{"id":8671,"date":"2024-08-13T11:02:46","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T11:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acjce.com\/?post_type=event&p=8671"},"modified":"2024-10-01T08:54:01","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T08:54:01","slug":"study-highlights-plight-of-tharis-due-to-enforced-shifts-in-land-use-and-socio-ecological-patterns-caused-by-thar-coal-projects","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/acjce.com\/?event=study-highlights-plight-of-tharis-due-to-enforced-shifts-in-land-use-and-socio-ecological-patterns-caused-by-thar-coal-projects","title":{"rendered":"Study highlights plight of Tharis due to enforced shifts in land use and socio-ecological patterns caused by Thar coal projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KARACHI, LAHORE AND ISLAMABAD, September 15, 2021: <\/strong>Coal power projects were launched in Thar seven years ago, but even today these projects continue to threaten the Thari rights and way being as the local communities and their future generations are forced to face severe impacts of land dispossession and bear the heavy cost of \u2018transforming\u2019 Pakistan, a new study has revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research<\/a> study has been conducted by Rural Development Policy Institute (RDPI) and launched by Alliance for Climate Justice and Clean Energy (ACJCE), a civil society group endeavoring for a transition in Pakistan\u2019s energy sector. The research titled \u201cCoal Rush: The Impacts of Coal Power Generation on Tharis\u2019 Land Rights\u201d was launched in a webinar on Wednesday and was attended by experts and activists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead author of the research, Lecturer, Quaid-i-Azam University, Dr. Ahsan Kamal discussed the key findings of the study and shared an analysis of the land and coal-related issues caused by the coal power projects. He pointed out that Tharis are absent from debates on Thar coal, despite their numerous protests. He added that research shows Thari\u2019s land use is dynamic and environmentally friendly, and local culture and economy depends on historic access to private, public and common land for grazing and cropping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kamal further said that coal projects are increasing land and water insecurity, which will have long term impacts for current and future generations. \u201cWe cannot sacrifice our people for profit. Thari voices must be central to all conversations on Pakistan\u2019s energy future,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discussing the legal and policy gaps in land acquisition for coal power projects in Thar, Associate at Alternative Law Collective, Mr. Zain Moulvi said that Thar\u2019s experience with coal projects has unveiled the flawed and draconian colonial era land acquisition laws and procedures in Pakistan. \u201cLegal and regulatory reforms are long overdue and a comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement policy at federal and provincial levels is an urgent need of the hour,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Moulvi urged that the Thari people\u2019s historical traditions of land use, particularly their system of collective rights in grazing land, discloses a uniquely intimate, sustainable and mutually respectful relationship between human communities, animals, land and natural resources. \u201cThese customs serve both as a reminder of how misguided our present developmental practices have been and a source of guidance for imagining a more ecologically responsible future,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharing experiences of communities regarding land acquisition and displacement, Mr. Abdul Aziz from Thar Samaji Tehreek, Islamkot, expressed his concerns of Thar coal companies causing devastating impacts on the locals by making anti-people land policies. He said that as per law, the locals should get survey lands (privately owned land), but the coal companies don’t abide by it. They don’t pay if any mistake or complication is found in the survey land and they are grabbing lands based on the Land Acquisition Act 1894, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Muhammad Aslam from Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) discussed broader issues of land dispossession and details of irregularities in Thar lands. He revealed that after completing all the formalities, the survey lands are fully legal in all means based on government documents. However, he said, even in survey lands, they create irregularities by changing survey numbers, changing the actual names and replacing\/displacing survey numbers. Mr. Aslam added that various tactics such as non-payment, prolonged office visits, police action and deductions in compensations, are used to make to cause trouble to the locals to make them abandon their lands so that the companies can occupy them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Event Videos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual Launch of Study https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zl8jv_6q6SY<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Event Images<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Event Files<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DAWN\u00a0https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1646493<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The News\u00a0https:\/\/www.thenews.com.pk\/print\/892748-tharis-suffer-as-coal-rush-causes-water-land-insecurity<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jang News\u00a0https:\/\/jang.com.pk\/news\/985203<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pakistan Daily\u00a0https:\/\/thepakistandaily.com\/seven-years-on-tharis-continue-bearing-the-brunt-of-coal-projects-in-thar-study\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khyber Mail\u00a0https:\/\/www.thekhybermail.com\/news\/seven-years-on-tharis-continue-bearing-the-brunt-of-coal-projects-in-thar-study\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media Coverage clippings https:\/\/acjce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Media-Coverage.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press Releases<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press Release – Coal Rush: The Impacts of Coal Power Generation on Tharis\u2019 Land Rights https:\/\/acjce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Press-Release-Coal-Rush-The-Impacts-of-Coal-Power-Generation-on-Tharis-Land-Rights.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press Release in Sindhi\u00a0https:\/\/acjce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Press-Release-in-Sindhi-\u067f\u0631-\u0632\u0645\u064a\u0646-\u0627\u0680\u064a\u0627\u0633-\u0633\u0646\u068c\u064a-\u067e\u0631\u064a\u0633-\u0631\u064a\u0644\u064a\u0632.docx<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"template-fullwidth.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8671","event","type-event","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acjce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/event\/8671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acjce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/event"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acjce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/event"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/acjce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/event\/8671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8676,"href":"https:\/\/acjce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/event\/8671\/revisions\/8676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acjce.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}