Barapukuria Land Subsidence
Affected villagers demand compensation by Jan 31
Residents of villages around Barapukuria coalmine in Fulbari upazila of Dinajpur district form a three-kilometre-long human chain at nearby Kaluapara village yesterday demanding compensation to and rehabilitation of the people affected by land subsidence around the mine.Photo: STAR
Villagers affected due to frequent land subsidence caused by underground geological faults around Barapukaria coalmine yesterday formed a human chain and held a press conference demanding compensation and their rehabilitation. They also demanded that Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) give compensation to the affected people as per the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in May last year between the villagers and the BCMCL authorities within January 31. Otherwise, they threatened to stop coal production until their demand is met. On May 15 last year, the representatives of the affected villagers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the BCMCL for compensation and cooperation. Villagers at a press conference yesterday claimed that it was stated in the MoU that the BCMCL would pay compensation to around 2,400 people of seven villages around the coalmine for damage of their arable lands caused by land subsidence by December 31, 2009, but to no effect. Ibrahim Khalil, convener of Jibon O Shampad Rakkha Committee, read out a statement at the press conference press conference at Barapukuria High School complex. He demanded compensation and rehabilitation of at least 2,600 families of 15 villages including Bolorampur, Jhigagari, Mougram, Kalupara Kashidanga, Bashpukur, Kazipara and Barapukuria Bazar. “If the authorities concerned fail to implement the MoU within January 31, we will go for tougher movement to realise our demands,” he said. Contacted, BCMCL official said they signed the Mou with the villagers but did not give any timeframe to impalement it. Meanwhile, the BCMCL has taken a Tk.324cr master plan to compensate and rehabilitate the affected villagers. The master plan includes preparing resettlement framework (RF), land acquisition plan (LAP) and resettlement action plan (RAP), and distributing compensation money and rehabilitate the affected villagers after developing a 'mining city'. The BCMCL authorities prepared a Development Project Proposal (DPP) and placed it to the government to allocate Tk 260crore in the Annual Development Project (ADP) of 2010-11 fiscal year, official sources said. Considering the scale of damage including infrastructure, land and natural resources, BCMCL authorities prepared the resettlement framework (RF) with the help of independent consultant Dr Khurshed Alam and placed it to Petrobangla on October 4 last year, sources added. The BCMCL authorities also identified at least 646 acres of land as 'possible land subsidence area' according to the international standard of mining project.
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