Why Coal power plants need agricultural land?

Science is clear on the fact that coal is exacerbating climate change which leads to catastrophic weather patterns such as glacial lake, outburst floods, cyclones and sea intrusion.

“It’s an environmental disaster as coal has negative consequences on air quality, is a water-intensive technology and it could affect the fertility of agriculture plains, and most importantly, exacerbate climate change,” experts said.

They insist the project makes little business sense. “How could you allow a coal power plant to be constructed in an agriculture zone, where there are no coal reserves” they question.

“Such projects need to be investigated as these so-called ‘assets will become liabilities due to high operational, maintenance and environmental costs and must not be allowed in the future.”

 “Patience’s numbers have increased in the last seven years, with chest infections, asthma, dry cough and with lungs problems and surely reason is the coal plant because the smoke come out from plant is negatively effecting the environment of Sahiwal division.

Lahore ranked top city in the world in smog, Abrar said.

“Once I was travelling from Lahore to Sahiwal in the public transport, a villager was on call and was having worst cough, during his call he said that after the plantation of this coal plant, we [resident of Qadirabad] facing the worst chest infections and worst air condition, Our Children are suffering badly . “I am the witness too,” he further added.

China is moving away from coal-fired plants, it readily agreed to transfer this technology to Pakistan.  China is now using the natural resource to produce several useful products that include; SNG, urea, anhydrous ammonia, crude cresylic acid, phenol, diesel, naphtha, tar oil and so on. Burning of coal in the 21st century is a sin.

In the present ‘Smog Crisis ‘, coal-fired power plants have been shut down around New Delhi while the Sahiwal plant continues to pollute the air of Lahore. Immediate action is needed, first to shut down the plant and then move it to.

This plant and the Orange Train of Lahore both funded through CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor). Considering the poor air quality of Lahore and south Punjab, now the Punjab government has shut down the schools for extended weekends.

Muhammad Badar-ul-Munir, chief executive of the 100 MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Pvt Ltd (QASPL) plant, said” the worst environmental condition in the country may force the government to focus on the much-ignored area of solar power.

Environmental experts have to be involved to look at all the possible options together with implementation which has always been the missing link in Pakistan, but in the meantime let’s shut down the Sahiwal Coal Power plant for immediate relief to the suffering people of Lahore and Sahiwal.

Currently there is excess power generation and shortage of clean air to breathe. Let’s give a break to our respiratory system before it collapses resulting in another pandemic for which we are not prepared. Government should focus on green energy initiatives and zero carbon projects. People do not have health facilities in these small towns, cutting green fields creates more health issues for them.

Clean water is another big issue due to which people are suffering with hepatitis C, malaria and typhoid but these coal power plants are the biggest plus source in polluting the water.

Pakistan has a tremendous opportunity to cost-effectively tap its abundant solar, wind and hydropower resource potential. The shift to renewable will have multiple benefits for Pakistan, including reduced cost of electricity and improved energy access and energy independence.

It will also create opportunities to establish new industries in the renewable energy supply chain and develop human capital through job creation, with the added benefit of greater resilience against the impacts of climate change and a healthier workforce through reduced pollution