Green activists on Saturday urged the government to reduce their dependence on the usage of coal for power production, as it poses risks to the environment.

Usage of coal will put obstacles in the way of the government’s vision of sustainable development target to cover 20 percent of land by forest, they said.

WaterKeepers Bangladesh chief Sharif Zamil presented a keynote paper while Bangladesh Environment Network Australia coordinator Kamrul Ahsan Khan and BAPA Joint General Secretary Abdul Matin spoke at the event which was presided over by noted journalist Syed Abul Maksud.

Speaking on the occasion, Maksud said Bangladesh has been using the coal for electricity generation which is discouraged by most of the developed countries.

“We want development. Policymakers should think about sustainability of the nature before planning any projects. So we urged the government to find an alternative to coal for power generation,” Syed Maksud said.