Barclays Bank is facing a formal complaint regarding its financial ties to a coal-fired power station near the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, which is home to millions in Bangladesh and India. Three complainants from the region have submitted a case to the UK government’s Office for Responsible Business Conduct, alleging that the British bank breached international guidelines by underwriting companies involved in the emission-heavy Maitree super thermal power project, also known as the Rampal power plant.
Environmental Concerns
The coal-fired power station is located near the Sundarbans, a UNESCO world heritage site comprising over 100 tiny islands across a river delta that supports hundreds of plant and animal species, including the Bengal tiger. Sharif Jamil, an environmental campaigner based in Dhaka, is one of the complainants. He stated that heavy-metal pollution from the plant and surrounding industrial development is entering the Sundarbans through its interconnected rivers and canals.
““The Rampal power plant is right on the bank of the Pasur River, which is the lifeline of the Sundarbans,” Jamil said. “The health of the forest is in trouble.”
A study conducted last November found elevated levels of mercury and arsenic in water samples from the Sundarbans, with the highest concentrations recorded in the Pasur River. Researchers identified industrial discharge and port-related activities as sources of heavy-metal contamination, asserting that the Rampal power station poses a significant environmental threat due to emissions from coal combustion and increased navigation traffic.
