If these are firm and resolute decisions, then the people of Sindh welcome the announcements with regard to Kalabagh Dam & Sindh Public Service Commission. We wholeheartedly support it. It is good to celebrate this day of positive announcements by PPP and it is high time when Mr. Zardari, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, Mr Asfandyar Wali and other party leaders should set more realistic goals for increasing the pace of development and justice. Now the coalition Govt will have to address the issues of NFC and provincial autonomy. Otherwise it would be a disappointment that a govt whose main mandate was to change the policies of injustice, unemployment, inflation and oppression, is ignoring the main issues and has been busy in transfers and postings. Once again I would like to congratulate Raja Pervez Ashraf and PPP leadership and would like to forward my earlier mail with a hope that PPP leadership and civil society would plan the strategy to materialize these suggestions, Ayaz Latif Palijo said to media.
Sindh Agenda
1. Formation of Malir, Lyari, Ibrahim Haidry and Gaddap Districts.
2. Resolution for Establishment’s apology for murder of ZA Bhutto,
Akbar Bugti, Nazeer Abbasi, Yousif Jakhrani, Lala Asad, Murtaza Bhutto, Ayaz
Samon, Nawaz Kanrani, shaheeds of Shah Bandar, 12th May, Thoree Phatak and
for all martyrs of MRD operation, Balochistan Operation and Wana operation.
3. Restoration of old Hyderabad district or at least merger of District
Matiyari with Hyderabad.
4. Restoration of rural area seats in DMC and NED.
5. Establishment of students and working women hostels at Karachi,
Quetta, Peshawar and Hyderabad for rural population.
6. After restoration of old Judiciary new merit-based appointments of
indegenious Judges in High Courts and Hon Supreme Court.
7. Issuance of lease to 700 villages in and around Karachi.
8. Opening up educational / employment opportunities for old residents
of Karachi in Kiyamari, Yari, Maleer, Gaddab and launching of projects in
poverty stricken areas like Ibrahim Haidry, Gaddap and Kiyamari .
9. Independent inquiry into the May 12 killings, October 18 and
December 27 blasts..
10. Legislation against illegal immigrants.
11. Legislation for appointment of meritorious rural youth in corporate and
private sector & MNCs.
12. Establishment of new multidisciplinary well equipped general hospitals
in Qasimabad, Gaddap and Gharo.
13. Creation of at least 3 new provincial Assembly and 2 new National
Assembly seats for Qasimabad and Hyderabad rural Taluka on the basis of
genuine population.
14. De-limitation and re-structuring of controversial constituencies in Karachi, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad.
15. Merit based appointment of rural youth in Port Qasim, PIA, Railway,
Water Board, KPT, KESCO, SSGC, KDA, HDA.
16. Enquiry of corruption, out of turn promotions and illegal appointments
of last 8 years.
17. Removal of corrupt politicians, governors and bureaucrats from key
posts.
18. New balanced formula for NFC.
19. New Water accord & termination of Thal Canal project.
20. End of Balochistan operation.
21. Removal of concurrent list and legislation for Sindh’s genuine share
from gas, patrol, coal and port output/income.
22. Re-opening of illegally withdrawn cases against terrorists.
23. Restoration of judiciary and supremacy of law.
24. Removal of all restrictions from the media.
25. Release of all political prisoners and conviction of real assassins of
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Akbar Khan Bugti and other political leaders and activists.
26. Re-settlement of haree victims of bonded labor jails at specially
allotted areas around Ganjo takkar / Latifabad / Zealpak cement factory in
Hyderabad and in Gaddap, Maleer and University raod of Karachi.
27. Launching of Keti bandar Port and Thar Coal projects.
28. New employment opportunities & controlling inflation and price-hike.
29. Improvement in overall education, health and communication facilities of rural areas.
30. Plan for genuine results in next census.
Indus Asia Online Journal (Click here to go to home page)
Dirty Thar Coal Versus Environment Freindly Kalabagh Dam in Pakistan.
•It is very strange to note that present Government of Pakistan is advocating for Air Polluting Thar Coal Project Versus Environmental Friendly Kalabagh Dam.
• Kalabagh dam which will increase the water resources of the country is being opposed while Thar coal project, which will consume huge amount of water and will contaminate all water, air and land resources of Pakistan is being advocated by the government.
