Karachites living in the surrounding of Karachi Port are bracing for another health hazard as the federal government is planning to build one more dedicated coal terminal in the densely-populated port vicinity which, post May 11 election, is a political stronghold of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PS-89) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (NA-248).
For years, the poverty-stricken people of Keamari, mostly dock workers and fishermen, are complaining of having got different respiratory diseases because of, what they claim, a dedicated coal terminal running at Keamari Groyne.
According to 1998 census, Keamari had 383,778 residents. The population since then has doubled almost. Keamari residents have long been resisting the Groyne Yard’s coal handling terminal that, they believe, is sickening them through making them inhale powdery coal dust blowing with the air in the windy port neighbourhood.
“It really is health hazardous for the area. We are badly affected by the coal dust that we are bound to in-hail all the time,” said Rashid Karim, a social activist having worked at Karachi Port as a stevedore.
Thousands of tons of imported coal is handled daily at the port and is stored at the existing terminal to be transported to various industrial units, specially the cement ones, up-country. Even the local PML-N leaders have been averse to the existence of a health hazardous facility in the middle of a congested neighbourhood like Keamari.
Humayun Muhammad Khan, a PML-N member of the Sindh Assembly, was quite focal against the health hazardous handling of imported coal in his strategically-located constituency while he was a Town Nazim during Musharraf era. Khan is said to have sent a letter requesting then all-powerful military ruler General Musharraf to order the shifting of the terminal to Port Qasim, but in vain.
Khan was present last Thursday when his party fellow, Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Kamran Michael, declared that his ministry had decided to develop another dedicated coal terminal at Karachi port.
“A coal terminal will be built at the port. We have dedicated berths number 10 to 14 for this purpose,” said Michael. He said this while unveiling a 50-year energy generation plan at a dinner he hosted for a group of journalists here at Port House.
The terminal, the minister said, would be constructed as a part of his government’s strategy to improve the country’s logistics network to ensure timely transportation of thousands of tons imported coal to be used in a number of coal-fired power plants due to be developed across energy-scarce Pakistan over next couple of years.
“Each of the proposed 660MW power plants would need at least 17,000 ton coal on a daily basis,” the minister said.
The coal-fired plants, he said, would be set up at Jamshoro, Mianwali, Sahewal and other countrywide destinations to rid the country of lingering power crisis. “Given frequent strikes in the city we would have to keep in mind the availability of enough storages to ensure uninterrupted supply of coal to the power plants,” Michael said.
The 50-year plan, the ports and shipping minister said, would see the federal government develop the energy-scarce country’s ports and railways networks. Khan, a strong opponent of the coal terminal in his area, looked on while the federal minister made this announcement.
“They must not add to our problem by constructing another coal terminal here. Such environmentally-sensitive facilities should be built out of residential areas,” viewed Azizur Rehman, a public school teacher in Bhutta Village.
Khan, he said, was well placed to prevent his ruling party fellows from inflicting more respiratory diseases upon his voters.
“We can’t walk bare feet on the top floors of our house as doing so blackens our feet. You have coal dust everywhere,” said a PML-N insider from Keamari jackson area.
This claim can well be substantiated if a short visit is paid to any of the food outlets at Khamis Gate area of the port vicinity, locally known as Number 1, where the waiters always have to clean the tables and chairs of coal dust.
Also, the fast-paced loaded dumper trucks keep litter the city roads with powdery coal dust while moving to and from Keamari Groyne Yard terminal during night time.
When asked the federal minister, however, told Pakistan Today that the new terminal would be environment friendly. “It will be built in latest style. Will be covered and environmentally protected,” the minister said, adding: “No pollution will be allowed”.
When grilled more, the federal minister finally conceded that the plan was not that well-thought-out. “This will be a temporary facility that would later be shifted to Port Qasim,” he said.
The successive dictatorial and democratic governments’ failure to shift the health hazardous Groyne Yard coal terminal to Port Qasim clearly indicates that the PML-N minister’s statement too is nothing but an eye-wash.
Former DG Ports and Shipping and KPT chairman vice admiral (r) Asad Qureshi, MNA Abdul Qadir Patel and ex-MPA Akhtar Husain Jadoon are the prominent names who raised voice against the terminal but then mysteriously kept mum on the issue.
Karim accused the two PPP leaders, Patel and Jadoon, of having secured bribes from the owners of the coal terminal to hush the matter up.
Well shifting the coal terminal to port qasim is not feasible. KPT is a much deeper port compared to Port Qasim. The draft at KPT is 13 meters, that means, it can support vessels upto 55,000 mt. Things at port qasim are different. The draft is some where around 10.5 meters and thus it can only support vessels upto 40,000 mt. This 15,000 mt can give a discount of $1 per metric ton when comes to freight from indonesian and south african port hence karachi port will is feasible when it comes to cutting down the cost. Secondly with the power sector coming in, a draft of more then 13 meters would be required in order to to provide with the coal requirements of the country. At the moment KPT currently handles around 3.5 million tons of coal. with the coal supplies of power sector this figure will go upto 8 million tons.
they are working on a bulk cargo terminal at port qasim but that too will require another 6-8 years to complete.
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