People of Balochistan are facing the hazardous emissions, whereas Pakistan [Punjab] is benefiting from the gas of Balochistan
QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani has asked all stakeholders to address environmental issues to save people and the natural habitat from hazardous gases emitted from the gas extraction and drilling sites in the province.
He was presiding over a meeting held here the other day to take cognizance of pollution caused during exploration of natural gas and by industrial effluents.
It was decided at the meeting that a strategy would be evolved to deal with environmental issues.
The chief minister said that not withstanding the prevailing law and order situation, serious environmental issues that were posing a great threat to human life and natural surroundings could not be ignored.
‘Toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and inflammable gases might play havoc with the lives of people and other organisms, including vegetation, if precautionary measures are not taken,’ he said.
‘In order to avoid these dangers, we must focus on addressing environmental issues on a priority basis.’
He called for immediate measures in accordance with international safety standards to save the ecosystem.
He said necessary environmental impact assessments must be undertaken and environmental safeguards ensured for any new industrial, mineral or hydrocarbon project.
The chief minister said measures must be taken to protect local people and ecology from pollutants in Loti, Uch, Pir Koh and Sui gas fields.
The meeting was informed that a foreign company was interested to set up a 1,000 megawatts power plant in Lasbela and an environmental study for the project was being conducted.
Quetta’s Commissioner Nasim Lehri informed the meeting about cleanliness measures under way in the provincial capital.
Officials of the health department gave a briefing on measures taken for disposal of hospital waste and recycling of solid waste.
The meeting was informed that efforts were under way to replace two-stroke rickshaws with four-stroke CNG rickshaws.
It was informed that PPL’s gas extraction and processing plant in Sui emitted over 36 tons of sulphur. ‘This toxic gas has been emitted for decades without any monitoring and its effects on environment have not been assessed,’ an official said.
Gas from the Sui field contains 10 per cent hydrogen sulphide which amounts to total discharge of over 30 tons a day.
An official termed it a serious violation of quality standard of ambient air established by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Since no government agency ever monitored the emission in the area inhabited by a poor and neglected community, the PPL simply flared the acid gas through a tall chimney flouting environmental standards, the official said.
The quantity of acid gas being flared by the PPL was so large that it might also have affected the environment of cities in Sindh.
‘The PPL continues to emit this hazardous gas while extracting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of natural gas every year,’ the meeting was informed.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/d ... ns+from+gas+fields--bi-07
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