SHC extends injunction barring PAEC from work on N-power plants

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The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday extended till December 18 its injunction barring the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) from carrying out work on two nuclear power plants in Karachi.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar had taken up a petition filed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Dr Pervaiz Amirali Hoodbhoy and others, who had approached the court challenging Sepa’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) report that accorded its approval to establishing of two nuclear power plants in Karachi.

The bench adjourned the hearing till December 18 when counsel for the petitioners will conclude arguments in the case. The counsel for the petitioners submitted that the twin nuclear reactors would be based on a design known as the ACP-1000. He said these types of reactors were not even operating in China as they only existed on the paper and in computer. This type of rectors would be used for the first time in Karachi, he argued.

He said the safety precautions which were required to be adopted by authorities were still unclear and uncertain posing serious threat to health and life of the people of the city.

The counsel submitted that the PAEC had approached the Sepa for its approval on the project. Subsequently, it issued environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on the project while approving it. He argued that the EIA report was issued without complying with provisions of related environment laws as no public hearing was held regarding suitability of the site for the nuclear plants in Karachi.

The PAEC’s secretary denied that the PAEC had failed to offer and make public credible plan for emergency evacuation of the citizens in case of any nuclear accident stating that setting up an emergency plan and carrying out emergency drills was a mandatory requirement set forth by the PNRA and the PAEC had fulfilled the requirement. He said extensive studies had been carried out for establishing power plants on the proposed site to ensure that the plant would survive the largest earthquake and tsunami.

He said the PAEC was exempted from having public hearing regarding suitability of the site for the nuclear plants in Karachi under section 12(3) of the EPA 1997.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Why the SHC and our government is too much paving attention towards irrational fears of few anti nuclear people. SHC and all the other authorities must not forget that Pakistan is not going to operate and construct nuclear power plants for the first time, it has an experience of quite a longer time. Then why the new ACP-1000 power plants which are being designed with more safety panels are becoming the source of concern for the government. Recently Chinese nuclear establishment have declared the newly disgned reactors as the safest one. Then why so much hue and cry over the same issue again and again. I must say it is just the wasting of time. Government must start working on the same plants immediately.

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