Karachi: A demand for the immediate shutdown of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) coal yard near Clifton has been put forth by environmentalists on accounts of not complying with the relevant regulations, reported a news source. In a news conference held on Thursday, environmental consultant Saquib Ejaz Hussain said that the plant needs to shut down immediately in order to protect the residents of Clifton’s blocks 1 and 2.
He labelled the plant’s operation as ‘unsafe and unchecked’ and the dumping of coal as harmful for the residents of Clifton and marine environment and ecology. Hussain said that as per the court’s orders, the storage capacity of the yard is to be restricted to 200,000 tonnes per annum, but the remaining stock of coal is stored at 25 other sites located within 10 kilometres radius of the coal yard. He also highlighted that a number of coal-powered power stations are being constructed in the country without having a proper disposal mechanism in place.
