KARACHI (PR-6-Agust-2025)
Community from Tharparkar’s various villages in Block 1 and 2 travelled to Karachi to participate in a hearing of a petition filed by the coal mining company SECMC before the Thar Coal Energy Board, for
The community vehemently opposed the plans for coal mining expansion and challenged the stakeholders over claims of CSR and development in the region.
“We are facing eviction, livelihood loss, and water contamination due to coal development operations that ruthlessly dumps its toxic solid and liquid waste on our lands, killing our trees and land fertility. Our natural water has been replaced with dysfunctional RO plants. Our livestock has no water to drink and is killed by the speedy vehicles carrying coal. And we are threatened and harassed when we raise our voice on these excesses by the company,” said several community members as they bravely questioned the proceedings of the SECMC petition which was held in Karachi instead of Tharparkar where coal mining is being executed.
Criticising the environment impacts of coal mining in the region, members community denounced SECMC, Thar Coal Energy Board and the Sindh Government for failing to incorporate community’s concerns on coal expansion in the region.
The community members then met Anis Haroon, Chairperson National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) who along with The Knowledge Forum organised a session to document community’s concerns wrt to coal mining in the region.
The National Commission for Human Rights re-emphasized its support for communities impacted by the Thar Coal project. Members community and civil society highlighted the problematic aspects of Wednesday’s hearing and SECMC petition that was in contradiction with applicable laws and procedures reg coal mining.
“The Project Description contemplates an incremental increase of approximately
4 Mtpa, thereby constituting a change in the “scale of operation or design” within the meaning of Section 17(2)(b) of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014. Regulation 18(4) of the Sindh EPA (Review of IEE & EIA) Regulations, 2014 unequivocally requires the resubmission of a fresh Environmental Impact Assessment upon any such change. No such fresh EIA has been conducted.
Moreover, the proposed expansion will inevitably entail a deeper strata removal and altered slope management, and increased dewatering operations, and likely additional land acquisition—each of which triggers fresh ESIA obligations, public consultation requirements under Sindh law. The Petition is silent on these mandatory submissions,” noted Abdurrafe representing the Alliance for Climate Justice and Clean Energy, that had also submitted its comments on the petition.
Attendees voiced worries that if this expansion goes ahead, it could force more villages to relocate, harm agricultural land, contaminate groundwater, and ruin natural grazing areas.
Mehwish Laghari of the Policy Research Institute for Development and Equity (PRIDE), noted: “The officials presented reports that made Tharparkar look like a prosperous place,” she pointed out, “but the reality is that a village with over 8,000 people is facing displacement. The local community firmly rejected the expansion plans,” she added.
Veteran journalist Suhail Sangi expressed concern about the lack of environmental research. “Thar is being pushed into destitution by coal extraction. However, the power generated from coal is helping people from elsewhere, but the region itself still lacks electricity. The new railway line is seeking to transport coal is further seeking to displace the locals.
Dozens of people from Tharparkar, who had traveled to voice their concerns, were clearly upset about being overlooked for jobs. “The jobs are going to outsiders—people from Punjab, Kashmir, even China—while the local Thari residents are left out in the cold,” explained Surendar Singh and Harchand Bheel.
Another speaker, Baiji Bheel, brought up the construction of a new dam covering over 200 acres in the Vijaya area. He pointed out that natural ponds are being dug up illegally for soil, even though a court order has forbidden it, putting important water sources at risk.
Representatives from the community—including Wasatullah Halepoto, Abdul Aziz, Deedar Ali, and Mohammad Bux Soomro argued that the people living in Blocks I and II have already been forced from their homes; now those in Block III are facing the same danger.
An entire village with 800 homes has been told to leave by December 2025. This is simply unjust treatment by the state,” they stated.
Karachi civil society including Human rights activist and co-founder WAF Uzma Noorani, Zahid Farooq from URC, lawyer Rubina Chandio, and Seema Maheshwari, minorities rights activist reached out to those affected, assuring them of their support and promising to make sure their voices heard through legal and advocacy channels.
Anis Haroon, member Sindh NCHR, explained that the commission has been highlighting the struggles of the people in Tharparkar since 2016 and is firmly dedicated to protecting their rights. She said, “We’re planning public hearing in Thar soon to document community’s issued and use our mandate as human rights body to address those at the highest level. The government and corporations need to be held accountable for the damage, socially, culturally, and environmentally, that coal mining has caused.” Anis added, “Tharparkar used to be a shining example of religious harmony, but now, even that peace is under threat.”
Activists, and members community thanked NCHR for its dedicated support to the cause of the protection of the rights of the locals and resolved to work on crafting a collective strategy to counter the negative impacts of coal development in the region.
