Tharparkar

Tharparkar ( Dhatki/; , ), also known as Thar, is a district in Sindh province in Pakistan, headquartered at Mithi. Before Indian independence it was known as the Thar and Parkar (1901⁠–⁠1947) or Eastern Sindh Frontier District (1860⁠–⁠1901).

The district is the largest in Sindh, and has the largest Hindu population in Pakistan. It has the lowest Human Development Index rating of all the districts in Sindh. Currently the Sindh government is planning to divide the Tharparkar district into Tharparkar and Chhachro district.

History

The name Tharparkar originates from a portmanteau of the words Thar (referring to the Thar Desert), and parkar (meaning "to cross over"). The Thar region was historically fertile, although it was mostly desertified between 2000 BCE and 1500 BCE. Before its desertification, a tributary of the Indus River was said to flow through the region; it is speculated by some historians that this river could be the ancient Sarasvati River mentioned in the Hindu ''Rigveda''. The Thar region is also mentioned in the ''Ramayana'', where it is called "Lavanasagara" (meaning "salt ocean").

Sindh was ruled by various dynasties after the fall of the Indus Valley civilisation. These dynasties included the Soomras, the Sammas, the Arghuns, the Kalhoras, and the Talpurs. These rulers mainly focused on the central and western parts of Sindh while the eastern areas, including Tharparkar were largely disregarded. In 1843, as a part of the British conquest of large parts of the Indian subcontinent, Charles James Napier, the Commander-in-Chief of the Presidency Armies, defeated the Talpur dynasty and conquered Sindh. The conquered areas, including Tharparkar, were incorporated into the Cutch Agency and Hyderabad Collectorate. The government of British India divided Sindh into Collectorates, or districts, administered by British-appointed Zamindars.

Sindh was later made part of the Bombay Presidency of British India. In 1858, the entire area around Tharparkar became part of the Hyderabad District, and in 1860 the region was established as a subdivision of Hyderabad district and renamed as ''Eastern Sindh Frontier'', with its headquarters at Amarkot. In 1882'', Eastern Sindh Frontier'' subdivision bifurcated from Hyderabad District and established a separate district headed by a British Deputy Commissioner, with a political superintendent at Amarkot. In 1906, it was reorganized as the Thar and Parkar district and the district headquarters was moved from Amarkot to Mirpur Khas.

Prior to the partition of India, there was a very strong cultural and trading connection between Tharparkar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, which continued for some years after partition, before the border became sealed.

Large parts of Tharparkar were captured by Indian forces during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 in the Chachro Raid. They were returned to Pakistan only after signing of the Shimla Pact in 1972.

On 31 October 1990, the district was divided into the Tharparkar and Mirpur Khas Districts. On 17 April 1993, Umerkot District was carved out of Tharparkar.

Geography

Tharparkar district lies between 69° 3′ 35″ E and 71° 7′ 47″ E longitudes, and between 24° 9′ 35″ N and 25° 43′ 6″ N latitudes. To its east, the district borders the Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jalore districts of Rajasthan in India. To the south, it borders the Kutch district of Gujarat in India. Umerkot district lies to its north while Badin and Mirpur Khas districts are to its west.

Climate and environment

The district has a tropical semi arid (Köppen: ''BSh'') climate. During summer, it is extremely hot during the day, while nights are much cooler. April, May and June are the hottest months and December, January and February are the coldest months. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during winter are 28 °C and 9 °C, respectively. There are wide fluctuations in annual rainfall and the yearly average in some areas is as low as 100 mm. Most precipitation occurs between July and September, during the south-west monsoon.

Since 1997 the highest recorded annual rainfall was 1306 mm in 2011. Tharparkar has been suffering a drought for several decades and the provincial government has declared Tharparkar as a drought-affected area. Tharparkar was officially declared as in a drought in 1968, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018.

Flora

There are at least 89 plant species of 26 plant families native to Tharparkar. Many species of herbs grow during the wet season while desert shrubs and drought resistant trees grow year-round.

Fauna

Wealth of fauna is considered as a salient feature of this region.The fauna of Tharparkar is a major part of its culture, folk music, art etc.

Sanctuaries

Chinkara wildlife sanctuary

The Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary covers 940 km² in Tharparkar where the hunting of wildlife and poaching is prohibited. The prohibition extends from Chelhar in the north, to Bhorelo in the southeast, and to Mithi and Wajatto in the west.

Vulture and migratory birds sanctuary

Tharparkar has been designated a major sanctuary for endangered species of vulture, while Gorano has been declared a habitat for several migratory birds.

Peafowl conservation efforts in the district focus on preventing the further endangerment and death of animals that are significant as symbols of Tharparkar. In addition, illegal exploitation of scorpions and snakes has been reported in the area.

