Anti Encroachment operation in Hyderabad, Sindh Engro Coal Chief Resigns,
30-Nov-2018
سندھ نامہ سہیل سانگی
سندھ میں بعض اہم واقعات رونما ہوئے ہیں۔ انسداد تجاوزات مہم سندھ کے دارالحکومت کے بعد سندھ کے دیگر علاقوں میں بھی پہنچ گئی ہے۔ حیدرآباد کی انتظامیہ نے پکا قلعہ، میروں اور کلہوڑوں کے مقبروں سے تجاوزات ہٹانے کا فیصلہ کیا ہے۔ بسنت ہال، میٹھارام ہوسٹل، سٹی کالج، دیال داس کلب سمیت 114 عمارتوں کو قومی ورثہ قرا دیا گیا تھا۔ ان پر سے قبضے ہٹانے کا فیصلہ کیا گیا ہے۔ سندھ کول مائننگ کمپنی کے چیف اگزیکیوٹو شمس الدین شیخ نے عہدے سے استعیفا دے دیا ہے۔ اب تھرکول سے بجلی بنانے میں رلا پر گیا ہے۔ تھر کول کے بلاک ٹو میں کوئلہ نکالنے پر اس وقت تحفظات کا اظہار کیا گیا جب مائننگ کمپنی نے زیر زمین پانی کی ایک بڑی مقدار کول ایریا سے باہر تقریبا 40 کلومیٹر کے فاصلے پر جمع کرنے کا منصوبہ بنایا، جس کی مقامی آبادی خواہ ماہرین نے مخالفت کی۔ان کا کہنا تھا کہ اس سے متاثرہ علاقے کی زمین بنجر ہو جائے گی۔مستعفی ہونے والے چیف ایگزیکیوٹو نے حکومت سے عدم تعاون کے الزام بھی لگائے ہیں اور تھر کے لوگوں سے اظہار ہمدردی بھی کیا ہے۔
تیسرا اہم واقعہ منی لانڈرنگ کیس میں پیپلزپارٹی کے سپریمو آصف علی زرداری اوران کی ہمشیرہ فریال تالپور جے آئی ٹی کے سامنے پیشی تھی۔ دونوں نے میڈیا سے کوئی بات نہیں کی۔ فریال تالپور نے اکثر سوالات کے جواب میں بتایا کہ ان کے قانونی اور دیگر معاملات ان کے وکیل ابوبکر زرداری دیکھتے ہیں۔ وہی ان سوالات کے بارے میں بتائیں گے۔ بعد میں جے آئی ٹی نے ابوبکر زرداری اور فریال تالپور کو دوبارہ پیش ہونے کا حکم دیا۔ جبکہ آصف علی زرداری اکثر سوالات کے جواب میں ’’مجھے نہیں پتہ ‘‘ کہتے رہے۔
سندھ کول مائننگ کمپنی کے چیف اگزیکیوٹو شمس الدین شیخ کا استعیفا مین اسٹریم خواہ سوشل میڈیا میں موضوع بحث بنا ہوا ہے۔ مستعفی ہونے والے چیف اگزیکیوٹو نے الزام لگایا ہے کہ تھر کے لوگوں کے بارے میں سندھ حکومت کے ظالمانہ رویے کی وجہ سے انہوں نے استعیفا دیا ہے۔ میڈیایہ سوالات کئے جارہے کہ انہوں نے استعیفا کیوں دیا؟ کیا اب مائننگ اور پاور پلانٹ کا کام جاری رہے گا اور پروگرام کے مطابق بجلی پیدا ہونا شروع ہو جائے گی؟ یاد رہے کہ دو ہفتے قبل نیب نے سندھ کول مائننگ کمپنی کے معاملات کی تحقیقات شروع کردی تھی۔کمپنی میں پچاس فیصد سے زائد حکومت سندھ کے شیئر ہیں۔ اس کے علاوہ سندھ حکومت نے کمپنی کی جانب سے تشکیل دی گئی تھر فاؤنڈیشن کوکروڑہا روپے سماجی خدمات کے نام پر دیئے تھے۔ شمس الدین شیخ کا مقامی لوگوں کے ساتھ جارحانہ ہی نہیں تحکمانہ اور توہین آمیز رویہ رہا۔وہ خود کو ہی سندھ حکومت قرار دیتے تھے۔ اس صورتحال میں کمپنی اور اس کا منصوبہ متنازع بن گیا اور میڈیا خواہ عام رائے اس کے خلاف ہو گئی۔
