environmental & social baseline of coastal region of thatta district part – 1: dhabeji –...

ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL BASELINE OF

COASTAL REGION OF

THATTA DISTRICT

PART-1DHABEJI – GHARO COASTAL AREA

Prepared by

Dr. Mirza Arshad Ali Beg

136 C Rafahe Aaam Housing Society

Karachi 75210

ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL BASELINE OF COASTAL REGION OF THATTA DISTRICT

Part – 1: Dhabeji – Gharo – Rann Pethani Ecosystem

Dr. Mirza Arshad Ali Beg136 C, Rafahe Aam Housing SocietyKarachi 75210

This Report forms Part – 1 of a series of papers that present anoverview of the physical and socioeconomic environment of coastalarea extending from Gharo-Mirpur Sakro-Ghorabari-Keti Bandar-ShahBandar-Jati of Thatta District that forms the macroenvironment ofthe Study area. The Report is part of the Environmental ImpactAssessment Study for establishment of a wind farm carried out bythe author in December 2011 and January 2012. The Study Areaforms the microenvironment that comprises the site of the WindFarm at the Gharo Pumping Station 2.4 km off the NationalHighway: N5 in Union Council Dhabeji, Taluka Mirpur Sakro SindhProvince. The physical features such as physiography, geology,soil classification, land capacity, land use, water resources,natural hazards, climate, hydrology, sea conditions, ambient airquality and noise emission issues in the macroenvironment aredescribed in this Report. Secondary data and maps prepared by theGeological survey of Pakistan and Soil survey of Pakistan,published literature; District Census Reports (DCRs) etc. havebeen used in this compilation. Figures and Tables derived frompublished literature are referenced in the text that follows.

The macroenvironment i.e. Thatta District is spread over 17,355km2 or 1.735 million hectare and is located between 23°43' to25°26'N and 67°05' to 68°45'E in Sindh, Pakistan. The district isbounded on the north by Dadu district, on the east by Hyderabadand Badin districts, on the south by Rann of Kutch area and theArabian Sea and on the west by Karachi District. According to the1998 census of Pakistan, it had a population of 1,113,194 ofwhich 11.21% were urban. The population of Thatta District was

projected in the year 2008 at 1.469 million, with 778 thousandmales and 691 thousand females.

The Microenvironment of Study AreaLocation: The Study Area falls in the administrative unit calledUnion Council Dhabeji in Mirpur Sakro Taluka, District Thatta,Sindh Province, Pakistan. The Study area is approximately 65 kmfrom Karachi and 2.4 km off the National Highway; its coordinatesare as follows:

Table I: Location coordinates of Study AreaPoint Coordinates1 24°46'15.00"N, 67°35'56.82"E2 24°46'18.30"N, 67°36'19.08"E3 24°47'39.90"N, 67°35'52.74"E4 24°47'24.00"N, 67°33'22.14"E5 24°47'18.06"N, 67°33'18.24"E6 24°46'44.64"N, 67°34'30.66"E

Physical Environment of Macroenvironment Physiography and Geology: The coastal area extending from Gharo-Mirpur Sakro-Ghorabari-Keti Bandar-Shah Bandar-Jati lies in thesouth western part of Sindh Province and is mostly covered by theIndus Delta of the ancient past. In its physical aspects theDistrict has features varying from coastal swamps to fresh watermarshes and lakes, and from river islands to coastal deltas.However, this wide variation has been degraded as a result of

inadequacies of the irrigation system that has outlived its ageand the lack of fresh water flow in the Indus River and henceinto the Arabian Sea.

The existing terrain of the district consists of the Makli Hills close to the Thatta City. These hills are 32 kilometers in lengthand are home to the archaeological site as well as necropolis dating back to the 15th century and the ancient past.

The western and northwestern part of the district consists ofhilly tracts known as Kohistan. The hills are bare and mostlycomposed of limestone while the valleys are covered with grass orbrushwood. Southwards, the area degenerates into sandy wastes,uncultivated and wasteland that is almost devoid of vegetation.There are short ranges of low stones, hills that are intersectedby nais or torrent beds which carry the drainage of the Kirthar -Kohistan into the Baran nai and over to the Indus. To the west,wind has blown sand over large tracts of land. In the south andsouth east are the Ghorabari, Keti Bandar, Kharo Chann, ShahBander and Jati Talukas which are home to an extensive creeksystem that formed the channels of the Indus Delta. These talukasare constituents of a wide expanse of salt waste, embracing alarge part of the land between Sir and Khori Creeks and the greatSirganda salt deposits which consist of many square kilometers ofsolid salt.

