September 13, 2002	Friday	Rajab 5, 1423

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MITHI, Sept 12: The coal exploration by the Chinese company, Shaenhau Group, will pave the way for development of Thar.

It will also enable the country to save around rupees 4.5 billion annually, spent on import of furnace oil, by using the Thar coal as alternative source for power generation.

This was said by the Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro during his visit of the coal project at Thahrio Halepoto village near here on Thursday.

The coal project is estimated to spread over 9100km and believed to contain about 175.506 billion tons of coal. The coal has been classified as lignite A-B which are quite suitable for power generation.

The governor said that as some industrial units were likely to begin working there in near future, most of impoverished Tharis would get rid of the compulsion of annual migration.

Responding to the demand of Tharparkar district Nazim, the governor said that his government was fully aware of the emerging drought conditions in Thar and a strategy was going to be prepared to combat the calamity.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Arbab Attaullah, Nazim, Tharparkar district, apprised the governor that the onset of a drought of severe intensity had caused a massive exodus from Thar and a considerable number of Thari families were facing starvation.