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UNDP in cooperation with ‘Energy and Power’ has organized a roundtable discussion on Development of Bangladesh’s Coal: Strategy and Methods at CIRDAP Auditorium on 27 February 2008. The objective of the workshop was to sensitized government to finalise the national coal policy and to explore an acceptable solution for coal mining in the country. More than 100 participants from Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Economic Relation Division, Planning Commission, Government institutions including Power and Energy agencies and utilities, Academic and Professional Institutions, NGOs, Private Sectors, Media, Development Partners attended the workshop. Mr. Manoj Basnyat, Country Director of UNDP chaired the workshop and Prof. M. Tamim, special assistant to the chief adviser for power, energy and mineral resources, was present as the Chief Guest. Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur presented the keynote paper on ‘The essentials of opening new coal mines and the linkages: contemporary perspective’. Prof. Tamim was said that time has come to take a decision on coal extraction because the gas reserve is declining day by day. He added that another review committee would be formed very soon to finalise the national coal policy. He urged that priority will be given to the national interests during the formulation of the coal policy. The method of mining open pit or under ground will not be decided in the coal policy. Prof. Tamim also said that local people will also be involved in the process of coal extraction. He also said that the need for disseminating information about the whole process of the coal mining among people before starting the critical job. He also stressed the necessity for adequate compensation and rehabilitation to the people who will be affected due to coal mining. Resource extraction is not painless but the pain must have to be minimized and the mitigation must meet certain standard, he added. Keynote speaker Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya said there are impacts in both kinds of mining-underground and open pit. He emphasized on ensuring corporate social responsibility, transaction efficiency of material and money and leveraging before going to initiate any new coal mining business in any area. He added that, one of the coal fire project in India gave the local people financial securities-share of the company-so that add values to their property’s worth. A series of well-thought and well-timed recommendations came out from the roundtable. The recommendations include: - Explore the country’s huge coal reserve must get top priority to ensure the future energy security and keep economic growth in momentum as coal can contribute significantly in power generation, reducing the ultimate dependence on the fast-depleting natural gas
- Government should come in a pragmatic way and take on a mining method that ensures the highest coal extraction and better country’s economic status significantly
- Government’s decision should also be investment-friendly to encourage investors to pour their huge money to develop and extract the country’s coal reserves
- To popularize the use of new technology like solar power, the government’s subsidy is required and it should come forward to give subsidy to certain projects and levels for renewable energy
- As resources extraction is not painless anywhere in the world, for coalmine we will lose some agricultural lands is no doubt about that. In Phulbari coalmine, where some 6,000 hectares of cultivating land exists, not all these lands are needed to be taken at a time if it is developed. This will be done in phases
- Adopting the country’s coal policy and ensuring subsequently the coalmine development is certainly necessary. So, whether we go for open cut or underground there is an environmental price and social price to pay. We s
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Bangladesh