Physiography and Geology of MicroenvironmentThe Study area forms the eastern part of a synclinorium thatstretches from Rann Pethani River to Ghaggar nala othe west andMehar and Mol Jabals (mountains) in the north to the swampy areaof the Gharo Creek in the south. The microenvironment comprisingthe coastal area from Ghaggar Nala-Dhabeji Nala-Rann Pethani(GDRP) can be considered a distinct ecosystem on the north of therailway line. It is more or less level and was found fairlycovered with grass and/or brushwood. The physical landscape hasevolved under sub-tropical and arid conditions. The effects ofaridity are visible in the erosional work of the Ghaghar nala,Dhabeji nala and Rann Pethani River and their tributaries thatcross the railway line. The otherwise barren land is dispersed

with scanty vegetation and with agricultural fields near the bedsof the nalas.

The land area of the GDRP ecosystem is the drainage basin of theGhaggar and Dhabeji nalas and also of the Rann Pethani River bothsystems discharge into the Gharo Creek. The Gharo filtrationplant is located about two km from National Highway. The GharoCreek also receives some spill over from the filtration plant.The land area between the Railway line and the Super Highway isunder subsistence farming and grows maize for fodder.

The area to the south of the GDRP ecosystem slopes towards theGharo-Phittee salt water creek and has the open sea about 10 km

down south. The area from the Railway line to the creek is Environmental Profile of Ghaggar-Dhabeji-Gharo

Ecosystemgravelly, and is scene for extensive excavation of gravel, sandand silt for the construction industry in Bin Qasim and Gadap

towns. The area from about one km to the creek is sandy-cum-muddysub-stratum, with very soft mud and mangrove vegetation. It hasthree salt pans along the sandy-muddy terrain of the creek. Thiscreek also houses the archaeological site of Bhambore.

The presence of concealed structures under the hills, plains andrivers can fairly be deduced. Rock aggregates, sand, glass sand,limestone and clay are some of the potentials for gainfulutilization. Members of the Gaj Formation offer ground waterpotential for limited use.

Topography: The Project area has variegated topography ranging inheight from below the datum level in the south along the tidalswamps and mud flats of coastal strips to the maximum of 525meters above the mean sea level at Mol escarpment in SindhKohistan.

The project location is covered with un-differentiated piedmontand sub-piedmont deposits consisting of loosely packed boulders,cobbles, pebbles and coarse to fine stand. Its topographicalfeatures can be described as follows:

Plains and Plateau of Ghaggar - Rann Pethani Interflows: The vast tract ofland lying between the Ghaggar - Rann Pethani forms theinterflows of the drainage systems of the two streams. This areahas very little natural drainage scars, which indicate its havinga rocky base of alternating layers of consolidated sandstone,intervened by silt and clay beds.

Plains and Hills of the Coastal Belt: The southern part of GDRP ecosystemfollows the coastal strip of the Gharo and Korangi creeks,demarcating the western edge of the old Indus delta. The areas,to the south of the east-west baseline of the triangular outlineof the vast synclinorium, subsided and were covered by the seamaking a shallow basin. In the course of time the deltaicdeposits of the Indus River filled this shallow basin and thenorthern part of the basin, which coincided with a fault linemaking the coastal edge. The terrain rises gradually northwardfrom the Arabian Sea, culminating in low, flat-topped, parallel

hills. Sub-parallel ridges interrupted by wide interveningplains, categorized as marine denudation plains, sand dunes, andmarine terraces, are prominent features of this area.

The site proposed for the Wind Farm is enclosed between theNational Highway N5 in the south and the Pakistan Railway line inthe north, and between the Dhabeji nala just ahead of DhabejiRailway Station on the west has the Tota Pahari in the west, GharoPumping Station and its residential area in the east, the GharoCreek in the south and south east. Pipri and Badel Nala flownorthwest of the proposed site. This nala ultimately falls intothe Gharo creek located in the adjacent south of the proposedsite. The land use of the rest of the project area is dividedamongst industrial plots; public and civic buildings; roads,railway lines, and drains that are passing through the industrialarea.

The Study Area is approximately 65 km from Karachi, Capital ofSind Province, with elevation ranging from 70 to 180 feet fromsea level. Ground flat terrain in the south eastern part of thestudy area is 70-80 feet above sea level while north westernhilly part of the project area is 100-180 feet above sea level.

