The Sindh government successfully generated one megawatt of electricity from the Thar Coal Power Plant in May this year through an underground coal gasification process thanks to the best efforts of Dr Samar Mubarakmand. Dr Mubarakmand had tried to develop a scientific process to tap vast coal reserves, but he was discouraged on occasions by the red-tape to leave the job. To highlight the hurdles, the world renowned scientist once said that the pen which is authorized to approve funds for the project does not move until it gets the ink of money. Now the Ministry of Finance has approved a draft to pave the way for foreign currency loans for the Thar Coal Mining Project. The federal government also wants to give legal cover to the loans for the project, which is a part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to newspaper reports, the money will be provided by a consortium of top Chinese banks, including China Development Bank. The ministry has also given a go-ahead signal to the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company to obtain local currency loan for the Thar Coal Mining Project.
According to reports, the federal government will also issue sovereign guarantees for the project by a provision of backup guarantee by the Sindh government while Engro Powergen Thar Limited is constructing a power plant, spending around Rs 4 billion to start work before the financial close. The development of mine will hopefully produce around four million tons per annum coal and the power project will produce 660 megawatt in Thar. Both the projects will cost around $2 billion. Another news report says that 180 billion tons coal reserves were discovered in Tharparkar district in the early 1990s, but could not be exploited due to lack of interest of the successive governments in the country. However, now a consortium of local banks has pledged Rs 50 billion to harness the untapped natural resources in Sindh. Once the two projects are completed, it is hoped that not only the quality of life of the local people will improve, the country will also overcome energy crisis to some extent.
The most important factors hindering the implementation of the promising projects are red-tape as well as corruption. Billions of rupees are syphoned off the development schemes, leaving the nation in lurch as the benefit of progress seldom reach common man. It is hoped that the present government, without going into political consideration, will consult Dr Mubarakmand and try to develop indigenous technology.