Due diligence: Construction of coal power plants stayed

Petition said government had launched its project without obtaining an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court on Wednesday stayed the construction of two coal-fired power plants in Sahiwal, each with a generation capacity of 660 megawatts and sought replies from the Punjab government by October 29.

Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh passed the order on petitions filed by Said Power Limited and others.

Said Power Limited generates power using natural gas. Its power plant is located 3.5 kilometres from the proposed coal-based power project.

The petition said the government had launched its project without obtaining an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

The petitioner’s counsel said the government must adhere to the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS).

The counsel said power generation using coal was not environment-friendly.

He said setting up the plants at the proposed site would be illegal. He asked the judge to stop the project.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2015.