Islamabad:Chairman of Thar Citizen Forum, Obhayo Junejo, said on Wednesday that mining projects in Thar were affecting the ecosystem of the region.
Addressing the press conference here at the National Press Club, he said that the waste material from coal, china clay and salt mining was released in the open areas, which not only contaminated the underground water but also brought health issues to the lives of humans and animals and also affected the cultivation process.
He also highlighted the unemployment situation in Thar and said that although several development projects were underway, people from other regions hired instead of local residents.
There were three power plants of 2640 MW installed on the coal of Thar, but people of the region had been deprived of the facility of electricity, Junejo said. He also focused on the lack of road safety measures in Thar and said, ‘Due to the lack of safety systems in Thar, there are more road accidents and other incidents.’.
He also said that the land of people
was forcefully bought for the execution of projects, while on the contrary, the residents were demanding that land should be taken on lease for any project so that after the completion of the project, it could be handed over back to the original owner. In this regard, he retaliated to frame a grand Thar land policy.
He demanded the establishment of water treatment plants so that water should be tested and treated and brought into the use of agriculture and livestock, etc.