Karoonjhar hills excavation: SHC orders DC to submit affidavit

HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court on Thursday heard case pertaining to precious stone extraction and excavation of historic Karoonjhar hills in Nagar Parkar, ARY News reported.

Deputy Commissioner Tharparkar appeared before a division bench of the high court comprised of Justice Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Arshad Khan today.

The court vowed not to allow devastation of the national cultural heritage site.

The DC assured the court that the hills were not being excavated at any side of Karoonjhar hilly region.

The bench directed the deputy commissioner to submit an affidavit in the court that the hills not being excavated.

The court maintained its restraining order and adjourned further hearing of the case till September 05.

Last year a local court had ordered the stone extracting companies to halt cutting of precious stone from Karoonjhar hills forthwith.

The court had also directed local administration to remove camps of the companies extracting stone from Karoonjhar hills and ordered SSP Tharparkar to submit report to the court on daily basis.

A Supreme Court bench headed by than Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard a petition against illegal excavation of precious stones from Karoonjhar hills of Nagarparkar in December 2021 at Karachi Registry.

Massive excavation of Karoonjhar Hills was underway to extract precious stones from the hills.

It is to be mentioned here that a division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) in November 2019 had stayed excavation of stone in Karoonjhar hills.

Karoonjhar Hills

Karoonjhar is a historic site in Sindh’s desert district of Tharparkar. The hills have been covered with world’s unique granite rocks and it constituted oldest rocks of earth’s crust and China clay.

The hills were home to animals, birds and rare species, including peacocks, deer etc. It was the only source of water for humans, birds and animals in Nagarparkar.

It stood as a symbol of civilization of indigenous communities and their rituals, culture, customs, traditions, folklore, songs, tales and thousands of years’ religious harmony.

For years the hills were under threat because of illegal cutting for sale of precious stone in connivance with influential politicians and other quarters.

Civil society organisations have launched a campaign for years to get the hills be declared a world heritage so that thousands-year old culture related to Karoonjhar could be preserved.