KARACHI: The World Bank had pledged to finance a $30 million project relating to Thar coal but later withdrew its support citing a ‘policy change’ as the reason, said Sindh Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro on Tuesday.

He said this while responding to questions asked by Sindh Assembly members during the question hour that pertained to the energy department during the assembly’s Tuesday session chaired by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

Know more: Thar coal projects delayed

The energy department is held by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, but he was not present in the assembly so Dr Mandhro responded on his behalf.

Replying to a question raised by Muttahida Qaumi Movement legislator Heer Soho as to why the international organisation had gone back on its commitment, Dr Mandhro said that the World Bank said that its policy had changed because of environmental concerns relating to pollution generated from the coal-fired power plants.

He said that many environmental groups had also raised concerns and said that coal was not clean energy. He said that a new technology was being used in Thar, where gas was being made from underground coal and that gas would be used to generate electricity. He said that there would be no pollution in this way.

He said the gas had already been produced from coal, while in the second phase that gas would be used to generate electricity very soon.

Dr Mandhro said that the United States and India generated over 60 per cent of their electricity from coal while China generated over 80 per cent of its electricity from its coal-based power stations using old technology, which generated pollution, while the technology to be used in Thar would be new and would generate no or less pollution.

He said that the federal government was financing the project and initially 100 megawatts were to be generated by June 30, 2014, but because of a slow release of funds and concerns of some local as well as international scientists relating to the project, the size of the project had been revised and minimised and now four to five megawatts would be generated by 2015 and after its successful completion a bigger project would be launched.

Responding to another of her questions regarding displacement of locals owing to the Thar coal / power related projects, the minister said that almost all big projects resulted in displacement of a large number of people, which created hardships for them and became a big humanitarian issue.

However, he added that the rehabilitation plan and facilities in model villages having houses, schools, water, electricity, etc, for the people to be relocated owing to Thar projects were so attractive that many villagers from the area had approached the government to relocate their villages first.

Responding to another question by Ms Soho regarding a water pump test in Thar coal project area, the minister said that a 30-day water pump test in Block II of Thar coal fields to determine size and chemical composition of underground aquifer had been conducted and German experts were associated with the project.

He said that the water would be used in the coal mining and power generation that afterwards would be disposed of either in the sea or in the Rann of Kutch.

Responding to a question by Pakistan Muslim League-F legislator Nusrat Seher Abbasi regarding jobs given in the energy department between Jan 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012, the minister said that only one job had been given on the deceased quota in the Electric Inspectorate Karachi Region II with the approval of the competent authority.

As very few supplementary questions were asked Speaker Durrani suggested to Dr Mandhro that since the energy department was a relatively new one a presentation of the department was organised for members so that they knew what its activities were and how it worked.

The written answers said two questions — one asked by MQM legislator Naheed Begum regarding the Guddu barrage power generation expansion project and the other by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional legislator Nusrat Abbasi regarding power dues of over Rs30 billion on defaulters — did not pertain to the energy department and were related to the Water and Power Development Authority.

Pakistan Peoples Party legislators Dr Sohrab Sarki and Mahesh Malani and others also participated in the question hour.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2014