Livelihood

Tharparkar district is predominantly rural, with 96% of the population residing outside of urban areas. The primary economic activity of the district is agriculture, while the much smaller urban population carries out activities related to agriculture. While the main food source and economic base of Tharparkar comes from livestock management, farming and artisanry are also important factors.

Farming

Despite the arid climate and generally poor conditions for growing crops, the majority of the Thari people are employed by some form of farming. Most of the area relies on scant rainfall to irrigate farmland, however, in some areas of Nagarparkar taluka, tube wells are used. 1,014,000 (50.4%) of the district's 2,011,000 hectares of land are cultivated.

Livestock

94% of the district's households own some form of livestock, while 77.64% of the population is actively engaged in livestock management. The average household owns 8 animals, and an estimated 7.7 million animals make up the total livestock population of the district. Sheep are especially important to the district's livestock economy, with 3 million kg of wool produced annually. Tharparkar holds 40% of Sindh's sheep population, and is considered the most suitable area for sheep in the province. 70.3% of farms use animals as a source of power for plowing land. The percentage of donkeys in the livestock population is notably high, especially for an arid region, with the percentage in Tharparkar being higher than other areas in Pakistan. Despite the size and economic importance of the livestock population, only 12 veterinarians serve the district.

Handicrafts

Art and artisanry have been part of Thari society since the Indus Valley civilisation. Common handicrafts include ralli, pottery, puppet-making, carpet-making, traditional decoration, block printing, cobbling, and embroidery, among others. In Chachro taluka alone there are 6,000 handlooms, despite the lack of a centralized facility. The sale of these products supplement local incomes, and provide economic opportunities, especially for women.

Politics

Between 2002 and 2018, the district was represented in the Provincial Assembly of Sindh by constituencies 60, 61, 62, and 63. The 2008 elections saw three of those constituencies represented by members of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PMLQ), and one by a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
During the 2013 elections, three candidates from the PPP and one from the Pakistan Muslim League (N) won.

Before 2018, Tharparkar was represented in the National Assembly by constituencies 229 and 230. During the 2008 elections, both were won by candidates of the PMLQ, while in the 2013 elections, they were both won by candidates of the PPP.

After a new delimitation of constituencies in 2018, the district is represented in the Provincial Assembly by constituencies 54, 55, 56, and 57, while in the National Assembly, it is represented by constituencies 221 and 222. In the 2018 elections, both national constituencies and three of the four provincial constituencies were won by the PPP, while one provincial seat was won by the Grand Democratic Alliance.

Industry and infrastructure

Industry

Coal

Pakistan's estimated 185.175 billion tonnes of lignite coal reserves are the 7th largest in the world. Tharparkar district alone is estimated to hold 175.506 billion tonnes (95%) of the national reserves, the energy contents of which would surpass the combined energy of the resource reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran.

In Pakistan, companies generating power are completely exempted from the payment of income tax, as well as turnover tax. Additionally, imports from prospective sponsors of coal power generation projects are exempted from tariffs. This is done in order to encourage investment in the country's energy sector. Such investments have included a 600 MW producing project implemented by the Chinese Shenhua Group, and the 1200 MW producing Thar Engro Coal Power Project.

In Pakistan, mineral mining operations are subject to provincial administration. However, in 2011, to encourage large-scale investment in coal mining, the federal government authorized the creation of the "Thar Coal & Energy Board" (TCEB), a statutory corporation that would directly administer the extraction and use of Tharparkar's large energy resources.

In March 2019, new members were appointed to the TCEB including female Member of National Assembly (MNA) Shazia Marri ( NA-216). However, the TCEB's charter requires that there should be one female MNA from either Tharparkar, Umerkot or Mirpur Khas districts on the board. An exception was made, as MNA Mahesh Malani and Senator Krishna Kohli were from and represented the Thar region, despite neither directly fitting the "female MNA from Thar" requirement.

The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company in Tharparkar supplies electricity to the national grid. Despite this, the large majority of the 2,300 registered and almost 2,000 unregistered Thari villages have no electricity supply. Energy shortages and blackouts are common, and one outage during a heat wave lasting 22 hours resulted in the deaths of several hospital patients. An informal announcement made by the Sindh government declared that electricity would be freely provided to Tharparkar, however this has not happened, and electricity continues to be supplied by private companies such as Hyderabad Electric Supply Company.

Several entities have raised issues of potential environmental and health impacts that could result from extensive coal mining and use. The pollution and harm to the environment caused by coal mining and use in the region have led to destruction of habitat, as well as the large-scale displacement of local communities. Health effects of lignite pollution include increases in the risk of cancer, as well as heart and lung problems. Social movements, which some Thari people are involved in, have hoped to address these challenges.

