DURING a course on ‘advanced coal technologies’ that I attended recently, we were repeatedly told how beneficial coal-based power production is for Pakistan.

I put the following questions to the instructor: in Pakistan, emission standards are not sufficiently stringent. Wouldn’t coal-based power production lead to deterioration in environment?

Has any feasibility study been conducted on the basis of which we are prioritising coal over other sources of energy, like solar?

I did not receive a satisfactory answer. Some participants were strong supporters of coal-based power production, and they simply argued by saying ‘coal is good for Pakistan’ without giving an argument to support their conclusion.

Hassaan Qayyum

Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2016