THARPARKAR:Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said on Wednesday that Thar coal mining and power projects would prove to be milestone in the development of Pakistan.
This he said while talking to media at Thar Coal Mine Project.
The Chief Justice, along with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, visited Thar today morning and flew back in the evening. He was accompanied by Justice Faisal Arab, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Chief Justice of Sindh High Court Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh and Registrar Supreme Court Arbab Shehzad.
Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah and Advocate General Sindh Salman Talibuddin were with them.
The Chief Justice said that the coal mining and power projects would prove to be milestone in the energy development of Pakistan and Sindh would also be prosperous. He told the media that he visited two hospitals, Mithi and Diplo, and felt that there was a need to some more concentration in health and education sectors in Thar.
“Oh yes, the Sindh government has done commendable job in providing free of cost food and fodder to the drought-stricken people of Athar,” he lauded.
He said he noted that in Diplo taluka, a hospital had two x-ray machines but the largest one was out of order for last eight years while the smaller one was functional, but “I didn’t see the radiologist there,” he said and added there was an operation theatre but again the surgeon was unavailable. “These were few issues which Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who is with me [in the visit] also has noticed and I am sure he would address them accordingly,” he said.
Talking about infant mortality issues, the Chief Justice said that there might be certain reasons [for Infant mortality], but the provincial government was taking efforts to control situation. He added that after 8th Constitutional Amendment subject of health had been devolved to the provinces and now it had become their [provinces] responsibility to provide best health services to their people.
He also talked about a school building he visited near Diplo and said the building was in dilapidated condition.
“The chief minister was with me and he also noted the condition of the school and I am sure he [the chief minister] will resolve the issue of the school in question and of other schools in Thar area,” he said.
He told the media that he had received a detailed briefing on coal mining and coal-fired power project at Islamkot. “These are remarkable projects and will prove to be milestone in the energy development of Sindh in general and in Pakistan in particular,” he said.
The coal-power generation which was almost at the final stage would resolve energy crisis in the country.
Earlier, the Chief Justice, along with Chief Minister of Sindh and other judges, landed from the Chief Minister’s jet at Mai Bakhtawar Airport, constructed by Sindh government at Islamkot. From the airport, they flew directly to Mithi by helicopters and landed at Mithi.
The Chief Justice also visited two MGD solar and electric-based RO plant installed and commissioned in January 2015. This is plant known as Misri Shah RO Plant. Upon his visit, the Chief Justice was given a detailed briefing on the plant. The RO Plant had 16 tube-wells. The two-tube wells are operated on a diesel generator; therefore, a demand note of Rs3,200,115 had been paid to HESCO for electric connection.
To a question, the Chief Justice was told that on average, 500,000 to 600,000 gallons of water per day was produced by the plant. The water is stored in two dedicated storage tanks, each one of 500,000 gallons.
To another question of the chief justice, he was told that Mithi city had a population of 50,000 souls. Considering requirement of 20 gallons per capita per day, the requirement of [Mithi] city came to 1,000,000 gallons and 200,000 gallons of water was also required for livestock. In this way, the total water requirement of the city, people and livestock comes to 1.2 million gallons per day. The Chief Justice was told that water from Mithrau Canal is pumped from Naukot pumping station every fortnight for supply to Mithi Town as well as to Islamkot city and villages situated on the route.
The chief minister drank a glass of water produced by the RO Plant and expressed his satisfaction.
Latter, the Chief Justice visited Mithi Civil Hospital and went in different wards including the nursery, medicine store and operation theatre. He met with the attendants of the patients and asked about the health services. He visited also NICVD block constructed in the Mithi hospital.
Later, the chief minister took the chief justice to Diplo. On the way he visited a school village where checked the muster roll and student attendant register. It was off time, however a teacher was present there. The chief justice also visited wash rooms constructed in the school.
The chief justice also visited Mithi Taluka Hospital where he went into X-ray room and saw a machine with small capacity was functioning.
From Diplo to Islamkot Coal Filed, the chief Justice along with the Chief Minister flew in helicopters where he was given a detailed presentation on coal a power projects. The chief justice showed his interest in Thar Foundation established by Sindh government in PPP mode. The main function of the Thar foundation is social development such as health, education, employment, rehabilitation of displaced people of Thar Coalfield Block-II.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told the chief justice that Thar Foundation would work to make Islamkot Taluka UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) compliant by 2024, six years ahead of global timelines.
The Chief Justice was told Thar Foundation had enrolled 400 children in its two schools which have the capacity of 1000 children. He was told that the Thar Foundation was sponsoring the adaptation of TCF school curriculum from rural Sindh at a cost of Rs50 million. “Three years cycle was being developed on a language formula based on global practice of teaching in three languages, Sindhi- the mother tongue, Urdu- the national language and English. “This curriculum can be adopted by schools across the province of Sindh,” the chief minister disclosed.
The chief justice was also told that a 120-bed state of art hospital was under constructed for Rs2 billion at Islamkot. It would start OPD service in 2019. The Sindh government had released a Rs500 million grant while Shahid Afridi Foundation had given Rs200 million and the reaming amount was being generated from donors. The hospital would be expanded into 250 bed hospital with a dedicated cardiology wing in collaboration with NICVD and Indus Hospitals in 2024. The chief justice was given a presentation on over 71 percent overall employment of Tharis in the project, Thari engineer is programme under which 73 engineers have completed their training from China, Thar Information Technology, Khushal Thar Driving Schools which has imparted training to 100 dumper drivers, including 15 women.
The Chief Justice was told that six RO plants had been installed which were supplying water to six different villages of Islamkot. The Sindh government have handed over them eight RO plants which would be made functional in the first quarter of 2019.
He was also told about bio-saline experiments in Thar under which Bajra, Jantra and many other cash crops and vegetables have been cultivated. At this, the Chief Justice directed the Thar Foundation to expand the bio-saline agriculture on large scale. The chief Justice was told that a Panicum Turgidum Fodder pilot project has been started in 2017. The project is aimed at providing across the year fodder and supply to Block-II. To a question the chief justice was told that since 2017 five harvests have taken place and 400 kg per acre yield has been obtained in three months.
Another pilot project in collaboration with Xinjiang Project of China University has been started in October 2017 where plantation of cash crops, medical plants and fruits were being tested. Trial shall continue to identify the most suitable species in each category for further expansion.
Bio-saline fish farm project launched in Gorano dam was shown to the Chief Justice of Pakistan on the screen in which 100,000 fish seedlings of different species were released and now they were breeding and a two kg fish was available there to catch. He was also briefed about the other projects like Kargah under which a direct link was being established between the buyer and local women/artisan just to ensure that they were being compensated fairly for their art and efforts. They disclosed that a purchase of Rs2 million to date had been made directly from Thari artisan.
Later, the Chief Justice visited a village of 60 houses where a first group of displaced families would be resettled. The chief justice showed his pleasure to see a house of 1100 square meters with all the facilities. He planted a tree there. These houses would be handed over to the affected families of Thar Block-II mining in December 2018. In evening, the Chief Justice along with Sindh Chief Minister happily flew back to Karachi.