Solar

Bahawalpur district's Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, the largest photovoltaic power station in Pakistan, has a photovoltaic electricity output (PVOUT) of 1596 kWh/kWp per year and a global horizontal irradiance (GHI) of 1925 kWh/m² per year. In comparison, Tharparkar has a PVOUT of 1642 kWh/kWp per year and a GHI of 2005 kWh/m² per year.

In January 2015, at a cost of US$2.98 million the largest solar reverse osmosis plant in Asia was completed in Mithi with the ability to filter two million gallons of water daily. Throughout the district, smaller plants, each with filtration capacities of 10,000 gallons per day were installed at cost of around US$24,900 each.
These plants were the result of cooperation between the Sindh provincial government and Pak Oasis, a water treatment company. Despite such initiatives, much of the arid region continues to suffer from a lack of clean drinking water, resulting in sickness and death.

The efficacy, political motivations, and administration of these plants have been called into question, and as a result of a four-month lapse in pay, workers went on strike in October 2018, causing a significant water crisis.

In July 2018, Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau began an investigation of an alleged illegal awarding of a contract to Pak Oasis. Allegations included a premature payment of Rs 5 billion to Pak Oasis prior to their completion of a water treatment project.

In October 2018, the Chief Minister of Sindh authorized the use of Rs 336.7 million for the construction of 110 reverse osmosis plants. In November 2018, Sindh Government decided to takeover all RO plants in Thar Coal Block-II.

On 16 April 2019, MPA Sidra Imran claimed in a speech in the Provincial Assembly of Sindh that 700 solar reverse osmosis plants, worth Rs 8 billion, were not functional.

Transportation

Road

Only 743 km of quality roads run through the 19,638 km² of Tharaparkar district, considered inadequate by the standards of several NGOs. Major cities of the province are connected by a highway, and the talukas of the district are connected to the district headquarters of Mithi by several metaled roads.

Airport

The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan (PCAA) constructed an airport in Islamkot at a cost of around Rs 972.07 million. The Islamkot International Airport covers 1,000 acres and has a 3 km long runway, and serves both civilian and military air traffic. The Sindh Coal Authority requested the construction of the airport, as the new infrastructure would contribute to the development of the nearby Thar coalfield.

The airport lies within 80 km (50 mi) of Pakistan's border with India, and clearance for the construction of the airport was given by the Pakistani Ministry of Defence on 25 September 2009. The airport was first inaugurated on 17 July 2017 by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah as Thar Airport. It was inaugurated again on 11 April 2018 by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, when its name was changed to Mai Bakhtawar Airport. However, the PCAA does not recognize the airport, and the airport, which has no official website, lacks an official ICAO or IATA code.

Railway

Before the partition of India and creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Sind Mail ran between Hyderabad, Pakistan and Ahmedabad, India via Mirpur Khas, Khokhropar, Munabao, Barmer, Luni, Jodhpur, Pali, Marwar and Palanpur. Post-partition, service continued on the line, with Khokhropar railway station, the last station in Pakistan, used for customs. However, service on that line was stopped after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. The town of Khokhropar and the rest of the Nagarparkar salient were captured by India in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, but were returned to Pakistan in 1972.

On 18 February 2006, after a 41-year suspension, service on the Hyderabad - Jodhpur railway line resumed after the conversion of metre gauge track to broad gauge track. The newly constructed Zero Point railway station near the border town of Khokhropar in Dahli taluka is now the last station in Pakistan on the Hyderabad - Jodhpur line, and so is used in customs enforcement.

The Thar Express, which runs weekly between Karachi and Jodhpur, is operated by Pakistan Railways and Indian Railways. The 700 km journey takes a relatively long 32 hours, and so is nicknamed the 'torture train' by some passengers.

Despite formal Thari petitions for rail service to facilitate migration during drought, government efforts focus on the improvement of coal mining infrastructure.

Telecommunications

In March 2009, the Pakistani Ministry of Information Technology's Universal Service Fund awarded a Rs 930 million contract to Telenor Pakistan for the building of basic telephone and data infrastructure in Tharparkar.

In March 2017, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, in partnership with Wateen Telecom, introduced free Wi-Fi to two villages, as the first stage of a larger initiative. The villages of Tharyo Halepoto and Senhri Dars near Islamkot were provided with 3 Mbit/s internet service at no charge. A second phase of the initiative aims to provide the same service to all schools in Thar Coal Block II. Future phases aim to extend service to the entirety of Thar Coal Block II. Questions have been raised about the scale of benefits of free Wi-Fi to a district where 87% of the population lives in absolute poverty.

Paid telecommunications services in Tharparkar are dominated by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited

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