کالمنگار امر سندھو روزنامہ کاوش میں لکھتی ہیں کہ کوئلے کے کاروبار میں کس کس نے ہاتھ کالے نہیں کئے؟ ان لوگوں نے بھی جن کی زمینیں تھی۔ ایک اہم اہلکار نے یہ تک کہا تھا کہ 2019 تک بجلی پیدانہیں ہوئی تو خودکشی کرلیں گے۔ لیکن آپ نے پیسے سمیٹنے کے بعد اپنا تھیلا اٹھایا اور خدا حافظ کہا۔ یہ کہنا اتنا مشکل بھی نہیں تھا کیونکہ آپ اس سودے کا معاوضہ وصول کر چکے تھے۔ علم ادب، آرٹ، سمیت آپ نے سیاست اور سیاسی کارکنوں سماجی مزاحمت کاروں ، ادیبوں ،شاعروں اور صحافیوں کی قیمت لگائی۔ اور انہیں توقع سے زیادہ قیمت ادا کی۔ تھر کے لوگوں کے پاس شاید بھٹائی جتنا وطن کا وسیع تصور نہیں تھا۔ مگر ایک جھونپڑی، ایک ریت کے ٹیلے اور اتنی زمین کہ اس کی ایک بکری زندہ رہے، بس یہی ان کا وطن تھا۔اس مختصر وطن کو بھی آپ نے دنیاوی علوم، آپ کی ترقی کے نئے تصور نے خوب مذاق اڑایا۔ آپ نے اس خلق خدا کے اس وال کو یہ کہہ کر ٹال دیا کہ تھری باشندے ترقی کے دشمن ہیں۔ آپ اچھی طرح سے جانتے ہیں کہ یہ الزام کس فیکٹری سے آرہا تھا؟ ترقی دشمنی کے الزام بنگال لگے اور بلوچستان پر بھی لگے۔ ممکن ہے کہ تھر کے لوگوں کو علم نہ ہو کہ اس پورے گورکھ دھندے کا نتیجہ کیا نکلے گا؟ لیکن آپ کو تو پتہ تھا کہ کسی بھی وقت کمپنی سرکار آپ کو واپسی والی گاڑی میں بٹھا کر روانہ کردے۔ آپ نے پھر بھی تھر کے لوگوں کا ساتھ دینے کے بجائے اپنی تنخواہ کے لئے سب کچھ کیا۔ اس تنخواہ کو حلال کہا جائے جو وطن کے لوگوں کو اپنے گھر زمین، بڑوں کی قبریں چھوڑنے پر مجبور کردے۔ اور زبردستی اپنی سرزمین سے نکال دے؟ آج کی جدید دنیا میں بھی کوئی ایسا ہیرو موجود نہیں جس نے تنخواہ پر وطن کو ترجیح دی ہو۔ تھر ایک صحرا سہی، ماروی کا وطن تھا جس کو آپ نے بیچ دیا۔
روزنامہ سندھ ایکسپریس لکھتا ہے کہ صوبے کے مختلف شہروں میں تجاوزات ہٹانے کے لئے آپریشن جاری ہے جس سے شہریوں کو سہولت پیدا ہو رہی ہے۔ حیدرآباد ، لاڑکانہ اور میرپورخاص میں بھی آپریشن کیا گیا۔ اس اقدام سے شہروں کی حالت قدرے بہتر ہوئی ہے۔ اس سے بڑھ کر بااثر افراد کو یہ پیغام ملا ہے کہ ناجائز تجاوزات کسی طور پر بھی جائز قرار نہیں دی جا سکتی۔ حیدرآباد شہر میں بھی اہم بازاروں اور علاقوں میں آپریشن جاری ہے۔ بلدیہ اور اینٹی انکروچمنت عملہ نے تلک چاڑھی سے حیدر چوک تک اور اسٹیشن روڈ پر فوٹ پاتھوں اور سڑکوں پر سے تجاوزات کے خلاف کارروائی کرتے ہوئے کیبنز، دکانوں کے چھپرے، سڑکوں پر سجا کر رکھے ہوئے سامان کو ہٹا دیا ہے۔ جبکہ لیڈٰی ڈفرن ہاسپیٹل، اور الیکٹرانک مارکیت کے دکانداروں کو مہلت دی ہے کہ وہ خود یہ تجاوزات ہٹا دیں۔ شہریوں کا کہنا ہے کہ پریٹ آباد فلٹر پلانت کے پاس بھی تجاوزات ہں۔ جن کو ہٹانے کی انتظامیہ نے تیاری مکمل کر لی ہے۔ علاوہ ازیں لطیف آباد اور قاسم آباد میں بھی کارروائی کی گئی۔ آج بھی شہر میں کھانے کے کئی اسٹال فوٹ پاتھوں پر موجود ہیں جس کی وجہ سے لوگوں کو چلنے میں دقت کا سامنا ہے۔ کھانے کے ان اسٹالز کے پاس گاڑیاں کھڑی کی جاتی ہیں جس سے ٹریفک میں رکاوٹ پیدا ہوتی ہے۔ ضرورت اس امر کی ہے کہ شہروں میں تمام تجاوزات ہٹائی جائیں۔ جو فوٹ پاتھ شو رومز یا دکانوں کی وجہ سے متاثر ہورہے ہیں ان کے خلاف بھی کارروائی کی جائے۔
Dec 1, 2018 Nai Baat, Sindh Nama Sohail Sangi
https://www.naibaat.pk/30-Nov-2018/19088
Sindh Nama, Sindhi Press, Sindhi Media
سہیل سانگی کالم ، اردو کالم، سندھ نامہ، سندھی پریس، سندھی میڈیا
The former chief executive officer of the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), Shamsuddin Ahmed Shaikh, on Wednesday cited the "indifference and callous approach" of Thari lawmakers as well as the Sindh government towards the local people as the reason for his 'shock' resignation.
