Karachi nuclear plants: Freeze order extended
Concerned groups challenged plans on ground that ACP-1000 reactor had so far not practically been implemented anywhere in the world
Karachi: The Sindh High Court on Thursday extended a stay on constructing two nuclear energy plants along the Arabian Sea coast off this mega city with an estimated population of 18 million people.
The three-member bench of the court headed by chief justice Maqbool Baqir put off the hearing until November 12.
The stay was granted by the court after a petition was filed against the construction of the two power plants near Karachi on the plea that they could endanger the human lives.
The petitioners said plants should be located at least some 28 kilometres from the human population.
The provincial court had granted the order on October 16, barring the Pakistani Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) from further carrying out any work on the two plants.
PAEC had started work on the two plants last year. Under its plan two ACP-1000 atomic plants, each with an output of 1,100 megawatts, would be installed.
PAEC entered an agreement with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to set up the plants.
The project would cost about $6.5 billion (Dh23.87 billion).
The petitioners, comprising a group of concerned citizens, has challenged the plans on the ground that the ACP-1000 reactor had so far not practically been implemented anywhere in the world and were being set up on an experimental basis for the first time.
They further said that the coastal site was seismically active, andon the outskirts of one of the world’s most densely populated areas with 20 million people living in Karachi.
In case of any accident a mass evacuation would be carried out which would not be possible in such densely and hugely populated city, the petitioners said.
The petitioners also claimed that no environmental study was carried for the construction of the plant that was in gross violation of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) that says that no proponent of a project is permitted to commence construction unless an initial environment examination with the provincial EPA has been submitted.
