If you are tired of the bleak macroeconomic situation and frustrating political economy, please visit Taal. You won't regret it
In this country, large-scale projects, whether public or private, are frightened by blatantly ignoring the rights of those affected. The Thar Coal District is surprising.
In these days of climate awareness, coal itself is a word best avoided. Tal coal, which has long been neglected and condemned as low-quality, has begun to be used by power-starved economies and the people of Talpaca. Talpaca is the country's least developed region in terms of human and economic development. Once the coal is mined, the moving soil will be used to refill the pit being excavated.
Sindh Engro Coal Mine Company has divided the area into several blocks. Block 2 allocated to Engro Power Thar Limited will power two 330 MW power plants. The Sindh provincial government has built a good road network for the mine, but this connectivity also benefits the entire people of Tapaka. The area is now connected to the rest of Sindh by modern transportation instead of traditional kekras. More or less, this is what happens in all large projects.
The difference is the treatment of the displaced population. In Senhri Dars, the first affected village, 172 families are facing displacement. They were resettled to a new village, and the design and construction were carried out in consultation with them and well-known architects and urban planners. The result is that modern life does not harm natural ecosystems, social structures or traditions.
In addition to houses, the new village also provides schools, clinics, reverse osmosis equipment, water supply systems and daylight wells, parks, waste management systems, male and female community centers, markets, street lights, single solar systems, mosques and temples. The second village, Tharyo Halepoto, has the same plan.
Villages not directly affected are also served through the village improvement plan. These include reverse osmosis equipment, street solar light systems, pit toilets, drainage and sanitation facilities, smokeless stoves and solid waste management systems.
Stories about Gwadar, dams and other large projects are common because the locals have no jobs. In Thar, women driving dump trucks have become the faces of the world, but this is not all. Eighteen Tari women received training to operate and maintain the reverse osmosis plant, and 12 of them are now working in the Block 2 area.
Employers usually avoid the lack of skills of locals. From a policy point of view, the displaced villagers in the No. 2 plot have priority in employment, followed by those from the surrounding villages, Tapaka region, province and the country.
Although there are fewer and fewer employment exchanges across the country, Tal has established one. Known as Khushal Thar, it is a centralized facility registered with Tharis through a database, linked to the project’s industrial manpower needs and the community’s male/female power supply.
Once in, the job seeker will be trained and evaluated based on the job. Most of the skilled labor in mining and power projects comes from Block 2 and the surrounding communities. More than 1,600 Tali youths have received training in scaffolding, masonry, steel structure fixing, plumbing fittings and driving.
In order to recruit local engineering and management cadres, 25 young Tali intern engineers cooperated with IBA Karachi and Onyx Research Institute and received a one-year training program on site. 75 engineers from Tapaka and neighboring areas received training in power plant operation and maintenance. 73 people completed the training and are now employed by the Engro power plant.
According to the IT plan, 25 local students are receiving training at Saylani College in Karachi to achieve a diversified skill set. Similarly, 170 young Tharis are receiving scholarship training to become diploma engineers. A new block was built in the Polytechnic Institute of Mithi to increase the related disciplines of mechanical engineering.
These are not isolated measures. The Thar Foundation is working hard to follow the SDG framework. The plan is to make Block 2 and eventually the entire Islamkot taluka comply with the SDG. SDG-2 related to agriculture and food security is reflected in the introduction of biosalinization agriculture.
As part of mining activities, high-salinity groundwater drawn from a depth of 180-200 meters is used to grow fodder and crops. Several plants such as guar, bagilla, melon and peas, apple beer and moringa, sunflower, bird fish and okra have been successfully grown.
The fish farming in the Gorano Reservoir, the groundwater mined is stored by the coal company, and you must witness it before you can believe it. Seven kinds of fish are being raised on organic feed. Within two years, more than 20,000 kg of catches were distributed to local villages for free.
According to SDG-3 related to health and well-being, 5 maternal and child clinics have been established in Block 2 and Gorano, benefiting thousands of people. The mobile clinic will start operation in 2020. The clinic is managed by Indus Hospital. A mobile clinic network is planned for the vast but sparsely populated desert.
In terms of tertiary care, a 250-bed hospital is about to be completed and will also be managed by the Indus Hospital. 15,000 people were screened and vaccinated for hepatitis, 5,000 people were vaccinated for tuberculosis, and 3,000 people were vaccinated for eye disease. This is a very good record. More than 100 patients underwent surgery. Camps have also been organized for mammography and family planning. Remote assistance consultation is to cope with the increasing tendency of suicide. Covid-19 response measures include the establishment of isolation centers, community awareness meetings and the distribution of 2,730 ration packages.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education is being implemented through a school network, starting with 30 schools and accommodating 5,500 students. Three large secondary school districts are managed by the Citizens Foundation, and each campus can accommodate 1,000 students. The Thar Foundation plans to adopt and operate all public schools in Islamkot.
Currently, there are more than 3,500 students enrolled, one third of which are girls. A special plan focused on 210 out-of-school children in seven villages. Of great interest is the ongoing work on multilingual education based on the mother tongue to design curricula for use in all Thar Foundation schools. 22 students are enrolled in a 2-3 year master's degree program in engineering and business management.
Sustainable Development Goal 6 involves clean drinking water and sanitation. 17 RO factories, including 10 factories handed over by the Sindh Provincial Government, provided free drinking water that complied with WHO standards for more than 30,000 people.
Regarding climate action under SDG 13, efforts are being made to protect ecosystems and biodiversity. Protecting vultures is the first step. The second is to promote sustainable livestock management practices to reduce the use of harmful vaccines.
The Thar Million Tree Project has been launched to achieve SDG 15 on terrestrial organisms, and 100,000 trees have been planted. The oasis in the desert is obvious to all. A survival rate of 65% enabled the establishment of the largest private nursery in Sindh. It provides free saplings to local communities and organizations.
Bashir Ansari Green Park is a beautiful scenery; the area is the first to promote recreational activities for children and adults on 65 acres of land, planting new saplings every day. Protecting species such as ducks, deer and peacocks is serious work. A mini zoo and a purpose-oriented play area attract children from all over the world.
Looking to the future, Sustainable Cities and Communities Sustainable Development Goal 11 cooperates with the Sindh Provincial Government to incorporate the Islamic Kot Township master plan to optimize future industrial growth, plan residential and commercial districts, and guide urban, economic and infrastructure development.
If you are tired of the bleak macroeconomic situation and frustrating political economy, please visit Taal. You will not regret it.
The author is the Chairman of the Pakistan Council of Social Sciences (COSS) and a senior political economist