Thar Coal Project: Communities Oppose Expansion and Environmental Impacts

Strategic Insights -

A crucial meeting at the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) office in Karachi brought together community advocates and residents to discuss the adverse impacts of the coal mining expansion in Coal Block II. The expansion plans, which could displace additional villages, damage farmland, pollute groundwater, and destroy grazing lands, have been met with widespread opposition. Community representatives, including residents of Tharparkar, have accused the Sindh government and Engro of exploiting the region's resources while displacing communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Thar Coal project's expansion plans, which include increasing coal extraction in Block II from 7.6 million to 11.2 million tons annually, have been met with opposition from the community due to concerns over displacement, environmental damage, and social injustice.
  • Residents of Tharparkar, including those from Mithi and Islamkot, have reported employment disparities, with outsiders from Punjab, Kashmir, and China getting jobs while leaving local Tharis unemployed.
  • The community has raised concerns over the scarcity of ecological assessments, despite extensive mining, and the lack of basic infrastructure such as electricity, rail connectivity, and government schools and hospitals.
  • A new 200-acre dam in Vijaya has been constructed, with the illegal excavation of natural ponds for soil, despite a court order, jeopardizing water resources.
  • Community representatives have accused the Sindh government and Engro of exploiting Tharparkar's resources while displacing communities, with an 800-home village facing eviction by December 2025.
  • Rights defenders, including Uzma Noorani, Rubina Chandio, and Seema Maheshwari, have pledged support to the affected communities, promising legal and advocacy assistance.
  • NCHR Member Anis Haroon emphasized the Commission's ongoing advocacy for Tharparkar since 2016 and vowed to organize a press conference and a public hearing in Tharparkar.

Statistics:

  • 8,000-strong village faces relocation due to coal mining expansion (Source: Mehwish Leghari, Pakistan Research Institute for Development and Equity)
  • 11.2 million tons annually coal extraction target in Block II (Source: Thar Coal and Energy Board)
  • 7.6 million tons annually coal extraction target in Block II (Source: Thar Coal and Energy Board)
  • 200-acre dam in Vijaya constructed with illegal excavation of natural ponds (Source: Baiji Bheel)
  • 800-home village faces eviction by December 2025 (Source: Community Representatives)

Sources:

  • Mehwish Leghari, Pakistan Research Institute for Development and Equity (PRIDE)
  • Suhail Sangi, Seasoned Journalist
  • Surendar Singh and Harchand Bheel, Residents of Tharparkar
  • Wasatullah Halepoto, Abdul Aziz, Deedar Ali, and Mohammad Bux Soomro, Community Representatives
  • Uzma Noorani (Women's Action Forum), Rubina Chandio, and Seema Maheshwari, Rights Defenders
  • Anis Haroon, NCHR Member (Sindh)
  • Zeenia Shaukat, Director of The Knowledge Forum