The trees in four upazilas -- Phulbari, Parbatipur, Ghoraghat and Birampur-- in Dinajpur will be axed in different phases of the 30-year life of the mine.

Forest officials seeking anonymity told our Dinajpur correspondent that implementation of the mine project will also cause decline of groundwater level in the area, which may result in extinction of 3,200 acres of forestland adjacent to the coal mine area.

There are a total of 17,344 acres of forestland with sal and other trees around the mine area. Of this, 3,200 acres are very close to the mine.

The sources pointed out that in the mine area, there are about 50,000 trees planted 25 to 50 years ago, while the remaining trees are younger. The older trees are of species like eucalyptus, shishu, neem and teak or mango, jackfruit, black berry and coconut trees or bamboo. These are roughly worth around Tk 150 crore. Some types of the trees provide fuel wood for the locality.

Asia Energy officials in Dhaka however claimed that the number of trees to face the axe would hardly exceed eight lakh, if liberally calculated. The open pit mine will cover an area of 6,000 hectares, of which 350 hectares are covered by trees.

"Each hectare of land has 1,000 to 1,500 trees of different sizes. This would mean there are about six to eight lakh trees in the mining area," said one official.

"These trees will not be axed at one go. The mining will progress in phases. When mining in one part of the area is complete, miners will move to another location. The abandoned part of the mine will then be rehabilitated for farming and reforestation," he explained.

Phulbari coal mine will also require relocating around 4,70,000 people including 50,000 indigenous ones of about 100 villages, and part of Phulbari town.

The departments of forest and environment last year gave environmental clearance to Asia Energy for the coal mine project. But many energy experts of the country term the project socially and environmentally hazardous.

Under the coal development policy, 1993, the government will get only six percent royalties from AEC and different types of taxes. In terms of money, this will stand at $200 million if AEC produces 15 million tonnes of coal a year.

Asia Energy estimates that Phulbari reserve has 572 million tonnes of high quality coal, enough to generate 8,000 megawatt power for 30 years. The coal is located at varying depths of between 120 metres and 300 metres.

AEC is working in Bangladesh from 1998 under an agreement with the government. It submitted a scheme of coalmine development last year following a two-year study.

If the government approves the plan within this year, AEC can start production of 1.5 million tonnes of coal in fiscal 2007-08, six million tonnes in 2008-09, nine million tonnes in 2009-10 and finally 15 million tonnes from 2011-12. It will employ 1,200 to 1,500 people and deploy trucks that can carry up to 350 tonnes of coal each. Digging machines to be deployed there will pick up 50 tonnes of coal each, according to sources.

Opposing the AEC mining plan, many local energy experts say the six-percent royalty under the coal development policy should be immediately revised as it undermines the high value of coal in the present context of high price of petroleum.

Environmentalists decried granting of the dense forestland for coal mining purposes. It would set a bad example and others would also demand green areas for various purposes on the plea of community welfare.