MITHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday said the exploitation of Thar coal has been started and by the end of 2023 around 1980 MW power would be generated in four phases with an investment of $5b, while the first phase of 660 MW generations would start by December 2020.
“The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government has opened up Thar coal and is committed to change the fate of Thar region and its inhabitants by carrying out various projects in the desert area,” he said while briefing PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari during a visit to coal mining process and installation of coal-fired power plant at Thar Coal Block-II.
Murad Shah observed that Thar coal project, which was the brainchild of the slain party leader Ms Benazir Bhutto, would prove the game changer in producing the power and jobs for thousands of the people.
He alleged that the previous governments, who did not want to extract the huge reserves of the coal, created the impediments in the mega project.
The CM said that if federal government helped and cooperated with them they could generate thousands of mega watt of electricity adding he alleged that the federal government was committed to resolve the power crises as far as Sindh was concerned.
Murad Shah briefing Zardari said that Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) had so-far inked agreements with five companies to sell the Thar coal.
The chief minister said that the Sindh government was striving hard to mitigate the sufferings of Tharis.
On that occasion, Zardari lauded the efforts of Sindh government and the mining firm for their work.
Thar Coal Mine pic.twitter.com/QQuwvlcJ6W
— CMHouseSindh (@SindhCMHouse) May 25, 2017
Syed Murad Ali Shah said in the first phase SECMC had already planted two power plants which would produce 660 mw of the electricity adding he informed him that total cost of the of the project was 1.8 million USD and would start producing power in June 2018.
He informed him that in the second phase annually 7.6 million tones of coal would be extracted and 330 MW power would be produced from two power plants.
Power Plant at Tharparkar pic.twitter.com/xXL6UpOWkE
— CMHouseSindh (@SindhCMHouse) May 25, 2017
He said that total cost of the second phase would 200 millions dollars would be spent on mining and while the cost of power generation would be billion dollars and that project would be completed in 2021.
In phase three 13 million tones of the coal would b be extracted and the cost of the project would be 500 million dollars and two power plants would be installed each of 330 mega watt with the cost of 1.5 billions dollars and project would start generating power in 2021 adding he said in the third phase one Arif Habib had the shares.
PPP Chief Asif Zardari, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah & ex-CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah visit a house of new village being constructed for people of Thar pic.twitter.com/fw1uGID8EQ
— CMHouseSindh (@SindhCMHouse) May 25, 2017
The chief minister informed Zardari that in 4th phase 19 million tones of the coal would be used to generate 330 mega watt of power he said that 1.5 billion dollars would be spent on the instillation of three power plants while the cost of mining would be 500 millions adding he said that in that phase Mr Arif Habib would be having the shares.
Latter, the chief minister took party president Asif Zardari to Gorano village where waste water of coalfield has accumulated. The villagers have reservations against the release of toxic water there. Mr Zardari met the villagers and assured them that their grievances would be addressed.