In a move that was received by most executives and workers of the company as a surprising development, Shaikh had earlier this week left the mining company, just a month before the scheduled inauguration of the power plant he worked on for eight years.
The SECMC is a joint venture between Engro and the Sindh government.
Under Shaikh's watch, the SECMC reportedly achieved almost all of its goals and met the targets vis-a-vis extraction of coal, installation of two 330MW power units at Thar coal project’s block-II near Islamkot, and completing the work five months ahead of schedule.
"I tendered my resignation well ahead of time because I was shattered to see the total indifference of the rulers towards their commitments made with the local people living near the Thar coalfield to provide them the basic amenities of life," Shaikh said while talking to Dawn by phone.
He alleged that most of the lawmakers from Thar were totally "incompetent" and too timid to raise the actual issues being faced by the desert region at the appropriate forums.
He said Tharis — both those living in the coalfield area and in rest of the district — needed sustainable policies to mitigate their unending suffering caused by recurring droughts, "instead of hollow slogans and fake promises".
Shaikh alleged that hardly any lawmaker from Thar was committed to providing relief to the local residents through the Thar coal projects by placing the facts and figures before the top brass of the ruling PPP and high-ups in the Sindh government.
According to the former CEO, several functionaries of the Sindh government — which is a major shareholder in the coal mega project — including Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during their visits to the mining site had promised to provide all basic facilities to the local people, including paying them royalty from the coal projects, but when he approached them to keep their words, "they turned a blind eye to my frequent reminders".
"I cannot continue to serve as the chief of a company which despite achieving its targets much before the scheduled time was not in a position to help even the [locally] displaced people due to the indifferent attitude of Sindh government functionaries," he said.
Shaikh also deplored that while the SECMC was all set to provide 660MW to the national grid through the transmission line, no local lawmaker or Sindh government official had made the effort to provide electricity to the villagers living in the coal project’s block-II.
He also regretted that the Sindh government had failed to complete the work on a 123-kilometre-long water pipeline from Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) near Nabisar area.
