MUZAFFARGARH: The official plan to install two 660 MW coal-fired plants in Mahmoodkot area of Kot Addu tehsil has become a hot issue ahead of local government elections here. Almost every candidate from mauzas of Verar Sipra, Rao Bela Sharqi, Gujrat and Budh pledges to oppose the project tooth and nail.

Apart from displacement of thousands of people, the plants will create serious environmental hazards for the entire district.

“I’m aware of the power outages and the need to generate more power but if more plants are forced on this land, my area will be like a living inferno,” says a PML-N candidate for union council chairman.

Another candidate from the PPP says he is against the installations of coal power plants near their villages.

But Malik Khair Muhammad Budh, who has been a career bureaucrat in local government departments, says the newly local government system is toothless and it cannot protect the rights of people.

Other than election campaigns, several people of the area have petitioned in the Lahore High Court’s Multan bench against the project. They say plants are to be raised in thickly-populated areas. According to them, land acquisition under the draconian Land Acquisition Act of 1984 is depriving them of their ancestral assets.

“This is a human issue and we appeal to the all concerned to weigh in our requests,”says Kausar Sabqi of Pir Barkhurdar.

Rana Mahboob, a retired civil servant, puts up logical and technical points to oppose the coal plants in Muzaffargarh.

He says in the 28km radius of Mahmood Kot, green gas emissions are at their peak for the last approximately 18 years. The radius already houses KAPCO (Kot Adu) with 1638 MW capacity, Thermal Power Plant of Muzaffargarh with 1350 MW, AES Lalpir with 362 MW, AES Pak-Gen of 362 MW.

He says the under construction new plants are bagasse and coal-fired -- Sinawan plant with 120 MW capacity, a nuclear power plant in Kot Addu with 1000 MW, coal plant by KAPCO 660 MW and coal plant by CMEC-Pak-Gen 660 MW. Once existing and under construction plants are operational, the grand total generation will be 6252 MW.

“Concentrating so many plants in the radius of 28 km is a strategic blunder,” he said.

Other than power plants, Mid Country Oil Refinery of PARCO, and JIMCO oil installations are also located in Mahmoodkot, furthering environmental issues.

Advocate Ali Hussain Rizvi, who is petitioners’ counsel, says he is fighting the case on the basis of offset greenhouse gases is in place. He said Pak-Gen Lalpir has dismantled its flu gas desulphurization (FGD) system to offset Sulphur. Air and water quality monitoring systems are non-existent in gross violation of permit requirements and WB Guidelines. “If air and water quality are monitored prior to the installations of new coal power plants and an independent agency is appointed to study, then the plants are not feasible for the area.”

He said the LHC will resume the hearing on Nov 24. He said at the last hearing Justice Mamoon Rashed Sheikh had directed the respondents to submit reply. He said respondents, including federal and provincial governments, did not submit reply.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2015