ISLAMABAD, JULY13: The Sindh cabinet has resolved to preserve the Karoonjhar Hills in Tharparkar as a forest and wildlife sanctuary/Ramsar site, in addition to being a cultural and heritage site.
Details indicate that granite mining has been approved in the vicinity of Khasar, subject to approval from the department of forests and animals. The cabinet meeting, which featured provincial ministers, advisors, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and other officials, was presided over by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday at the CM House.
The Granite Excavation Project in Nagarparkar was proposed by the caretaker administration, and the cabinet reviewed the proposal. The plan was based on a 2015 Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) assessment that indicated the area contained approximately 14 billion tonnes of granite. However, because Nagarparkar contains forests, a wildlife sanctuary, and a Ramsar site in addition to historic and heritage assets, the Sindh High Court (SHC) stopped excavation there on October 16, 2023. The Sindh government subsequently appealed the case to the Supreme Court, which decided that heritage, wildlife, and environmental concerns were to be taken into account in any Karoonjhar Hills mining strategy.
As a result, the cabinet decided that the Khasar region, which is 25 kilometers from Nagarparkar, would be a good location for granite mining. A prospective mining area of 3.6 km2 in Khasar was identified in a 2015 Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) report; this area does not intersect with any areas of forest. After receiving approval from the department of forests and animals, the cabinet authorized granite mining in Khasar.
