THE Pakistan government has ambitious
plans to tap coal reserves under the vast
expanses of the Thar desert, but environmentalists warn that unfettered
development could do more.harm. than good. In its enthusiasm to capitalise on
the interest shown by foreign investors
in cheaply a'v'ailable coal, the government is completely ignoring environ-
mental issues.
Engineers say open pit or strip mining is the only type of mining technically feasible in the region; unfortunately,
they can also destroy the landscape, vegetation and habitat by
s removing precious topsoil.
Besides, coal-fired thermal
plants are known to be
among the environmentally
most harmful of power
options.
Since a sizeable portion
of the coal reserves are located below permanent human
settlements and archaeological sites, environmentalists
and conservationists fear
largescale displacement of
the population and possible
destruction of historical
monuments.
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