Uplift of local areas in Thar: Sindh will utilise royalties from coal projects: Soomro

KARACHI: Sindh Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government and Housing and Town Planning Qasim Siraj Soomro has said the provincial government will utilise royalties generated from coal projects for the development of local areas in Thar, while acknowledging that access to safe drinking water remains a major challenge for communities living near energy projects.

Speaking on the first day of the two-day Sindh Energy and Climate Conference on Tuesday, Soomro said the chief minister had made it clear that revenue generated through coal projects would be spent on the development of Thar’s local population.

Acknowledging shortcomings in the provision of basic facilities, he said most reverse osmosis (RO) plants installed in different parts of Thar were not functioning properly.

However, representatives of coal-affected communities questioned the government’s development claims, saying local residents continued to face unemployment, environmental degradation, inadequate public services and uncertainty over their future despite large-scale investments in energy projects.

The two-day conference brought together policymakers, government officials, energy experts, climate activists, civil society organisations, politicians and representatives of affected communities to discuss energy challenges and the social and environmental consequences of energy projects in Sindh.

Participants called for affordable and uninterrupted electricity, safe drinking water, fair compensation, employment opportunities and a transparent resettlement policy for communities affected by coal mining and power generation projects. They also stressed that access to affordable and uninterrupted electricity should be recognised as a fundamental right, particularly for communities living in areas that produce energy for the country.

Abdul Aziz Qadri, a representative of Thario Halepoto village, said the village had a population of around 4,500, but residents had not received adequate employment opportunities despite major energy projects being established in their surroundings.

He questioned the utilisation of royalties generated from coal projects and asked how much of the revenue was actually being spent on improving the lives of local people.

Raising concerns over the resettlement of affected families, Qadri said neither the government nor project authorities had shared a clear plan with the communities. He said residents needed a proper explanation of how the resettlement process would take place, adding that the absence of a clear policy had left them uncertain about their homes, livelihoods and future.

Qadri also raised concerns over open dumping in the area, saying it was creating unhealthy conditions and exposing residents to diseases, including tuberculosis. He complained that community representatives were often invited to official events for photographs, while their actual problems remained unresolved.

Another community representative questioned employment opportunities in Block II, particularly during Phase III of the project. He said even residents of the concerned union council were unable to secure meetings with relevant authorities to present their grievances.

Deedar Bheel highlighted the longstanding issue of wastewater disposal near villages, particularly Dhukrjo. He alleged that neither the Thar Coal Company nor the Sindh government had consulted residents before discharging wastewater in their surroundings.

He said the issue had persisted from 2018 to 2026 without a lasting solution. He also objected to the installation of a wastewater pipeline through the middle of a local graveyard, saying it had hurt the religious and cultural sentiments of villagers.

Bheel further alleged that villagers protesting against wastewater disposal and the pipeline installation had faced police action, with an FIR registered against them instead of their complaints being addressed. He said the community had also approached Sindh Minister Nasir Shah, but no practical action had followed.

During a session moderated by Mehwish of the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED), participants also discussed the social and environmental burden of coal-led development on women in Thar.

Mehwish questioned the portrayal of women dumper drivers as a symbol of women’s empowerment, arguing that such images were often used for corporate publicity and did not reflect the everyday realities of women in the region.

She said women continued to bear the burden of land acquisition, displacement, deteriorating health conditions, restricted mobility and the loss of traditional livelihoods.

Social activist Housh Mohammad Mango from Sanghar highlighted the environmental consequences of oil and gas exploration, saying polluted water discharge had contaminated drinking water sources and damaged traditional sources of water.

He also expressed concern over reports of cancer and skin diseases among local residents and called for serious attention to the health and environmental impacts of exploration activities.

Senior journalist Sohail Sangi criticised the provincial government’s development claims, saying the benefits appeared to be concentrated in limited areas surrounding coal fields rather than reaching the wider population. He said development should be assessed not only through large energy investments and infrastructure projects but also through improvements in the living conditions of ordinary people.

Senior environmental expert and Sindh Agriculture University professor Dr Ismail Kumbhar called for the protection of environmental, social, economic and cultural rights of communities affected by fossil fuel extraction and power generation.

He stressed the need for fair compensation, restoration of livelihoods, meaningful community participation in decision-making and transparent utilisation of energy revenues and development funds.

Kumbhar also called for a socially just and economically responsible transition towards clean and renewable energy, saying future energy policies must take into account the rights and interests of affected communities.

Earlier, welcoming participants, Mustafa Talpur of Partners in Development Consultancy (PIDC) outlined the energy situation in Sindh. He said many rural areas continued to face a lack of uninterrupted electricity despite being located near major energy projects.

He said communities living around energy project sites faced serious difficulties, with their lands acquired for development projects, often without adequate compensation, while basic facilities remained unavailable.

The conference was jointly organised by Sath, The Knowledge Forum, the Climate Action Centre, the Civil Society Support Programme, Partners in Development Consultancy, Indus Consortium and PRIED.

Speakers called for greater transparency, accountability and public participation in energy planning, stressing that the success of Sindh’s energy transition should be measured not only by electricity generation and investment but also by improvements in the lives of local communities.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026