•Clean electricity produced by Kalabagh dam will be available to every citizen of the country while Thar coal project will pollute all water, air and land resources of not only of Pakistan but also of neighbouring countries like India and China.
•Thar coal will effect each and every living organism while environment friendly Kalabagh will not only store water for the cultivation of land , but also will produce clean energy without carbon emmision, by that electricity it will be possible to pump out under ground water which will also increase water resources and will store water for cultivation of land, Kalabagh Dam will increase wet land for fisheries, will increase green land which will be helpful in decreasing environmental carbon dioxide produce by coal and other fuels and will control flooding and erosion of land and will save lives and lands of people.
•Coal is one of the most polluting sources of energy available, jeopardizing our health and our environment. While Kalabagh Dam will have multiple advantages and will act as clean electricity power house, Sweet water reservoir and floods controller all these things will improve fertility of lands, will reduce poverty and will increase food production.
The Effects of Coal on the Environment.
Coal as a source of energy is probably the most environmentally damaging of
all the traditional sources of energy.
•One must keep in mind that a typical power coal plant generates 3 million tons of CO2 or 17 tons of carbon per megawatt and draws about 2.3 billion gallons of water per annum from nearby source while on land coal produces mercury which not only renders water useless for human consumption but also for irrigation purpose as well.
• “Coal Power in a Warming World” by Barbara Freese et al, published by the Union of Concerned Scientists in October 2008 states that “The underground mining of coal is a dangerous profession, and underground and surface mining are both highly damaging to landscapes, water supplies, and ecosystems”.
• The Natural Resources Defense Council paper entitled “Coal in a Changing Climate”, issued in February 2007 claims that “Coal mining—and particularly surface or strip mining—poses one of the most significant threats to terrestrial habitats in the United States.”
• Figures from “Key World Energy Statistics: 2008″ show that coal is responsible for 42% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.
• “Coal in a Changing Climate” shows that coal produces large amounts of airborne toxic chemicals, including sulfur dioxide, mercury, nitrous oxides, arsenic and lead.
•Coal is a highly polluting energy source. It emits much more carbon per unit of energy than oil, and natural gas. CO2 represents the major portion of greenhouse gases. It is, therefore, one of the leading contributors to climate change.
•From mine to sky, from extraction to combustion — coal pollutes every step of the way. The huge environmental and social costs associated with coal usage make it an expensive option for developing countries.
•Coal mining is responsible for acid drainage from coal mines, polluting rivers and streams, to the release of mercury and other toxins when it is burned, as well as climate-destroying gases and fine particulates that wreak havoc on human health, COAL is unquestionably, a DIRTY BUSINESS.
South Asia.
On one side China and India are planning to curb the Carbon emission by curbing the use of oil, coal and other fossil fuels, and Bangladesh and Maldives are crying for taking measures against rise of seas due to global warming and melting of glaciers and on other side Government of Pakistan is planning to use Thar coal which will not only cause global warming but also pollute the whole environment of South Asia but in fact will endanger the life of 3 Billion peoples living in China, India, Kashmir, Northern areas, NWFP, PUNJAB and Sindh, as the direction of smoke and dangerous gases will be from east to north west of Pakistan. And people of these areas will suffer from respiratory diseases such as Asthma, Bronchitis, Cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and people of these areas will suffer from dangers and adverse effects of smoking without smoking the cigarettes.
Government of Pakistan is leaving no stone unturned for sinking delta dwellers people of Bangladesh and Island dweller people of Maldives under sea by wasting about 10 Million Acres feet water of River Indus from the catchments area of whole of Pakistan in the sea and is not preserving and storing that water in dams like Kalabagh and Basha, on one side people of Pakistan are suffering from acute wastage of water and electricity and on other side Government is wasting sweet water in the sea which is not only causing sea rise and erosion of coastal land for whole of subcontinent, including Bangladesh and Maldives but is also harmful for saline habitat fishes and saline and sea plants like Mangroves
Already Polluted Atmosphere of South Asia.
South Asia is already suffering from the adverse effects of Brown cloud(Accumulation of Dirty gases in upper atmosphere of Subcontinent and is having negative effects on the heath of population of India and Pakistan , Moreover there is already shortage of Ozone gas in the upper atmosphere of South Asia, due to which people of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ) are not having perfect healthy bodies as compared to other races of the world, .In view of such a bad condition of atmosphere burning the coal is just like to throw the people of Pakistan into valley of death, where as there already so many poor workers are daily dying in the coal mines of Balouchistan, but no one is having any care about those poor workers.