The proposed wind farm site is covered under the MioceneSedimentary Rocks (Limestone, sandstone and Shale) of Tertiaryage and Pliocene and Miocene Sedimentary Rocks (Shale, Sandstone,Conglomerate and Limestone) of Tertiary ages.

SoilThe texture of soils in the wind corridor ranges from loamy saline, silty and clayey in the coastal areas to gravely, mainly loamy and clayey soils in the inland areas. The soils of proposedwind farm site are also classified as mainly loamy saline and part gravely.

PropertiesSome part of the Study area soil is strongly saline and some partis strongly calcareous (moderately alkaline).

Land UseThe land area covered by the wind farm site consists of complexof agriculturally unproductive (rock) land and some poor grazing(gravely land). This area constitutes about 30% of the total windfarm area and is also incapable of agriculture as the soilunderneath mainly consists of rock and gravel. The remainingportion (about 70%) of the land is a complex of poor torrent-watered crop land and poor (loamy) grazing land. Some part ofthis land is capable of agriculture since it is being fed bytorrent water whereas the remaining portion comprises grazingarea (capable of growing grass and shrubs).

Figure 2: Desertified arid land of Dhabeji

Seismicity & Natural Disasters

The seismicity map of Pakistan and the shows that the GDRPEcosystem has been hit by earthquakes a number of times, but thedepth of their epicenter is not usually lower than 33 km. The mapalso shows the yellow line, which marks the frequency zones aswell as the fault lines. It also shows that the yellow line onentering the Arabian Sea bifurcates into a line that travelsalong the coastline while the other goes southwest. Thisindicates that there are quite a few other active faults in LowerSindh, including a thrust-and-fold belt extending northwardparallel to the transform fault separating India from Asia, andthe Rann of Kuch fault system trending westward towards Jhimpir,Karachi city and Makran Coast bordering the Arabian Sea. The mapdoes not show the presence of the unique Mud Volcanoes, which arestill active on the Balochistan coast.

Seismic activity in the macroenvironment of the GDRP ecosystemthat includes the Study Area, is caused by the dynamics of slowbut constant relative motion of the active Karachi TripleJunction (KTJ) of three major tectonic plates viz. the IndianPlate, the Arabian Plate, and the Eurasian Plate of the earth's

Fig.03. Seismic risk map of Karachi-Hyderabad Divisions, showing major active faults (after Mirza et al., 1984).

crust. Their corresponding fault systems comprising a subductionzone, a transform boundary, and the ancient rift system,intersect in the general vicinity. Each produces a distinct typeof ground motion and appears to have been reactivated, with anassociated hazard risk that can be disastrous. Seismic activityin the region is the result of movement on one or more faults andmainly from intra-plate active faults, including the Karachi-Jati, Allah Bund-Rann of Kutch, Surjan-Jhimpir, and Pab.

The macroenvironment of GDRP is about 200 km on the NEE, whileKarachi lies approximately 160 km east of the triple junction.The western and north-trending arms of the triple junctionsustain convergent and trans-current rates of 28-33 mm/yrrespectively1.

The presence of a recently discovered active Sonne faultindicates that the Arabian plate has been fragmented across thesouthwest corner of the triple junction defining a triangularplate: the Ormara plate2 whose velocity relative to the Arabianplate increases the subduction velocities by a few millimetersper year compared with the rate at the west. In addition to theseclearly defined plate boundaries, other active structural zoneshave produced damaging earthquakes that have been felt in themacroenvironment of GDRP in the past 200 years. They include thefollowing faults: (1) Karachi-Jati, (2) Surjan-Jhimpir, (3) Pab Fault (4) Hab Fault(5) Allah Bund-Rann of Kutch, (Fig. 03).

1 “Geodetically constrained Indian plate motion and implications for plate boundary deformation”, Apel, E, R., Bürgmann, P. Bannerjee, and B. Nagarajan, 2006, EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union 85,52 T51B-1524 Fall meeting supplement2 “Newly identified strike-slip plate boundary in the northeastern Arabian Sea, Kukowski, N.,T Schillhorn, E. R. Flueh, and K. Huhn, Geology 28, 355-358 (2000), [Abstract/ Free Full Text] [CrossRef] [ISI] [GeoRef]

Surjan Fault: These N-S trending dip-slip or bedding-plane faults areactive along the Kirthar Range Front. This fault cuts across theQuaternary deposits on the north of Karachi and west of MirpurSakro. The southern end of this fault is intersected by thenorthwest trending Jhimpir Fault on the west of Jhimpir. Theinteraction of these two faults is characterized by at least fourteleseismic events of shallow focal depth and magnitude 3-6. Themaximum magnitude of the earthquake associated with the SurjanFault is of the order of M ≈ 6-1.

