Murad urges Chinese firm to introduce water-efficient seeds in Thar.

KARACHI -- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has urged the Sino Sindh Resources Limited (SSRL) to introduce new varieties of drought-resistant, water-efficient and high-yield seeds in Thar to help revolutionise the desAert agriculture and usher in a new era of prosperity under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The SSRL, which is developing 7.8 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) open-pit coal mine in Thar coal block-1, is 100 per cent owned by Global Mining Company and holds a 30-year lease for block-1 spread over about 150 square kilometres. The block holds lignite coal resources of about 3.5 billion tonnes.

The chief minister said at a meeting with officials of SSRL and Board of Revenue Sindh at CM House here on Monday that Thar desert was vast and rich in mineral resources but hardly a few crops were cultivated there and those too produced low yield due to water scarcity and deeper water table. 'Therefore, I am keen to develop desert agriculture to open up new possibilities of prosperity in the area,' he said.

SSRL vice president Zheng Xing assured the chief minister that his company would fulfil all the CSR obligations. He would involve agricultural experts of China and would distribute seeds among people in Thar. 'Our intervention will definitely realise the vision of the chief minister for agriculture-rich Thar,' he said.

Land acquisition

The Shanghai Electric, a Chinese company, has started development of 7.8 mtpa coal mine in Thar coalfield block-I under the SSRL to install 1,320 MW power plant through a direct investment of $3 billion. The company has started removing overburden for development of the mine.

The company's...