There are a number of adverse environmental effects of coal mining and burning, especially the glaciers of the Himalayas, Karakoram, Hindukush and Pamir ranges in Gilgit-Baltistan contribute significantly to the stream flow of the Indus Basin. More significantly, during the dry season these glaciers become the system’s only source. Impacts due to climate change on these glaciers have been studied in recent decades and vivid fluctuation of water flow in the Indus River Basin System has been reported.
Conclusion:
Due to flow of toxic gases and smoke from Thar Coal towards North and Western Pakistan, It is the responsibility of Jammu and Kashmir, Northern Areas, NWFP, Punjab and Sindh Governments to review the adverse effects of Thar coal as it is the matter of life and death of the people of these areas. As unhealthy environment due to smoke and toxic gases will destroy the beauty of land of Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan and will cause health problems such as cancer, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory and genetic diseases due to environmental pollution in the people of Punjab, NWFP, Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan. Thar coal will destroy the fertility of land and will pollute the water resources of the country.
It is the responsibility of Governments of China ,India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Kashmir and Provinces of Pakistan to persuade Federal government of Pakistan not to use Dirty coal while many dams may be constructed for generation of clean energy in Pakistan like Kalabagh and Basha Dam, it is necessary as government of Pakistan is wasting its only Indus River sweet water( 10 Million Acres Feet Water )in the sea while on the other side common people of Pakistan are suffering from the thirst and hunger due to shortage of water and electricity.
Written By:M.AKRAM KHAN NIAZI.
Karachi, Pakistan.
Email:akrumniazi@hotmail.com
Wastage of Indus water in sea by Pakistan versus noble use of Indus by India.
On one side we are blaming India for stealing our water for generation of electricity and irrigation,but question is if we waste our water ourselves in sea as sea fishes are thirsty or as there is shortage of rain on the sea while it is sea which receive the larger portion of rain as compared to land then infact India is doing a noble thing and we Pakistanies by wasting sweet water in the sea, are doing a crime and sin against humanity.
Government of Punjab has chronically failed in protecting the rights of people of Punjab. Which is evident from the fact that it has not made any efforts for the construction of Kalabagh Dam while Govt of Sind is very proactive even in wasting the water of river Indus in Arabian sea.If Punjab govt can not protect the rights of people living alongside river Indus,it will BE better to separate out those areas from Punjab,so that those people can protect their rights themselves. From NFC award it is evident that Punjab Govt has sacrificed the rights of people just for pleasing those who always hate punjab. Moreover Punjab Govt has not raised any concern about the suffering of people of Punjab in Baluchistan,Karachi and Sind. Thar coal project will have adverse effects on each and every living organism,atmosphere,enviroment in Punjab but Punjab Govt foolish leaders has not shown any concern about that project.
Due to incompetent Punjab Government , situation has so much deteriorated that other provinces which are very vocal about Provincial autonomy are interfering in the affairs of Punjab by violating provincial autonomy of Punjab , for example Sindh Province Government and Assembly has started to give suggestions to Punjab that which Canal should be kept opened or closed, which Dam (hydrel project ) should be constructed or not, and which land of Punjab should be cultivated or not, while Punjab Government is completely silent about such interference, while Sindh Government is busy in wasting River Indus water in Arabian sea which is a sin and crime against humanity but Punjab government is making no objection about such wastage.
Instead of wasting River Indus water in the sea it will be better to divert towards Karachi and Coast of Makran and if it is not feasible then it should be diverted towards arid state of Rajisthan and Gujrat,where land is much more thirsty as compared to fishes of the sea.
It is very strange that USA which has the largest reservoirs of fresh water in the world, is seeing its future in desalination of its sea water,while foolish rulers of Pakistan are wasting its sweet water in the saline water of sea.
A very good decision indeed. I think it’s better if a resolution should be passed by national assembly.
microscopic, narrow visioned views. look at kesc in khi, they after being privatized do not operate their thermal power plants…using diesel or other fossil fuels would mean ruin of our economy.
hydro elec and nuke is the need of the hour…
anyway, nothing can be shelved for ever,