HYDERABAD: Terming the Thar coal mining and power projects as future of Sindh, the provincial Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Nawab Taimur Talpur has said stringent regulation and monitoring has been placed to protect the environment of Tharparkar district.
In the wake of increased industrial activities in the region of Thar, "The environment department has taken extra measures to monitor the industrial activities and protect the environment and preserve natural habitat," he said during a visit to Thar Coal Block II mining, power projects and community development projects in Tharparkar district.
The minister's spokesman informed here Sunday that Talpur visited 3.8 mpta coalmine, 660 megawatt power project, bio-saline agriculture fields, a large private sector nursery, the resettlement village and Gorano reservoir area.The minister was of the view that Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) was an environment friendly company and that it was taking care of its responsibilities in a professional manner. He said that the new resettlement village constructed to accommodate the displaced people from the coal mining site was a model development initiative of the government of Sindh and SECMC.
"The Thar Coal Block II public private partnership (PPP) model of Sindh government and Engro is the future of Sindh," he underlined.The minister praised the initiatives taken by SECMC to protect the environment and preserve the natural habitat of Thar, especially the development of Gorano reservoir, which had become the habitat of migratory Siberian birds.
Earlier, briefing the minister on measures taken by SECMC to protect the environment, the company's Umair Aslam Butt said they were not only following the national environment protection laws but also implementing best international practices being followed in the developed world.
He said the company had planted 550,000 saplings of local species like Neem, Babbur, Kandi, Moringa and Roheero trees along with establishing Sindh’s largest private sector nursery of Sindh. Briefing the minister about community development initiatives taken under Thar Foundation, Manager CSR Mohsin Babbar said the project was implementing Pakistan’s best inclusive development model by setting a target to make Islamkot as first UN SDG-compliant Taulka of Pakistan.
He said the Thar Foundation had established 25 school units with enrollment of 2,300 children receiving a quality education.He added that 6 RO plants had been installed which provide clean drinking water to 10,000 population of the area.The minister was accompanied by Director General Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Naeem Ahmed Mughal and Deputy Director SEPA Imran Sabir, among other officials.
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