Tharparkar District is one of twenty three districts of Sindh Province in Pakistan. It is headquarters is at Mithi. It has the lowest Human Development Index of all districts in Sindh.
Many nomadic Sindhi tribes inhabit the region. It is divided into 4 Talukas including Chachro, Diplo, Mithi and Nagarparkar. The desert areas of Tharparkar district, generally known as Thar. The total area of the Desert is 22,000 square kilometers and the population of Thar is estimated around 1.million.
There are several communities in Muslims as well as in Hindu castes. In Muslims, more than 90 per cents castes belongs to Smat clans. Whereas in Hindus, there are major portions of lower castes such as Menghwars, Koli, Bheel, and uper Hindu castes there are Lohanas and Bania (both trading communities) whereas Takirs are the land lords of the area.
Nagarparkar is a tehsil of district Tharparkar that borders Indian Rajsthan and Gujarat from three sides. The area is a historical embodiment of Jainism and Hindu Mythologies of thousands years and have beyond twenty archeological sites of Jain temples and pilgrimages as well as some thousands years old Hindu temples and pilgrimages.
The beauty of Nangarparkar is due to its pin granite Karronjhar hills and rich flora and fauna. Various environmentalists have been demanding the national park status for the Nangarparkar
Shawls (silk, wool, cotton, etc), goat and camel hair skin rugs, hand knotted carpet, embroidery of all kinds, blankets from sheep wool, and rulies are the main artisanal skills available in Thar. No scientific study on the handicraft of Thar has been done to date so far.
Thar Coal is one of the 7th largest coal reserves in the world which can possibly enable us to produce enough electricity to power the entire country of Pakistan.
The reserves are so massive that it dwarfs the oil reserves of 375 billion barrels housed within Saudia Arab & Iran put together. An estimated over 175 billion tons of proven reserves of good quality coal is spread over 9,000 square kilometers of the Thar Desert. Compare it with the figures of India's total coal deposits of 140 billion tons.
Spread over an area of 64 square kilometres, this is one of the eight coal blocks in Thar deposit. Another four blocks have been allocated to private companies from Australia, UAE, UK and a Pakistan firm Engro, which is in an advanced stage of arranging financing for the coal development, gasification and establishment of power plants. About four other blocks have yet to be allocated for development.
Thar Coal exploitation can spearhead major economic development and employment generation activities. With over 200,000 jobs flowing from it over the years, the project could rank right at the top among all investments made in Pakistan—domestic or foreign.
According to the Wildlife Department, there are 20,000 to 30,000 peacocks in Tharparkar district. It is not only the peacocks which will disappear after the completion of the Thar Coal Project but the place too, is facing bareness due to the depletion of trees, herbs and other wildlife. The area is frequented by green and blue species.
Thari people have a lot of reservations over the coal project, they acknowledge that the country is under severe electricity and energy crisis and Sindh is ready to cater the needs but ask as to who will guarantee the protection of the rights of the local people. The community is of the view that it should be the first beneficiary of any coal project. Written By Aziz Sanghur
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