Jhimpir Fault: A number of epicenters are located on this N-Wtrending fault. The fault has produced an earthquake of M ≈ 5.6on Richter scale.

Pab Fault: This NNW-SSE trending is 135 km in length andislocated in the eastern part of the Pab Range and hasdislocated vertically the Quaternary alluvial fans. Themaximum magnitude of the earthquake associated with thisfault is of the order M ≈ 7.0 on Richter scale.

Hab Fault: The Hab valley is traversed by this fault.

Rann of Kutch Fault: This E-W trending fault has producedearthquake of the order of M ~ 7.6 on Richter scale. In 1819and 1956, this fault was responsible for severe earthquakesin Gujrat, Tharparkar and Indus delta. This fault system alsoknown as Allah Bund Fault passes in the proximity of the SteelMills and Karachi Nuclear Power plant. It is 225 km in length andis responsible for the production of earthquake of considerablyhigh magnitude of up to 7.6 M on Richter scale and of IX to Xintensity on the Modified Mercali, MM scale on June 16, 1819.

Additionally a complex series of faults generally oriented easterly and slightly concave to the north have been identified

through aerial photographs. They are roughly parallel to the inferred zone of rupture for the 1819 earthquake event.

Over the last sixty years, earthquakes of intensity lower than 5on Richter Scale, including those in 1945 and 1985, have struckthe region comprising the macroenvironment and thus far they havebeen of minor significance. This is mainly because theearthquakes here are not "Inter-Plate" or "Plate Boundary"earthquakes which occur commonly along narrow zones that followthe edges of tectonic plates.

The tectonic fault that produced the 2001-Bhuj earthquake, whichregistered a massive 7.7 on the Richter scale, was part of acomplex system of geologic faults that run northwest in Gujratthrough the marshy Rann of Kutch, where it produced a magnitude7.6 quake in 1819, and also ran into Pakistan. While concealedunder the loose sand of the Rajasthan and Thar deserts andsediments of the Indus delta, this system of faults appears tocontinue to the west, passing through Karachi and while extendinginto the Arabian Sea, it intersects another system of faultsassociated with a major tectonic boundary that has produceddevastating earthquakes as far north as Quetta in the past.Together these fault systems have produced historically largeearthquakes within Kohistan, notably in the Pab Range, Thattataluka, and Jhimpir areas.

It is the Intra-plate type of earthquakes (Mid-Plate Earthquakes)that occur far away from plate boundaries. The latter typeearthquakes are less frequent but are capable of releasing justas much energy in a single event as one of similar intensityalong a plate boundary. These arise due to localized systems offorces in the crust sometimes associated with ancient geologicalstructures such as in the Rann of Kutch. Thus while the October8, 2005 megathrust earthquake was the direct result of theinteraction between Indian Plate and the Eurasian plate, the

earthquakes of July, August and October 11 in themacroenvironment are intra-plate or Mid-Plate events.

It may be noted that no earthquake, including the 1945 Makran and2001 Bhuj events, as well as the occasional shaking from M 4-5earthquakes on faults in Kohistan, has ever produced documenteddamage anywhere. Although the 1819 earthquake was apparentlysimilar or larger in magnitude than the 2001 Bhuj event, littledamage occurred in Thatta and Hyderabad in 1819 compared to 2001even though the former event was closer to these towns/cities.3

The following Table shows the earthquake occurrences over thelast forty years. The Table does not include the numerous eventsof magnitude less than 4.0 on Richter scale. Earthquakes ofrecent occurrence were recorded on July 16, 2005, followed by oneon August 6, another on August 13, yet another on October 9 andthen again on October 11, 2005. They were all of magnitudebetween 4 and 5.1 on Richter scale. The epicenter of theseearthquakes was away from those listed in table. The epicenter ofthe most recent tremor of January 2, 2009 was 100 kilometers inthe coastal region of Thatta district. It had a shallow depth of10 kilometers and magnitude of 2.2 M on Richter scale.

