HYDERABAD, Feb 12 (APP): The Thar Coal Project is an important milestone in the energy self-sufficiency of Pakistan as it contributes 1320 Megawatt eco-friendly electricity to the national grid, an official informed a group of journalists from Hyderabad on their study tour of Thar Coal Block-II, arranged by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC).
Apart from power generation, he added, this project — executed by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company with the cooperation of Sindh Government — is providing employment, education, health and other facilities to the people of the backward area of district Tharparkar while the agriculture sector is being developed with the treated saline water drained out from the coal mine of block-II.
SECMC officials and engineers gave a detailed presentation to the media persons about the coal mining process, crushing of the coal extracted from the mine, and then transporting it to the power plant for electricity generation.
The Thar Coal project is a game changer project for Pakistan’s energy self-reliance which not only will meet the country’s electricity needs but also enable it to export electricity to other countries.
Deputy Manager SECMC Sagar Kothari informed journalists that the Sindh government has started working on the Thar Coal Power Generation Project in block two under Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company since 2013 and now 1320 MW of power is being added to the national grid from this project.
Apart from this, he said, coal is being supplied from Thar Coal Block 2 not only to the Thar Coal power plant but also to the Lucky Coal Power Plant located in Port Qasim, Karachi. Thar Coal is playing an important role to meet the energy requirements of the country and the project not only is benefiting the economy but also significantly improving the lifestyle of the local population.
On the occasion, Kothari told APP that currently 25,000 tonnes of coal is being extracted from the coal mine per day, from which 1320 MW of electricity is being generated.
Engineer Sayed Mudassar informed that 25,000 tons of coal were also supplied daily from block two to Lucky’s power plant, Port Qasim. The Coal production of the Thar Coal Project has been increased from 3.8 million tons to 7.6 million tons per annum which will increase socio-economic opportunities besides ensuring self-reliance on energy.
Deputy Manager Media Junaid Ansari rejected the impression based on rumours spread by so-called “intellectuals” that poisonous water and gases were coming out of the coal mine and coal-based power plants, and said such rumours were false and incorrect and are spread to defame this national project.
The SECMC also established a village named “New Senhri Dars” at an alternate location for the residents of a village already existing at the site of the coal mine of Thar Coal Block II. As many as 172 houses, a mosque, a temple, separate community centres for Muslims and Non-Muslims and a school were built by the SECMC and a water filtration plant was also installed for the provision of clean drinking water to the villagers, he said, adding that each house owner will also be paid 100,000 per annum for 30 years.
The engineers, technical staff, women dumper drivers and other employees were seen busy in the power generation process while the Thar Million Tree project also changed the ecosystem of the Thar desert area where in the past no one had imagined such environmental change.
The drainage, mostly saline-alkali water, is pumped out from the second and third aquifers, usually 120 meters and 280 meters below the surface, and then transmitted to the Gorano reservoir through a pipeline. The creation of Gorano Reservoir also led to the formation of a unique saltwater wetland, which has attracted migratory birds and becomes a habitat for several bird species, enhancing the biodiversity of the area. In addition, thousands of fish roe have been released into Gorano Reservoir and varieties of fish can be found in it.
Junaid Ansari said the people were prone to the narrative that coal mining and coal-fired power plants can cause serious pollution to the environment but the latest integrated mine-power projects represented by the Thar project have already proven to be clean and green through the application of advanced technologies.
The purpose of the Thar Million Tree project is to mitigate drought effects and enhance food security using saline water and realize the people of desert areas that the water pumped out from the coal mine is not polluted or poisonous, a SECMC spokesman said.
The NED University graduate and a young engineer, Nimra, also briefed the media team about the first ever Bio-Saline Agriculture Project and Thar Million Tree project in which plantation was carried out at the site of projects with collaboration and expertise of Karachi University, Xinjiang University and Pakistan Agriculture Research Council.
A number of different trees, fodder, fruits and vegetables have been planted and sown in the arid area which was shown to the media persons.
She said that the Thar Million Tree project was started in 2017 and it was expanding day by day. The annual carbon dioxide reduction from the plants is about 600 tons per year, she said, adding that things had changed a lot now as, with six years of devotion to tree planting in the desert, the landscape in the area has been transformed significantly.
Seven types of desert plants, such as Rhodes Grass, Aloe vera and Pennicim had been planted year by year, starting from one tree to a patch of plants to the sea of green, Nimra added.
Villagers are very glad to see a ‘greenland’ in the desert and have been using the leaves of these trees as fodder for their animals and now they need not to leave their homes for feeding their animals.
Apart from efforts of reforestation in Thar, the SECMC team had built a reservoir to gather drainage from the mine pit, which would otherwise be wasted in most mining projects.
The visiting journalists also planted saplings inside the Thar Million Tree project site.
During the visit to the coal crushing plant, Junaid Ansari informed that 25 local women dumper drivers were transporting crushed coal of Thar Coal Block-II to the power generation plants set up by Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL) which generates 1,320-megawatt of electricity from Thar Coal.
In Thar Coal Block-I, Shanghai Electric, a Chinese company, has also started work to generate coal-based power from which 1,320 Megawatt electricity would be produced by the end of 2023.
He said the saline sea water drained out from coal mines through pipes is being treated to be used for irrigation purposes and Thar Million Tree Project was proof that plants, fruits, and other agricultural crops have been cultivated that have turned the environment greener.
He said Thar Coal was part of the game changer project, China-Pakistan Economic Cooperation (CPEC), which will usher in the development and prosperity of Pakistan and other countries of the region.
