The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa)’s director general to appear in court and submit his response to the petition against operation of coal handling terminal in Shireen Jinnah Colony which was playing havoc with public health.
This direction came on a petition filed by Afaq Qureshi and other inhabitants of Shireen Jinnah Colony and areas in close proximity to the coal terminal who moved the court against the Karachi Port Trust (KPT)’s coal handling facility.
The petitioners said that coal dust blowing from KPT’s terminal had posed serious threat to the health of residents of the area. They said that on average five ships carrying 35,000 to 40,000 tons of the coal was berthed every month and about 2,00,000 tons of the coal was handled at the terminal.
The coal was being unlawfully dumped at an amenity plot earmarked for recreational activities. Due to coal terminal and its dumping, inhabitants of the area were facing serious consequences of environmental effects which had resulted in raising number of respiratory diseases in the locality.
A 20-feet-long road from Shireen Jinnah Colony to the sea always remain clogged with heavy vehicles transporting coal to various industrial units.
They said the KPT had failed to take safety measures preventing spread of coal dust which was hazardous to the health. Therefore, they pleaded to the court to declare as unlawful the presence of coal terminal in the locality and direct respondents to shift it from the area.
Hearing of the case was adjourned till October 23.