Ever since Thar's vast coal resources were discovered in the early 1990s, concerns have been raised regarding their potential to generate electricity, their economic viability and sustainability, the coal quality and the adverse environmental impact it might have. Thar's vast coal resources are the 7th largest in the world; measuring up to 175 billion tons and can sustain the production of 100,000MW of electricity for more than two centuries. With its gas reserves nearly depleted, Pakistan generates 37% of its electricity using oil, the most expensive source of power generation, while the reliance on indigenous coal reserves is negligible. While Thar has great potential to ensure energy security and usher an era of economic prosperity for the nation, the region itself ranks lowest on all socio economic indicators, its people are impoverished and there is an undeniable lack of adequate health and educational facilities. Any corporation engaging in mining activities in Thar is duty-bound to ensure that the local Thari community is given all the benefits they are entitled to and are kept at the forefront of all project related activity in the region.
Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) has been allocated Block II for mining activities by Sindh Coal Authority. The company and its sister concern, Engro Powergen Thar Limited, intend to build a 3.8mt/a mine and 2x330MW power plant in Block II which will be operational by 2018. Long before SECMC began operations in Thar; it engaged several renowned international organisations, including RWE Germany, SRK UK, Hagler Bailly, Sino Coal China and NCGB China, which conducted feasibility and socio economic impact assessments of its mining and power Project. This was important because the ecological and environmental impact of mining activities is a recurrent argument leveraged against the development of Thar Coal.
Mining activities require pits of up to 135-meter depths to be dug. However the ecology of the desert will not be affected as these pits will be filled back once the coal has been extracted. Under its environmental management plan and the best industrial practices followed globally, SECMC plans to plant hundreds of thousands of indigenous trees to maintain the natural ecosystem of the desert. The company will incorporate wind and water erosion control measures, inclusive of dune management where necessary, in project design. It has also explored bio-saline agriculture as an alternative means of livelihood for the locals of Thar which will enable them to cultivate crops on saline land using advanced farming techniques. Sustainable initiatives such as these are being explored to reduce the Thari population's exclusive dependence on rain for agriculture and enhance the region's biodiversity.
The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) conducted by Hagler Bailley Pakistan and other studies on de-watering in mining operations show that there is no immediate risk to groundwater resources. SECMC will provide an alternative water supply source for domestic uses to those affected by the Project if and when needed. The underground water will not be disturbed, contaminated or pumped into the sea as unfairly alleged by some authors. Storage Ponds and Effluent Disposal System being constructed by Sindh Government will ensure that underground water is extracted from the aquifers according to conventional industrial practice before any contact with coal. As mentioned in the ESIA, nearby communities will be provided with RO plants to ensure access to quality clean water in the unlikely event that any contamination occurs. Another widely popular misconception is the belief that mining operations will cause large scale wind pollution. In this regard, it must be noted that the ESIA report has determined this risk to be minimal and manageable. The company will take dusk management measures to further minimise the adverse environmental impact.
Another recurrent issue is the lack of provision of pastoral land for affected families, commonly referred to by locals as 'Gaucher' land. This land is integral for the survival of the Thari populace as they rely mainly on livestock rearing as a means of income generation without which the rehabilitation of the community wouldn't be possible. Both villages of Block II which are planned to be relocated will be provided separate Goucher land measuring between 850 to 1200 acres which will also be equipped with advanced level veterinary facilities. To develop its resettlement plan, SECMC developed a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) in keeping with the provincial government's Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) which is based on international policies, namely, IFC/World Bank Guidelines for Involuntary Resettlement and local laws pertaining to land and resettlement, including the Land Acquisition Act and the Mines Act. Under RAP, SECMC is obligated to provide facilities to the relocated villages which are either equal or better than their current residential structures. Expert town planners and architects have been hired to design structures which support indigenous traditional features but are also equipped with modern amenities for the village being relocated in the first phase.
Moreover, concerns have been voiced regarding the impact the influx of foreign personnel, mainly from China, will have on the cultural and social fabric of the area. It must be noted that cultural orientations will be given to all non-indigenous employees to sensitize them to the region's cultural attributes. Moreover, due to security concerns, interactions between Chinese personnel and local populace will be kept to a minimum. Whilst the development and industrialisation of Thar Coal will alleviate the ongoing power crisis and bring energy security to the country, it will also bring multi-fold benefits to the local people of Thar. Undoubtedly, the people of Thar have long been neglected. However, with the development and completion the Thar Coal Project, the plight of these people will soon be a thing of the past.
Economic prosperity in the form of direct employment through the Project will change the lives of the Thari people. Over the next few months, the Project will require unskilled manpower of up to 3000 people - all of whom will be Tharis. Moreover, there will be great prospects for skilled manpower required in the Project - up to 1,400 people will be needed for skills such as mine truck drivers, shovel/excavator operators, technicians, mechanics, masons etc. It is important to note that the abovementioned numbers pertain to only SECMC and Engro Powergen Thar Limited's mining and power plant Project, notwithstanding hundreds of thousands of avenues of direct employment in Projects led by other block developers. Moreover, with such development in the region, the Project is sure to spring to life many entrepreneurial opportunities for the locals, such as auto workshops, restaurants, residential facilities etc. With such blooming economic activity, one could hardly expect the same socio-economic conditions in Thar as they exist today. The Government of Sindh has been working on the infrastructural development of the area which includes state of the art road networks, construction of bypasses, bridges, airport facilities, water supply scheme, effluent disposal system amongst many other various infrastructural related Projects amounting to PKR 60 billion. The once isolated region is now connected with excellent roads, which has a significant impact on access to educational facilities, health facilities, disaster relief mechanisms for prevalent drought seasons in Tharparkar amongst many other facilities that the company will provide to its locals.
In this respect, SECMC has signed MoUs with renowned organisations such as the Citizen's Foundation, the Indus Hospital to establish state of the art educational and health facilities for its local communities. Although still in Project Development stage, the company has been involved in community development interventions such as the sponsorship of 2 batches of matriculation pass students from Block II to Hunar Foundation for vocational technical training, a mother and child clinic has been established for Block II residents and an ongoing Hepatitis awareness and prevention program is being run for all Block II villages. Additionally, in June 2015, a decision was made to inaugurate a permanent part time health facility offering specialised OPD health care for females, especially antenatal and postnatal care and infants between the ages 0-5. The Marvi Mother and Child Clinic, which has treated more than 3,000 patients so far, offers weekly consultation with a specialised gynaecologist. A paediatrician has also been added to the medical team recently. The Company is committed to promote and preserve the local culture of the people of Tharparkar, in this respect, SECMC has partnered with culturally sound organisations such as the Endowment Fund Trust for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage in Sindh to publish a book on Thar, in the near future it will also partner on Projects which preserve heritage sites around its area of operation, Thar's literature and musical tradition. SECMC is in the process of establishing the Thar Foundation through which will become the primary medium through which all future CSR interventions in education, health, skill development and improving livelihoods will be channelled. Thar Foundation's main purpose would be to establish a CSR hub in Islamkot and other tehsils comprised of state-of-the-art schools, hospitals and other facilities necessary to the development of the region.
It is important to establish a culture of positive advocacy with regards to the Thar Coal Project which stands to benefit millions and project accurate information regarding all procedures and project related activities. Encouraging accurate and informed debate regarding all procedures and project related activities is the least we can do for our energy impoverished nation and for the indigenous Thari population.
(The writer is CEO, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company)