JS panel stresses coal extraction to reduce dependence on gas

Staff Correspondent

A parliamentary panel on Monday asked the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources to come up with a report on a ‘suitable’ mining method for coal extraction in Bangladesh. It also asked the government to expedite the process for facilitating use of coal for power generation as the country has been suffering electricity shortage, said the chairman of the committee on estimate, H N Ashequr Rahman, after a meeting of the watchdog body at the Jatiya Sangsad.

The suggestions came at a time when the experts were divided over methods of coal mining as many experts said that the open pit mining would bring environmental disaster and relocation of tens of thousands of people from their homesteads despite high rate of extraction. The other group said the extraction of coal by underground method was minimum and there would be huge subsidence of land if the method was followed.

Protest against proposed open pit method in Phulbari coal mine caused riots in northern Dinajpur district in 2006 killing at least three persons. The Awami League, now in the government, had extended supports to the locals who opposed the open-pit mining and stood against the move to allow the UK-based Asia Energy to extract coal using the method. The then Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance government suspended the move to go for extraction of coal in Phulbari mine with a proven reserve of 576 million tonnes.

Three successive governments have failed so far to formulate a coal policy for the development of the sector over the debate on which method Bangladesh should follow. A draft coal policy is now shelved by the ministry of energy. Ashequr said that the power-hungry country needed more coal now to produce electricity and reduce the pressure on gas, the reserve of which was getting depleted very fast in Bangladesh. The committee suggested extraction of coal from the existing mines to meet the future energy demands.

‘We have asked the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources to go for immediate extraction of coal,’ the chairman told reporters after the meeting. He added that Bangladesh should go for ‘cost-effective’ mining. Bangladesh has estimated 3 billion tonnes of coal reserve in five mines – Barapukuria, Phulbari, Khalaspir, Dhighipara and Jamalganj. Of the existing reserve, 1 billion tonnes coal of Jamalganj are not recoverable with the existing technology.

Source: http://www.newagebd.com/2009/may/19/nat.html

House panel suggests coal extraction from mines

bdnews24.com, DHAKA

A parliamentary watchdog, Estimate Committee, has suggested immediate extraction of coal from the five mines including the much-talked about Phulbari coal field. But the committee, which makes estimates on public affairs, made no recommendations on the mining methods-open-pit or underground.

“The committee has recommended that coal from our five mines should immediately be extracted for producing energy,” H N Ashequr Rahman, the chairman, told the agency after Monday’s meeting at parliament building. He said the committee suggested the energy ministry find ways to extract coals at “minimum cost”, but made no mention of the environmental aspects of coal extraction.

The chairman said energy-hungry Bangladesh needed coal immediately for power generation, a precondition for development. “We have asked the ministry to submit a report on which method would be viable to extract coal from the fields,” said the chairman. Bangladesh has five coal mines-Barapukuria, Phulbari, Khalashpir, Dighipara and Jamalganj.

The government is in dilemma over coal extraction from Phulbari filed in Dinajpur. The Phulbari people resisted a move of the UK-based Asia Energy to collect coal through open-pit mining on the grounds that it would make them homeless and destroy environment. In Aug 2006, three people were killed as law enforcers fired on the protesters who demanded the government scrap its deal with Asia Energy.

In the face of strong protest, the government announced closure of Asia Energy’s activities in Phulbari. Some groups supported mainly by the left parties have been waging movements to stop extraction of coal by open-cut method by foreign companies. The then main opposition and now ruling party Awami League extended support to the protesters.

Source: http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=126405