Table showing Epicenter, Depth, Magnitude & Intensity of Earthquakes In GDRP Ecosystem

Coordinates Depth

MagnitudeRichterScale

IntensityMM

Location

24o70’N66o00E

0 4.50 - Karachi

03N67o76’E40 4.50 - Karachi

25o 0N68o00’ E

- 5.0 VI-VII Jhimpir

3 Seismic Hazard in Karachi, Pakistan: Uncertain Past, Uncertain Future, Roger Bilham,Sarosh Lodi, Susan Hough, Saria Bukhary, Abid Murtaza Khan, and S. F. A. Rafeeqi, Seismological Research Letters; November 2007; v. 78; no. 6; p. 601-613; DOI: 10.1785/gssrl.78.6.601

24o 61N66o42’E

19 4.10 - Karachi

25o 28N66o65’E

33 4.90 V Karachi

25o 00N68o00’E

- 4.50 V Jhimpir

25o 35N66o71’E

33 4.50 V Karachi

25o 00N68o00’E

- 5.00 VI Jhimpir

25o 48N66o33’E

57 4.90 V Karachi

25o 50N66o80’E

- 4.50 V Gadani

25o 22N66o59’E

33 4.90 V Karachi

24o 96N70o38’E

14 4.70 V Karachi

25o 86N66o41’E

33 4.70 VI Karachi

24o 90N67o39’E

33 5.00 VI Karachi

25o 34N66o60’E

33 4.50 V Karachi

25o 25N67o76’E

33 3.60 IV Karachi

25o 06N66o76’E

33 - - Karachi

25o 69N66o46’E

33 4.40 V Karachi

24o 85N66o35’E

33 4.50 V Karachi

24o 31N67o18’ 10 2.2 IV Thatta

According to the map created by Pakistan MeteorologicalDepartment, the country is divided into 4 zones based on expectedground acceleration. The areas surrounding Quetta, those alongthe Makran coast and parts of the NWFP, and also along the Afghan

border fall in Zone 4. The rest of the NWFP lies in Zone 3, withthe exception of southern parts of this province, which lie inZone 2. The remaining parts of the Pakistani coastline also liein Zone 3. The remaining parts of the country lie in Zone 2.According to this classification the GDRP ecosystem would beplaced in Zone 2.

In view of the not too distant location of the Study Area toAllah Bund Fault line, it is suggested that GDRP ecosystem shouldbe placed in Zone 2A i.e. between Zone 2 and Zone 3. The seismichazard, in view of the historical data, has been estimated forGDRP ecosystem as "moderate to major". This suggests the"possibility" of earthquakes of intensity V to VII on (MM) scaleand "probability" of those above VII. The seismic risk factor ofg/20 must therefore be incorporated in the design factor for theconstruction of Wind Towers and Turbines. Moreover in view of theRock Quality Designation (RQD) values being generally lower than30% which shows poor Rock Quality and low load bearing capacityof the soil of the area, the risk of liquefaction during major (>7 on Richter Scale) earthquakes will have to be taken intoaccount. The appropriate mitigation measures would be to providebored reinforced concrete piles to minimize the risk ofliquefaction threat during major (> 7 on Richter Scale)earthquake.

Figure 4: GSHAP hazard map of Pakistan4: color scale indicates peak ground acceleration (m/s/s) with 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years) compared to (B) a recently revised hazard map following the 2005 earthquake (working group on Pakistan Hazard 2006; zonation 4 is most hazardous, Zone 1 is least hazardous).

4 Giardini, D., G. Grunthal, K. Shedlock, and P. Zheng (1999). The GSHAP Global Seismic Hazard Map. Annali di Geofisica 42,1,225 – 1,230.[GeoRef]

Tsunamis Major damages done by Tsunamis, the impulsively generatedseawater waves that are not necessarily the result of underwaterearthquakes, have not been recorded for the coastline south ofKarachi. There are, however, evidences of a 1.2 m tsunamigenerated by an offshore earthquake of intensity 8 M in 1945,which caused only minor damages in Port Qasim area. This eventwas followed by another Tidal wave that was recorded in 1953. TheTsunami of December 26, 2004 had no impact on the Study Area inthe GDRP ecosystem.