The retiring official clarified that he had "no differences with the bosses of the company" and that he was proud to be a part of the firm which made it possible to complete the extraction of coal reserves, installation of power plants and more.
"I am still 100 per cent hopeful that the firm will continue its work as per its commitment and I wish all the best to my former colleagues to carry it out," he added.
"It was a very painful moment when I decided to quit the job long before my retirement," he said.
Shaikh had taken up the job as the firm’s CEO in 2010 and his retirement was due in 2023. Abul Fazal Rizvi, until now the chief operating officer of the company, has replaced Shaikh.
Moreover, Dawn has learnt that before his sudden decision to resign, Shaikh had reportedly exchanged harsh words with high-ranking officials of the provincial government, who according to Shaikh were not serious about implementing the various schemes announced by them for Tharis.
Talking to Dawn, the PPP Member of National Assembly and former member of the Sindh Coal Authority from Thar, Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, outright rejected the allegations made by Shaikh, suggesting that his early retirement might have been an "internal issue of the mining firm”.
He claimed that the PPP government in Sindh had greatly helped the SECMC in achieving its targets, and urged Shaikh to “come forward with solid evidence against the Sindh government”.
Dr Malani said no PPP lawmaker from Thar had ever tried to intervene in the affairs of the mining firm "despite the Sindh government holding 54 per cent shares in the coal project".
Sindh Chief Minister's Adviser on Information Murtaza Wahab on Thursday lashed out at former CEO of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) Shamsuddin Ahmed Shaikh, terming the latter’s allegations against the Sindh government“unfortunate, uncalled for and contrary to reality”.
Shaikh has said that he resigned from SECMC in utter frustration over the “callous” attitude of Thar lawmakers and Sindh government functionaries towards welfare and development projects for the drought-hit desert dwellers.
Responding to Shaikh’s allegations, Wahab claimed that the Sindh government, in addition to being the largest equity partner in SECMC, has also provided back up for the sovereign guarantee of $700 million for the mining project and developed key infrastructure in the region.
“What better support can the [Sindh] government provide [than] by giving the joint venture the necessary enabling environment as well as a sovereign guarantee to step in for the project completion," the adviser said.
“Needless to say that Thar coal project is of national and strategic importance. The Sindh government remains a dedicated and able sponsor in this transformational programme," he maintained.
“We won’t be surprised if Shaikh ends up joining the other ex-employee of Engro in a federal government’s advisory council,” Wahab said, hinting towards the incumbent Finance Minister Asad Umar who has previously served as the CEO of Engro Corporation before joining the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.
“It seems that Shaikh has found an exciting career opportunity whose first requirement is to bash his former employers, the Sindh government,” Wahab said.
Meanwhile, the Engro Corporation has distanced itself from the allegations levelled by the former SECMC CEO against the Sindh government, terming them as “his personal views”.
Shaikh resigned just a month before the scheduled inauguration of the power plant he worked on for eight years.
Under his watch, the company achieved almost all its goals and met the targets vis-a-vis extraction of coal, installation of two 330MW power units at Thar coal project’s block-II near Islamkot and the completion of work five months ahead of schedule.
"I tendered my resignation well ahead of time because I was shattered to see the total indifference of the rulers towards their commitments made with the local people living near the Thar coalfield to provide them the basic amenities of life," Shaikh had told Dawn on Wednesday.
He alleged that most of the lawmakers from Thar were totally "incompetent" and too timid to raise the actual issues being faced by the desert region at the appropriate forums.
He said Tharis — both those living in the coalfield area and the rest of the district — needed sustainable policies to mitigate their unending suffering caused by recurring droughts, "instead of hollow slogans and fake promises".
Shaikh alleged that hardly any lawmaker from Thar was committed to providing relief to the local residents through the Thar coal projects by placing the facts and figures before the top brass of the ruling PPP and high-ups in the Sindh government.
THAR: Ahead of energisation of the first Thar coal-based 660MW power project, the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) — a public-private enterprise — is seeking substantial reduction in returns on future energy projects and shift in focus to gasification for fertiliser and other uses from domestic coal.
