QUETTA: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court issued on Thursday notices to Hubco Power Company after initial hearing of a petition filed by former speaker of Balochistan Assembly Mohammad Aslam Bhootani against the proposed coal-based power plants in Gadani area of Lasbela district.

The bench comprised Chief Justice Noor Mohammad Meskanzai and Justice Mohammad Hashim Kakar.

Advocate Amanullah Kanrani filed the petition on behalf of Mr Bhootani who claimed that the proposed power plants would be dangerous for human health and marine life as they would create environmental issues for Gadani, Hub and Karachi.

The petitioner requested the court to rule against the project.

He said that being a public representative it was his responsibility to look after the interest of the people of Gadani and Hub.

Mr Bhootani said in the petition that he and his family had always supported industrial development projects and never opposed them, but the proposed projects could have negative impacts on environment.

The Hubco Power Company was already running a plant based on furnace oil and people of the area had not objected to it, despite the fact that the company had not met its promises of giving jobs and providing facilities to local people, the petition said.

It said people of the area had serious reservations over the proposed projects and local councils of the area had adopted resolutions against them.

The petition cited the concerns of international organisations over coal-based power plants and said the United Nation was considering putting a ban on electricity production from coal-based plants.

Giving details of hazards to human health by coal-based power plants in India, it said that about 6 million people in the country were suffering from asthma and other diseases due to the effect of coal-based power plants on environment.

The petitioner rejected the claim of Hubco that the technology it had planned to use in the proposed projects would not have negative impact on environment. He said no such technology had so far been introduced. He called for conversion of these plants into projects using solar power and windmills.

Mr Bhootani also called upon the federal and provincial governments not to allow the setting up of the coal-based projects.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2015

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