Tuesday, March 10, 2009
KARACHI: An international tender for an airstrip in Thar, approved by the government a few days ago, would soon be called for starting work there as part of efforts to utilise coal reserves on war-footing to meet energy needs of the country, according to Senator-elect Dr Khatumal Jeewan.
In an interview with The News, Dr Khatumal, former adviser to Sindh chief minister on mines and mineral development and chairman Thar Coal Authority, said the airstrip was planned to be built at Shava Jo Daro after addressing concerns of the Civil Aviation Authority and the defence ministry, but regrettably, former Sindh chief minister abruptly changed its location, resulting in litigation. However, the present govt resolved the issue around 10 days ago and the airstrip was brought to its original location.
As the need of water would increase after mining there, he said, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) had also approved a canal there. Moreover, around 25 river osmosis plants had been planned, each having capacity of producing one lakh gallons of water per day by turning salty water into sweet water.
Metalled roads from Karachi and Hyderabad to Thar had been constructed. Efforts were also being made to provide drinking water in Nau Kot. A 25-bed hospital was in the process of completion to meet any eventuality as accidents may occur in mines while a 25-room hotel was in final stages in Islamkot to provide better accommodation facilities to investors there.
Everything is ready now for utilisation of coal reserves, he said. As the country was facing energy crisis, the government had started focusing on utilisation of coal reserves for power generation. The Sindh government had launched a joint venture, in which six multinational companies were involved. An international conference was held in Washington in collaboration with the World Bank for utilisation of coal reserves where around 36 companies showed interest, he said.
Five blocks, each having one billion tonnes of coal, had been given to companies/groups at cheaper rates, which the government cancelled, he said. President Asif Ali Zardari during his two visits to China tried to revive an agreement with Shenhua Group Corporation with whom a memorandum of understanding was signed but WAPDA changed the tariff. He said the country was giving up to 17 cents per unit on thermal power plants while the MoU with Shenhua offered 5.7 cents per unit. When the former government signed the MoU with Shenhua, it was a government company. Later, it was taken over by private groups and President Zardari was trying to revive the agreement with it.
He said a Chinese firm had signed a contract for utilising coal in Tando Mohammed Khan and Mulla Katiar where it would establish a 300-megawatt coal-based power plant. He said six blocks had been prepared and millions of dollars were spent on them. Cost of drilling one hole comes to Rs2 million and PCSIR gets Rs55,000 for test of one layer.
A British company had been given one block, which would conduct a study within three months. Later, we would give them a licence for exploration and a power plant would be established within three years.
Another block had been given to the World Bank. He said the PPP government had focused on energy. The president and prime minister had issued instructions for utilising coal reserves on war-footing. For this purpose, Thar Coal and Energy Board was set up under the chairmanship of Sindh chief minister and comprised minister for power and representatives of other federal organisations to provide one-window facility for investors.
Keeping in view growing energy crisis, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called a high-level meeting for utilisation of Thar coal reserves attended by the four chief ministers and Dr Khatumal. Representatives of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) were also invited to resolve tariff issue.
Thar coal reserves were discovered in 1988 when drilling was carried out for water by the then Sindh Arid Zone Development Authority (SAZDA). Dr Khatumal, also a member of SAZDA, recalled that in the second PPP govt, Benazir Bhutto inaugurated work there. It was the vision of BB to utilise coal reserves in Thar.
She had also launched Keti Bunder project, which was a huge coal project where 5,000 megawatts power plant was supposed to be established. But regrettably, it was stopped by the next govt, which did not give any attention to mineral development.