KARACHI, May 7: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has sought clarification from the proponents of a 216mw power plant that the high-tension power transmission lines will not affect the health of humans and animals in the area.

A ruling came from the SEPA during a public hearing of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for construction of a power plant in the private sector, near the Qadirpur Gas field, Ghotki, on Monday. The director general, SEPA, Abdul Malik Ghauri, chaired the hearing.

Participants raised questions that proponents or their consultants had not touched the issue pertaining to the mode of transportation of electricity from the power plant to the national grid system.

They wanted to know as to who would be responsible for the adverse effects caused to human beings and habitats in the area due to the power lines generating electric and magnetic fields. They feared that the power transmission lines would contribute a risk to health, including causing adverse psychological effects and mental health problems.

Responding to the apprehension, a senior representative of the project said that the plant could not be blamed for any adverse effects as Wapda would be responsible for maintaining the transmission lines. He said that since the plant was being established with the finances of the World Bank, therefore it was understood that Wapda would be addressing all environmental issues also.

Earlier, participants, including environmental experts, deliberated on the impact on ground water and surface water. They also focussed on contamination of the atmosphere and ill-effects to the human population, agriculture and various habitats due to the project.

About 16 villages are located within a 3km radius of the project site, having a population of 15,000.

A participant said that the project would use water from the Ghotki feeder, while in case of shutdown of gas HSD would be used, which involved a good chance of water depletion and unwanted gaseous discharges in the atmosphere, said a participant.

The proponents and their consultants maintained that they had already assessed potential environmental and social impacts of the proposed activities and would like to assure that the project would not result in any long-term or significant impacts on the local community.

They said that all relevant statutory requirements and standards would also be complied by them where the functioning of the power plant was concerned.