Siddhirganj, Meghnaghat power hubs cause of noise, air, water pollution

Expressing deep concern over the environmental degradation at Siddhirganj and Meghnaghat areas in Narayanganj, a government sponsored study fears excessive nitric oxide air pollution and water contamination will be a threat to future expansion plan of any sorts of industries there.
Experts found the presence of excessive nitric oxide in the air in Siddhirganj, near the capital Dhaka. They also claimed that power plants in Siddhirganj are releasing hot water into the River Shitalakhya causing water pollution. The power plants and other factories in Siddhirganj are responsible for noise and air pollution in the area.
 "As per set standard of the Ministry of Environment, we found that Siddhirganj area is polluted and categorized as a 'degraded (unhealthy) air shed,' although, Meghnaghat area is moderately polluted and categorized "moderate air-shed' due to these pollution diarrhoea and skin diseases have increased significantly," a Power Cell official told the Daily Observer on Sunday.
Different types of factories and eight power plants having the capacity to generate 1,860 megawatts of electricity have so far been installed in Siddhirganj, the report said.
Three power projects having the capacity to generate 900 MW of electricity were installed in Meghnaghat. The government has a plan to install new LNG and coal-fired power plants in Meghnaghat.
The findings of the survey titled, 'Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment Study on Siddhirganj Power Hub' also indicate that air and noise pollution in the areas are also increasing due to the same reasons.
The Power Cell, a technical wing of the Power Division, sponsored the study. Two consulting firms from Bangladesh and India jointly conducted the survey between February 2015 and August 2016 with assistance from the World Bank.
Environmental pollution is on the rise due to unplanned industrialisation and installation of power plants at Meghnaghat and Siddhirganj in Narayanganj, it said.
Responding to questions in this connection, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the government will conduct an environmental impact assessment study for each of the power hubs to find the right solution to mitigate the impact of power plants on the environment.
To mitigate the ongoing power crisis, government has set to boost power generation to 40,000 MW by 2030 from the existing 10,000 MW and Meghnaghat and Siddhirganj areas are the first site to implement any future plan.
 "We'll have to conduct a study to determine the impact on the environment before taking up any project," Hamid further said.
"The power plants in these two industrial zones are maintaining the DoEs set rule but the other industries are rampantly disregarding the rules," the official claimed.
The River Shitalakhya is being polluted by the industrial wastes. The water in River Meghna is in a better shape compared to that of Shitalakhya, the report added.
"We sought support from the World Bank to prepare a Detailed Area Plan for Siddhirganj and Meghnaghat to make our future plan a success," the State Minister said.
The report suggests the industrial units and power plants are the main sources of pollution there, while the goods-laden boats are releasing wastes and oil to cause massive water pollution. The report said thousands of vehicles plying the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet Highways via the Siddhirganj power hub are responsible for noise and air pollution in the area.
Over the last decade, 40 per cent of the arable lands and 60 per cent of the water bodies have been used for setting up industrial units and residential quarters in Siddhirganj, the report suggests.
Besides, 60 per cent of the cultivable land and 30 per cent of the water bodies were used for industrial and residential purposes in Meghnaghat area.
The report suggested modernisation of the cooling system in the power plants will reduce pollution.