KARACHI: As the presence of high tension electric wires around the residential areas is considered dangerous that can lead to loss of human lives, the developers of Naya Nazimabad lavish housing scheme seem least bothered to either shift the 11,000 volt electric wires from the project, which is spread over 2,100 acres of land.
Interestingly, the tycoons of the capital market even do not require any prior permission from the power provider company -- the Karachi Electric Supply Company (now K-Electric) -- as hundreds of high tension wires fall within the limits of recently launched Naya Nazimabad housing scheme. The heavy electric poles carry 11,000 volt electricity from Balochistan to Karachi, it has been observed.
Sources said that these heavy poles are installed in random shape due to the presence of series of mountains and the development of residential houses under or near these high tension wires could prove fatal for the residents’ health and life. “The KESC has not been taken into confidence nor any written approval was so far sought by the developers of Naya Nazimabad,” according to a senior KESC official.
Hundreds of studies worldwide have shown that living next to high voltage power lines and other parts of the power transmission network increases risk of cancer and create other health problems. It depends on how powerful are the EMFs coming from your neighbourhood power lines? The electrical power grid uses a “step down” system of distribution, highest near the generating station and substations, lowest at the end. The closer you are the more you are bombarded with dangerous EMFs, the official disclosed.
Some folks unfortunately are under them. It uses high voltage direct current (HVDC) to transmit large amounts of power from the generating station over long distances and the voltage varies from 138KV to 765KV. Besides, it radiates powerful electromagnetic fields (EMFs), linked to diseases in animals and humans.
Interestingly, it is globally found that there is a growing speculation that the value of homes near major power lines will soon begin to decrease because of this threat. And there is no question about the fact that power transmission apparatus emit EMFs.
The EMF is not just one thing, but two kinds of fields: electrical field and magnetic field. The first is part of the EMF that can easily be shielded and the second part of the EMF that can penetrate stone, steel and human flesh. In fact, when it comes to magnetic fields, human flesh and bone have the same penetrability as air!
Both fields are invisible and perfectly silent: if you live in an area with electric power, cell phone service, water pipes and more, some level of artificial EMF is surrounding you.
Human body acts like an energy wave broadcaster and receiver, incorporating and responding to EMFs. In fact, scientific research has demonstrated that every cell in human body may have its own EMF, helping to regulate important functions and keep one healthy.
Strong, artificial EMFs like those from power lines can scramble and interfere with human body’s natural EMF, harming everything from sleep cycles and stress levels to immune response and DNA!
After hundreds of international studies, the evidence linking EMFs to cancers and other health problems is loud and clear. High voltage power lines are the most obvious and dangerous culprits, but the same EMFs exist in gradually decreasing levels all along the grid, from substations to transformers to homes.
A KESC official, requesting anonymity, told The News that as per rule the residential area could not be developed at least 200 yards around the high tension pole, adding that more than 100 large mounted heavy poles are installed in the vicinity of Naya Nazimabad. The management of the KESC could not shift such a large number of poles, while the Naya Nazimabad developers would have to bring changes in their layout as presence of heavy wires could prove fatal for human lives and health at any time.
Chairman of the project, Arif Habib told The News that since the Naya Nazimabad project was still in the development phase, they have, in principle, taken approval from the KESC and other civic agencies which include legal authorities and utility vendors. He said all such services will be available and the legal compliance will be taken care of before the project is completed and delivered.
“I must say that the open high-tension wires issue is news for me. As you know, we are one of the biggest names in the business and we have previously built projects in highly regulated areas, so whenever the project ends, all such safety matters will definitely be cleared beyond doubt,” he added.
Apart from the claims of Arif Habib, a study of British Medical Journal was conducted to establish if there is a link between distance of home address for those children that are residing in the home since birth from high voltage power lines and the occurrence of Leukemia along with other cancers appearing in children located in England and Wales. The study had involved records of children numbering 29,081 with cancer and 9,700 included among them had Leukemia. The conclusion of this study did in fact establish a link between childhood Leukemia and distance of home at birth to the high voltage power lines.
On the other hand, a study of reputed US real estate magazine SF Gate concluded after a survey that “power lines reduce the property value because the power lines not only are most unsightly and sometimes noisy, but also they can raise a number of safety concerns among buyers related to the risk of electrocution and there are many health studies that exposure to electromagnetic fields can cause a variety of diseases, including cancer. These drawbacks have translated into consistently lower property values for homes near power lines.”
