We earnestly request the officials to please look at the coal project again
KARACHI: This is with reference to a few news reports published in this newspaper: “Coal may be cheap, but it comes at a heavy price” (October 10) and “Karachi among five most polluted cities in the world” (June 5). Environmental pollution has surfaced as the biggest challenge to combat in the wake of dispersion of higher levels of fine particulate matter, which include pollutants such as sulfate, nitrates and black carbon. They penetrate deep into the lungs and the cardiovascular system, posing the greatest risks to human health. It does not only concern environmentalists; every resident of the city would bear the repercussions.
Port Qasim Industrial Zone is the only ideal location for the manufacturing of sophisticated products like oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, edible oils, processed food, and automobiles but the coal trans-shipment project at Port Qasim has posed dire threats of devastating effect that the dispersion of coal dust will bring in its wake. The original master plan of Port Qasim did not have this project envisaged and many industries were attracted to its well-laid infrastructure and excellent environmental conditions.
Although it has been ensured that the project meets all environmental protection measures, the hasty project approval process, weak law enforcement and compromised monitoring capability have multiplied the public’s disapproval. Besides the industrial sector, which is already suffering, exports will be hit hard because of this project, which will certainly draw more problems for this important pillar of our economy. We earnestly request the officials to please look at the coal project again and save the already dwindling industrial sector and the health of Karachiites.
Ejaz Hussain
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2016.
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