MUHAMMAD SHAFA

KARACHI: People belonging to different walks of life have demanded of the government to formulate environmental and health protection policy prior to setting up coal-based power plants in the city.

Commenting over the coal-based power plant project inaugurated recently by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at Port Qasim and the K-Energy’s proposed coal-based power plant for which it had already sought permission from National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, people representing different segments of the society said that the plants will badly affect the city’s climate as both the plants will be located at Steel Town’s Gulshan-i-Hadeed.

The coal consumption of these two power houses would be around 10,000 tons per day and, as such, emission of obnoxious gases, smoke and dust from their chimneys will pollute the atmosphere, they cautioned.

Sindh Environment Protection Organization’s President Dr Aliza Ali, while talking to Business Recorder said that the projects should be launched after conducting environmental impact assessment (EIA) because Sindh has a very complicated ecological system because it has the world’s 6th largest wetland and under such conditions the government’s move of setting up coal-based power plants would further harm the entire environment of city.

K-Electric Shareholders Association’s General Secretary Mazhar Chaudhry said the government which seemed to be serious in overcoming persisting energy crisis in the country, should also focus on producing electricity from other sources which include wind, thermal and atomic, instead of focusing on coal-based power generation.

He said: “We as K-Electric share-holders had opposed the power generation from the coal in the NEPRA’s hearings, because it was highly expensive as some Rs22 billions would be required for the renovation of Bin Qasim’s plants whereas a same amount was needed for setting up a new plant.”

He said that NEPRA has failed to formulate regulations for coal-based power plants, besides it has already suggested tariff for imported coal generation at Rs9.60 per unit without any rhyme or reason.

There is a huge potential for thermal power generation in the country and it is vital from both environmental and economical aspects, he added.

Industrialist Arif Bilwani said that the machinery which is going to be installed at Bin Qasin for coal-based power generation was `old’ and `inefficient’, besides the gases to be emitted by coal would seriously affect the city’s environment.