KARACHI, June 14: The World Bank has withdrawn its commitment of providing an IDA Credit of SDR20.2 million ($30 million) for the Thar Coal and Power Project “because of their policy of focusing on low carbon technologies”.

This was stated by Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro during the question hour on Thursday in reply to a question asked by Nusrat Sahar Abbasi, a lawmaker of the Pakistan Muslim League (Functional). He said the WB took the decision on May 30, 2012.

The minister was answering questions on behalf of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who was absent from the house during the question hour related to the Coat and Energy Development and Mines and Minerals Development departments — both portfolios held by Mr Shah.

In reply to a question by Heer Ismail Soho of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, he said though coal reserves of about 1.785 billion tonnes were found in Badin district in 1992, mining was yet to be started, adding that its quality was better than that of the Thar coal.

He said the exploration was carried out by the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) in collaboration with United States Geological Survey in 1992 near Khorwah, where two coal beds having thickness of 0.2 metre and 0.35 metre were encountered. In another well, two coal beds of 0.9 m and 0.30m were discovered.

He said the GSP in 2006 drilled a few holes and confirmed the presence of the coal reserves. The Northeast Coalfields Geological Survey Bureau had drilled 22 bore-holes in an area of 510 square kilometres near Golarchi and confirmed the presence of coal.

Answering a question by the Pakistan People’s Party’s Humaira Alwani, he said mining had not yet begun in Badin.

Responding to a question by the PPP’s Pitamber Shiwani, he said that despite huge reserves in Sindh, the country imported coal as the Thar reserves were yet to be mined.

He alleged that in the 1990s some companies were to start work but were harassed by the Nawaz Sharif regime so they left the country. He said Thar coal would be used for power generation as was being used in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Responding to a question by Ms Soho regarding china clay, Jam Madad Ali, on behalf of Mr Shah, said that 20 china clay washing mills operated in the province, 17 of them were near Nagarparkar, from where it was mined. He said most workers in those mills were locals living nearby.

Training institute

Not a single institute for providing training in the fields of mining existed in the province, but the Mines and Mineral Development Department was in the process of establishing a Mine Polytrade Training Centre at Lakhra in Jamshoro district under the ADP scheme 142 and it was likely to be completed soon after which it would begin functioning.

The environmental impact assessment of mining being carried out in different districts of the province had not yet been completed. He said that earlier, one such study was conducted in 2006 but its report and the working of the firm conducting the study were unsatisfactory, so the contract of the company was cancelled.

He said a study to assess the ‘Environmental effects due to mining activities in different districts’ was being conducted under the ADP scheme 144 and it was hoped that soon its report would be submitted to the department and would be reviewed and evaluated.

He agreed with Ms Alwani that owing to the china clay’s washing process the effluents thus generated and subsequently released outside the units would, owing to seepage in ground, contaminate the subsoil aquifers in the vicinity. He urged the people living in the vicinity to refrain from using well water, which could be injurious to health. He said efforts were being made to ensure that the factories followed environmental laws and did not release hazardous material outside their premises.

He said that earlier the subsoil water in the province was sweet and wells could be dug anywhere, but it was not so now as underground water at many places had been polluted. He said the government was installing plants to treat and make the water fit for human consumption.

Nusrat Abbasi and Marvi Rashdi of the PML-F; Zareen Majeed, Bilquis Mukhtar and Khwaja Izhar-ul-Hassan of the MQM, Arif Jatoi of the NPP, Razzaque Rahimoon of the PML and others also asked supplementary questions. Speaker Nisar Khuhro, who was presiding over the session, helped ministers Ayaz Soomro and Jam Madad Ali in replying to questions.