The “generation cost (of electricity) is way too high in Pakistan and becoming so unaffordable” that the consumer is forced to steal it, according to Chief Executive Officer of SECMC Shamsuddin Shaikh.
Speaking to a group of journalists from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad at the project site, Mr Shaikh said the first Thar coal-based power project of 660MW had achieved 92 per cent physical progress by now against targeted 83pc and the project cost was 20pc less than the approved cost. This had become possible despite the inherent risk of the unknown about Thar, the coal deposit, its quality, etc.
Advocating a reduction both in capital costs and return investments, Mr Shaikh said Pakistan’s power sector had gone bankrupt and it was becoming difficult for the investors to sell their energy to a system which had no way to pay while sitting on Rs700-1,200bn circular debt.
Thar coal-based power project of 660MW achieves 92pc physical progress
He said not only the generation cost was very high but the distribution system had too much losses and theft had become part of it because high prices offer incentive.
“Theft will keep on increasing as prices go up,” he said, adding that all stakeholders — the government, companies, investors, consumers — needed to put their efforts together to reduce power prices and make them reasonable.
The SECMC chief said the power generation should now shift to renewable sources where the prices were declining steeply and now stood at 4 to 4.3 cents per unit, compared to above 8 cents of coal and other fossil fuels.
“The future is now in renewable, not in fossil fuel,” he said, adding that his company was now working on solar projects of 200MW and above at 3.9 cents per unit. In the next 20 to 25 years it will be all the renewable energy and the use of fossil fuel will diminish.
He said the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had given very high rates in the past and should now find the right prices and reduce them.
Responding to a question, Mr Shaikh said the first 660MW project at Thar now in final stage was also given 20pc return but would no more require such rates for the second phase of 660MW.
“Now is the time to rationalise returns and capital costs simultaneously,” he said, adding that every future project should now go through competitive bidding.
“We are ready to reduce prices, others should also bring them down otherwise the country cannot afford electricity while Nepra and CPPA should get together and hold international competitive bidding for all future projects,” he said.
In reply to a question, he said the return on equity (ROE) of 27.2pc for Sahiwal Coal power project was actually 18pc internal rate of return (IRR) on investment which was very high compared to 12 to 14pc global IRRs.
“Sahiwal Power project is a national suicide,” he said in response to a question saying a coal plant in the fertile land of Punjab was not only illogical and hence criminal but also expensive because of huge transportation costs being far away from the port.
When asked what would then be the future of 175 billion tonnes of Thar coal after switching over to renewable, the SECMC chief said the time had come to shift from power generation to other purposes initially to fertiliser production in view of diminishing domestic natural gas. “We should not see our coal just as a resource to produce power, in fact, world is now converting coal into diesel, gas and industrial materials and we should also start working in this direction.”
He said the first ever Thar-based 660MW Lignite Coal Power plant was set to go into production by January 2019 against scheduled commercial operation date of June 2019. With 94pc and 92pc completion respectively, the power project and mine project both are five months ahead of their schedule and will add the first electron from Thar to the national grid by January 2019.
He said the company successfully connected its power plant with the national grid to receive back-feed power supply for plant startup. The next part of this dream will be achieved by next month or January 2019, when the first electron from Thar Coal will be added to the national grid. Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to inaugurate the project.
Mr Shaikh suggested that all coal projects in Pakistan, including Sahiwal and Port Qasim coal projects should use at least 20pc of Thar coal by blending it with imported coal to save foreign exchange and facilitate indigenous resource utilisation. He said the cost of per unit power production from Thar coal block-II would reduce significantly after phases II and III became operational.
He said the first project now in final stage was based on subcritical technology but the company had now asked the government to allow super-critical technology for all future projects in phases II and III to achieve 3pc greater efficiency than subcritical plants.
Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2018
‘Thar coal power plant to start producing 660MW by Dec’
MITHI: Seventy per cent work on both mining and power projects have been completed ahead of schedule and the first electron from Thar Coal Block-II will start generating power by the end of this year, according to Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) chief executive officer.
SECMC CEO Shamsuddin Shaikh informed a delegation of members of Sindh Assembly, civil society representatives, senior journalists and corporate executives who visited Thar Coal Block-II on Saturday that the power to be generated from Thar coal would be the cheapest in Pakistan.
