ISLAMABAD, May 7: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has expressed its serious reservations over the decision to build the second nuclear power plant at Kalabagh and criticized the government for not implementing recommendations of the task force on power tariff.
Talking to Dawn here on Thursday, MQM MNA Kanwar Khalid Younus said that his party was concerned over the decision of building a nuclear power plant on the bank of River Indus as it would affect the water supply to the Sindh province.
He said the power plant would pollute the Indus water through radioactive elements which could be harmful for the people as well as for the agriculture. Secondly, the MQM MNA said, after the construction of this power plant, Punjab would definitely use excessive water.
"It is the duty of the government to take the people, particularly the people of Sindh, into confidence on how much water would be diverted after construction of the proposed nuclear plant."
To a question about the potential economic benefits of a nuclear power plant, Mr Younus said his party was not against construction of nuclear power plants. He said the plant should have been constructed near some coastal area to reduce the effects of radio activity and to save fresh water. He said sea water could be utilized for running the nuclear power plant.
About the continuing electricity crisis in Karachi, the MQM leader said it was due to non-implementation of recommendations of the task force set up by the prime minister, to review the power tariff and performance of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).
He said the task force had recommended that Karachi should be supplied electricity through the Hub power plant, instead of Jamshoro. He said Hub was situated at a distance of only 30 kilometres from Karachi, whereas Jamshoro from where the city was at present getting electricity was some 200 kilometres away.
Moreover, he said, due to malfunctioning of the transmission line from the national grid at Jamshoro, Karachi was facing the worst power crisis. He further said the Jamshoro grid station was over 40 years old.
"The system has not only become obsolete, but it has become a liability on the national exchequer as the government has to spend a huge amount on its maintenance every year," Mr Younus said.
He said the task force, in its report sent to the government about two months ago, had recommended that work should immediately start on Hubco-Karachi transmission line.
The MQM leader said that the Hub plant was generating 1100 to 1200 MW electricity whereas Karachi was facing a shortage of about 500 MW electricity. The MQM MNA ridiculed the reported statement of Wapda chairman in which he had stated that work on Hub-Karachi transmission line would be completed within 18 months.