KHULNA: German Ambassador to Dhaka Albrecht Conze on Sunday said the Rampal coal-based power plant, to be set up closer place to Sundarbans Forest, would be extremely risky to the world largest mangrove forest.

Albrecht made the remarks at a press conference at the auditorium of Khulna Power Company Limited in Goalpara of Khalishpur.

The ambassador told that he did not believe the plant would supply 1,320 megawatts of electricity to the South-West region; consequently, the project would have more adverse impact on the environment than the positive effect.

Praising the beauty of Sundarbans, Albrecht said “The largest natural resource of Bangladesh would have to be protected at any cost” adding time to choose a different site for the plant has not been finished yet.

Khulna City Corporation Mayor Moniruzzaman Moni, KFW Development Bank Dhaka office director (special programme) Lina Stauncher and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited (PGCB) executive Director (observations and measurements) Tapan Kumar, among others, were present.

During his two-day tour, the ambassador also visited several projects funded by KFW Development Bank and German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) on infrastructure, climate change, and wild life protection.

BDST: 1005 HRS, MAR 17, 2014