Mr Shaikh said while briefing the delegation on the progress achieved so far in the mining and the power plant construction that they were just 20 meters away from the first steam coal to supply coal to 660MW mine-mouth power plant.
SECMC, a joint venture between Sindh government and Engro Powergen Ltd, was all set to start generating power to supply to the national grid from early next year, he said.
AURORA: Could we start with a brief overview of SECMC’s mandate in Thar?
SHAMSUDDIN AHMED SHAIKH: SECMC has been involved in Thar for the last eight years. For background, coal was discovered in Thar in the 1990s. At that time, the exploitation of Thar coal came under the Federal Government. Two attempts were made to invest and mine in Thar, but due to various reasons they came to nothing. Then in 2008, the responsibility for Mines and Minerals was devolved to the Sindh Government, which took the wise decision that since they could not handle Thar coal on their own, private sector partners should be involved. As a result, an international competitive bid was held and in 2009 Engro became a part of the Sindh Government’s joint venture and this led to the formation of SECMC. Engro and the Sindh Government pooled resources together – on a 60% Engro and 40% Sindh Government ratio – to undertake the feasibility.
When this was completed in 2012, it was decided to set up a 1,200 megawatt project with 6.5 million tons per annum (MTPA) mining at a cost of three billion dollars. Then a number of factors intervened. Firstly, due to the economic situation, it was almost impossible to raise three billion dollars in Pakistan at that time. Secondly, the international commodity market went down the drain and with it the price of coal, and it was no longer economically viable to mine Pakistani coal. So the project went on the backburner. At that time Engro asked me to look at what could be done with the project. I had always been keen to work in Thar, not so much because of the coal, but because I come from Hyderabad and I wanted to do something there. After I looked at the project, we decided to redefine the project from a 1,200 megawatt (MW) one to a 660 MW one in order to make it financially feasible and to approach other companies to see whether they would partner with us in this venture. We managed to convince eight companies to join us; six were Pakistani and two were Chinese.
A: Which are those companies?
SAS: The Pakistani companies are the Government of Sindh, Liberty Power Company, Engro Corporation, Habib Bank Limited (HBL), House of Habib (Thal) and Hub Power Company. The two companies from China are China State Power and China Machinery Engineering Cooperation (CMEC). Another positive was that the Government of Pakistan gave us a sovereign guarantee on our loan, with the Sindh Government as the primary obligator. In fact, the Sindh Government has been the backbone of this project; they have done everything possible for this company. They invested $110 as equity and spent almost $700 million providing the infrastructure, while Engro brought in the best expertise to make the project happen. The Government of Sindh-Engro collaboration has been a dream team for the development of coal fields in Thar.
A: Is SECMC the lead partner in this venture?
SAS: We formed two companies; SECMC (the mining company) and Engro Powergen Thar Limited (the power company). SECMC has seven shareholders; the Sindh Government with a 51% stake, followed by Engro Powergen, the House of Habib, Hub Power Company, HBL, CMEC and State Power International Mendong (SPIM) and the China State Power. Engro Powergen has four stakeholders; Engro with a 51% stake followed by CMEC with 35%, HBL with 10% and Liberty Power with five percent. The mining project at $845 million is one of the biggest mining projects ever undertaken and the power project is worth $1.1 billion. Today Engro is managing both projects, and this shows the confidence exhibited by all the stakeholders in Engro’s abilities and depth. The present government made us part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was a great help and made the financing possible.
A: Why was this of help?
SAS: We became a priority project under CPEC. Within the CPEC, there are a number of projects and ours is the third and fourth one. The first is the Port Qasim Power Plant, the second is the Sahiwal Power Plant, the third is our mining project, and the fourth is our power project. The Federal Government also put up a transmission line from Thar to Matiari. In Pakistan it is almost impossible to work on a power or a mining project unless both the Federal and the Provincial Governments are completely aligned. We achieved financial closure on April 4, 2016 and we are seven months into the project. Our COD (Commercial Operation Date) is set for June 3, 2019, which is when we have to start generating power.
