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Abstract

Government has acquired 1,834 acres of agriculture land in Satmari-Katakhali and Koigordashkathi areas under Rampal upazila to establish the power plant. Only 86 acres lands are kash land and rest of the lands are public lands which were used for rice and fish cultivations by the land owners. The government has also taken an initiative for dredging 10 kilometers of the Poshur river to allow easy access of ships carrying coal for the plant. 8,12 Due to an inadequate supply of local coal, the operator suggests to use imported coal. The Bangladesh AbstractThe physico-chemical conditions of air, water and soil, and biological conditions of the proposed Coal based Power Plant area (Rampal), Mongla and the Sundrabans were studied from August 2011 to July 2013 to assess the possible environmental impact on the Sundarbans and surrounding areas. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of physical, biological, social and economic environment of the study areas indicate that most of the impacts of coal-fired power plant are negative and irreversible (-81) which can't be mitigated in any way. It is indicating that climate, topography, land use pattern, air and water quality, floral and faunal diversity, aquatic ecosystems, capture fisheries and tourism of the Sundarbans and the surroundings areas would be affected permanently due to proposed coal fired power plant. Increasing of water logging conditions, river erosion, noise pollution and health hazards; decreasing of ground water table; loss of culture fisheries, social forestry and major destruction of agriculture would be happened due to coal fired power plant. The benefits of proposed coal fired power plant of Rampal is very poor (S+19) than that of negative irreversible impact (-81). So the proposed area is not suitable to establish the coal based power plant as the Sundarbans and surrounding areas would be affected permanently by establishing the proposed coal power plant. government has decided to bring coal inside the Sundarbans through the Mongla sea port. Indian National Thermal Power Company and Bangladesh Power Development Board are the two signatories of the project. The proposed power plant will burn around 4.75 million tonnes of coal annually when more or less 0.71million tonnes ashes and around 0.5 million tonnes sludge and liquid waste may be produced (CEGIS 2013). It would also emit a good amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-key factor for global warming -some other toxic gases and airborne particles, according to Union of Concerned Scientists, a USA-based group. 5,12 Discussed on the types and levels of pollution of coal-fired power plant. The ground water and water of the Poshur river may be polluted by the huge amount of waste produced due to burning of the coal. Whereas the existence of strict laws to protect the environment and the wildlife, the government has recently decided to declare a part of the Poshur and Andharmanik rivers sanctuaries for dolphins (Sankar 2012). Due to the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) rules no power plant should be set up with...