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Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) oppose Karachi nuclear power projects

Keamari Town’s nuclear power projects irk fishermen http://tribune.com.pk/story/638482/energy-leap-keamari-towns-nuclear-power-projects-irk-fishermen/ By PPI  November 29, 2013 KARACHI: 

The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) is unhappy with the two newly inaugurated Karachi nuclear power projects, K-1 and K-2, along the coastal area of the city in Keamari Town.

The officials are of the view that the authorities should have reviewed its environmental and social effects before their launch. In a statement issued on Thursday, the PFF said that the area community should have been taken into confidence with regards to their security to avoid any loss because of the installation of these power plants.

The statement said the projects were located close to the fault line while the people had been facing frequent warnings and threats of cyclone and tsunami. In case of this happening, it could be disastrous for not only the communities but also marine ecology. The project site has already been declared disaster prone, and there was no justification of environmental safety and community protection, it said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated a project at Kanupp-II to end load-shedding in the country. It said the power plants usually released heat into the seawater, which may cause a significant drop in the population of several marine species, including fish, and may cause poverty among the coastal fishermen communities due to loss of livelihood.

The PM has dreamt the Karachi Coastal Project would make the country load-shedding free, but environmentalists and area community have reservations about this mega project.

The statement also links negative effects on human health because of the power projects. They appealed to the environmentalists, civil society and human rights activists to raise their voice against the power projects to avoid the impact of potential disasters in the name of development.

The statement asked the environmentalists to make a commitment to alternatives that produce sustainable and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse pollution, such as wind power, solar energy, energy efficiency gas and energy from organic matter, such as sewage and waste.

November 30, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, Pakistan