A: What is the full capacity of Thar?
SAS: Thar has reserves worth 175 billion tons and is the seventh largest coal reserve in the world. The Government divided these 175 billion tons into 13 different investment blocks and SECMC was given Block 2, which has two billion tons of coal, of which we will be able to exploit 1.5 billion economically and produce 5,000 MW energy for 50 years. Block 2 represents only one percent of the coal in Thar.
“Of the 1,200 Tharis working for us, 300 are now working on skilled jobs and the plan is to keep training. We have also hired a few Thari engineers and technicians but their percentage is lower than what we desire. Companies such as AmanTech, Hunar Foundation and Descon are providing training on site and we plan to hire a lot more Thari engineers under our training programme."
A: How far have you progressed with the project?
SAS: The coal is located at a depth of 135 metres, so we first have to remove the overburden. We have reached 33 metres and will reach 135 metres in the fourth quarter of 2018, which is when we can start taking the coal out. The good thing about mining is that as you keep on expanding the mine, the cost goes down, which means that the price of coal and power also goes down. In a few years, when we reach 4,000 MW, power prices will be the lowest in terms of any other source of power produced in Pakistan.
A: Where does the expertise come from?
SAS: Thar coal is lignite in type. Apart from the UK, all the coal used in Europe is lignite. We went to Germany to find the best possible company in the business and Rhenish-Westphalian Power Plant (RWE) are our main consultants or owner engineers as they are called. We have asked GE to design our boilers as we want them to be environmentally friendly. In fact Alstom, which is a European company but owned by GE, are designing the boiler. The turbines and the equipment are coming from China and a lot of mining machinery from Japan.
A: Are people from these companies working on the site?
SAS: Approximately 2,300 people are working on the site. Of these, about 750 are Chinese, although there are people from Germany and Japan as well. In addition 1,200 Tharis work there. We decided that 50% of the people we hired would be from Thar; as of now, there are 300 Pakistanis other than 1,200 Tharis and 750 Chinese working there.
A: What jobs do the Tharis do?
SAS: Unfortunately education levels in Thar are very low; people are mostly unskilled (apart from driving and cooking) and until we came in there were no jobs. We are now training them. Two hundred and fifty men between the ages 18 to 23 have been trained by the NLC driving institute to drive heavy duty trucks. Others are being trained in masonry, plumbing, electricals and scaffolding. Of the 1,200 Tharis working for us, 300 are now working on skilled jobs and the plan is to keep training. We have also hired a few Thari engineers and technicians but their percentage is lower than what we desire. Companies such as AmanTech, Hunar Foundation and Descon are providing training on site and we plan to hire a lot more Thari engineers under our training programme. We will also be relocating two villages; Sehnri Das and Thariyo Halepoto.
A: Will there be more relocations as you expand?
SAS: Not for the next eight to 10 years. Sehnri Das, which consists of 171 houses, will be relocated before 2018. We selected the site and 98% of the people approved and signed off on the new location. After that we showed them the layout and they signed off on this as well. Then we showed them the plans for the houses and they signed off here as well. However, I then thought that as these people do not really understand an architectural plan on paper, it would be better to build a model house and show it to them.
A: What will the model houses look like?
SAS: The houses will be built on 1,000 square yards. We have commissioned Murli, one of the best known architects and town planners in Pakistan, to do this. He went and talked to the people; we hired Sindhi-speaking women to talk to the Thari women in order to understand their requirements. They told us they wanted their own space at the back of the house so that they could observe purdah more easily. They wanted back lanes so that they could go to their neighbours’ houses without having to walk on the main roads. Almost 50% of the population is made up of Hindus and although they live in the same village, the Hindus live in one part and the Muslims in another, with a main road in between. We decided to construct the village in the same way; we are not there to change their culture or tell them how to live. We will construct a mohalla for them; there will be a mosque and a mandir and a community market and a community centre. The villagers have approved the model and we will now start building. We approached the Indus Hospital to set up the Marvi Mother and Child Clinic. A qualified gynaecologist and a paediatrician are already in place and in three year’s time, we plan to develop it into a 70-bed hospital.
A: Who is managing the clinic?
