PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday allowed a coal-fired power plant in Kohat to operate on a trial basis while directing the provincial health secretary and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a comprehensive health survey in the area and submit a detailed report.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal heard a petition challenging the construction of the coal power plant in Kohat.During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel Ali Gohar Durrani advocate told the court that the plant had been constructed close to a populated area where pollution from an existing cement factory was already affecting residents.
He argued that the operation of the coal power plant could further aggravate pollution and create additional health risks.The counsel said various diseases were reportedly spreading in the area due to pollution from the cement factory, causing serious difficulties for local residents. He claimed that people living in the vicinity were suffering from different health problems.
An EPA representative informed the court that an Environmental Impact Assessment report had been submitted and the project had been declared safe, following which a no-objection certificate had also been issued.
However, the counsel for the petitioner questioned the claim of safety, asking why health problems were being reported in the area if the project was considered safe. He stressed the need for a comprehensive health survey.
