In the wake of a stay order on the construction of the Chinese-funded K-II and K-III nuclear power plants near Karachi, the petitioners in the case organised a town hall meeting at The Second Floor café on Monday evening to generate public awareness and fuel public discourse about the plants.
The Sindh High Court petitioners, who include Chinoy, physicists Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy and AH Nayyar and architect Arif Belgaumi, along with their lawyer Abdul Sattar Peerzada, insist that the power plants are not only detrimental to the health of Karachi's citizens but also illegal since their construction failed to abide by Section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act of 1997.
This act necessitates a public Environmental Impact Assessment hearing, followed by a public verdict, before such a construction venture could be taken up.
In previous hearings of the case in court, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) had pleaded that the nature of the power plants' construction did not fall within the ambit of the act since there was no room for health hazards.
Barrister Peerzada, however, says that it is incumbent upon Sepa to hold such a hearing.
According to Dr Hoodbhoy, the radiation from these power plants will be harmful for health.
He added that the construction of more power plants also increases the likelihood of a nuclear tragedy such as those that happened at Fukushima Daiichi and Chernobyl.
"The world is moving towards solar and wind power, but Pakistan is pursuing the dangerous course of nuclear energy without even trying to abide by the constitution," he added. "Imagine if a nuclear disaster were to strike Karachi. Imagine 20 million people evacuating the city all at once."
The next hearing of the case will take place on November 20.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2014.
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