SAS: The Indus Hospital.
A: Who is providing the funding?
SAS: It will come either from the project or we will raise the money. On the education front, we have approached The Citizen’s Foundation and we plan to open schools in all seven taluka (tehsil) headquarters. Initially, there will be three primary and two secondary schools, with a capacity to enrol 2,000 children per school; ultimately with seven schools, 14,000 children will be enrolled. We also plan to set up a training institute. Because of our project, a lot of other companies are moving in there. A Dubai-based company bought six or seven acres in Thar to set up a technical training school. They asked us to train the people there and eventually they would send them to Dubai – and this is what made us realise the importance of having a big training institute in Thar. A catering company also approached us to set up a catering school to train cooks, who could then find work abroad, as Tharis are known to be good cooks. A lot of other things are coming up on the periphery of our project and benefitting the people. The project will be a game changer for Pakistan; it will provide cheaper electricity, and because the coal is indigenous, Pakistan will no longer have to import fuel.
A: How do you manage water and electricity?
SAS: There are three aquifers in Thar; at 70, 100 metres and 130 metres. At 70 metres, the water is sweet and suitable for consumption. As far as water for the project is concerned, we have signed an agreement with the Sindh Government to take the water from the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) starting in Nawabshah (this is dead water as it is very saline in content) clean and then use it; in this way we will not affect the water available to the locals. We are using RO (reverse osmosis) to clean the water from the second and third aquifers and supplying it to the neighbouring villagers. The Sindh Government is putting in place several RO plants, so people are happy because they are now getting more water. As far as electricity is concerned, Thar is connected to the local grid, although there is eight to 10-hour load shedding a day, this is not unusual.
“Almost 50% of the population is made up of Hindus and although they live in the same village, the Hindus live in one part and the Muslims in another, with a main road in between. We decided to construct the village in the same way; we are not there to change their culture or tell them how to live. We will construct a mohalla for them; there will be a mosque and a mandir and a community market and a community centre."
A: Can the people there afford electricity?
SAS: Almost all the houses have electricity and the houses we will be constructing will all have electricity. Almost 99% of the people will be employed by us and will be able to afford electricity. Thar’s population is migratory. If there is rain, they stay put and engage in agriculture; if there is none, they move towards the Indus and return to the plains when the rains come. We are changing the culture. If they are employed by us, whether it rains or not, they will still receive their salary. Also, as we are supplying them with water, in case the rains fail, their animals will have water to drink; migratory patterns will change and we believe these changes are for the better. Roads have been constructed, water schemes are in place and hospitals are under construction; a lot of good work is happening. We have hired women to work for us; earlier, even the men could not find jobs, now women too are working.
A: In which areas are Thari women employed?
SAS: I am hoping that by the end of next year, eight to 10 women will be driving our trucks. The majority of women are willing to work. We have employed one of the women at the Marvi Mother and Child Clinic. We realised she was literate and we have employed her to write down the names of the women patients who go to the clinic. Once she joined, other women approached us and we have hired a few of them as midwives.
A: Looking to the future, is the plan to exploit all of Thar’s coal reserves? Furthermore, coal is not a particularly clean source of energy and at some point will the development of alternate clean energy sources become sufficient enough to preclude the use of coal?
SAS: Engro will only exploit Block 2. Coal mining is extremely expensive and other ventures and new technologies will have to come in to mine the rest. In terms of the environment, there are many mitigation technologies, such as sulphur dioxides and nitrate oxides, to minimise pollution. As for alternative sources of energy, we believe that fossil fuels have a life of another 40 to 60 years, until that time other technologies will evolve. So far, there is no technology in the world that has reached the level where fossil fuels have become unnecessary. Our project has been set up for 30 years; Pakistan is desperate for energy, the country is going downhill because we do not have sufficient power, and the power we do have is very expensive, so something has to be done.
Shamsuddin Ahmed Shaikh was in conversation with Mariam Ali Baig.
Courtesy Aurora
سندھ اینگرو کول مائننگ کالکی الیکٹرک پاور کمپنی سکیساتھ کوئلے کی ترسیل کامعاہدہ
9 اپریل ، 2018
