issue of open-pit coal mining back in the spotlight, those concerns have resurfaced. Many locals say that while the use of domestic resources to address the energy crisis may be considered, equal importance must be given to agriculture, the environment, water resources, settlements and people’s livelihoods.
On the other hand, supporters of open-pit coal mining are primarily focusing on energy security, the demand for coal in power generation and reducing dependence on imports. Although the issue is being discussed at the government policy-making level, environmental, economic and social impact assessments are expected to be crucial before any project is implemented.
Meanwhile, various organisations have announced programmes in protest against the proposed open-pit coal mining. The Democratic Rights Committee said it would begin a ‘publicity journey’ from Dhaka to Phulbari on August 24 with six demands, including resolving the energy crisis, stopping the privatisation of state-owned factories and the energy sector, enforcing government price controls on medicines, and cancelling the US trade agreement. A public rally has also been scheduled in Phulbari on August 26.
Earlier, on Wednesday night (August 19), the Ganasanghati Andolan organised a protest procession and rally at Nimtala intersection in Phulbari municipal town against the proposal for open-pit coal mining. Its leaders and activists held the rally there after the procession.
As a result, after a long gap, the Phulbari coal mine has once again emerged as an issue in discussions on national energy policy and local politics. The key question now is whether the final decision will take into account both the potential of using the country’s own coal resources to reduce pressure from energy imports and the possible impacts on farmland, water, the environment, settlements and people’s livelihoods. #EK