Tsunami hazards exist on the contiguous coastline. The > 1-hourdelay between the main shock and the arrival of the damagingtsunami associated with the 1945 earthquake was very probablycaused by submarine slumping offshore rather than direct upliftof the coast. If this were indeed the case, even a modestearthquake in the Rann of Cutch region would be sufficient totrigger a submarine slide that would endanger the shoreline ofKarachi and Thatta Districts, which however are less than 10 kmfrom the Study Area. The Rann of Kuchch has been bearing theintra-plate shocks over the years as is evident from the 2001earthquake at Bhuj at the extreme east of the GDRP ecosystem,which did not induce major catastrophe in the region.

Major inter-plate and intra-plate shocks of the type that wereobserved at Bhuj (2001) have not been ruled out and hence chancesof major submarine slide and the consequent liquefaction in theGDRP Synclinorium do exist.

StormsThe following Table shows the movement of cyclones and storms inthe Arabian Sea. The movement is generally in the west-north-westerly direction. The one that moved into the coastal area onMay 12, 1999 changed direction and hit the coastal area of Badinwhile the coastal area southeast of Karachi was in the peripheryand only rain showers of moderate intensity were recorded. Thiscoast is otherwise classified outside the zone of cycloneactivity for the Arabian Sea. Thunderstorm frequency is also low

and is reported to occur at an average rate of 10thunderstorms/year.

The pattern seems heading towards a change during the last twoyears. Coastal area of Pakistan has experienced an increase inthe frequency of storms in the southern part of Pakistanespecially along the Sindh-Balochistan coastline. In the month ofJune 2007 two tropical cyclonic storms namely Gonu and Yemyin hitthe Balochistan coast. Under their influence, rain /thundershowers associated with gusty winds and thunderstorms occurred atisolated places of Makran Coast, while the sea conditions werevery rough along the coast of Sindh. The high heat content of theArabian Sea that is adjacent to the heat zone of Pakistan haddisturbed the heat balance and water balance of the region in thenorth of the Arabian Sea. This induced the windstorm in late May,followed by the Tropical Cyclone Gonu in the first week of June,then by Tropical Cyclone 03A from the south of Mumbai, andthereafter by Tropical Cyclone 04B nicknamed Yemyin.

The June 6, 2010 cyclone 03A, nicknamed Phet had landed on thecoast of Oman and had lost its intensity. Moving in clockwisedirection it poured heavy rains on Gwadar and Pasni. The rainbearing winds moved along the coastline towards Karachi. Ittouched Karachi only tangentially and brought 100 mm rainfall inKarachi and 50 mm rainfall in Hyderabad two days before it landedsouth of Thatta District.

Table 4.10: CYCLONES & STORMS DURING LAST 17 YEARS5

Sr. No.

Year Type/ Location of Cyclone Wind Speed Range (km/h)

1 November 1993

Tropical Cyclone/ Northeast Arabian Sea 62 – 88

2. June 1996 Cyclonic Storm /East Central Arabian Sea 62 – 88 3. October

1996 Tropical Storm /Southeast Arabian Sea 62 – 88

4. June 1998 Cyclonic Storm /Southeast Arabian Sea 62 – 88

5 AEDB website/updated by EMC Associates

5. October 1998

Cyclonic Storm /East Central Arabian Sea 62 – 88

6. May 1999 Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /East CentralArabian Sea

7. May 2001 Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /East CentralArabian Sea

8. September 2001

Cyclonic Storm /East Central Arabian Sea 62 – 88

9. May 2002 Tropical Cyclone /West Central Arabian Sea

62 – 88

May 2004 Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /Southeast Arabian Sea

October 2004

Severe Cyclonic Storm /Northeast ArabianSea

89 – 117

September 2006

Tropical Cyclone /East Central AdjoiningNortheast Arabian Sea

62 – 88

02 June 2007

Tropical Cyclone /East Central Arabian Sea

62 – 88

07 June 2007

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /Northwesterly of East Central Arabian Sea

21 June 2007

Tropical Cyclone (Deep Depression) /Northeast Arabian Sea

16 07 June 2010

Tropical Cyclone /Northeast Arabian Sea > 50

ClimateThe Study Area site is located at a higher level than the Karachicoastal belt and has a climate typical of subtropical coastalzones lying in the monsoon region. The climate of the GDRPecosystem can be characterized by dry, hot and semi-humidconditions and is described as moderate. The seasonalintervention of mild winter is brief; it lasts from mid-Decemberto mid-February. This is followed by a long hot and humid summerthat extends from April to mid-July. From here onwards up to mid-September the monsoon winds and cloud cover dominate over theclimatic norms: the temperatures are moderate, the humidity ishigh and one can expect about 7 to 10 rainy days. This isfollowed by a brief return of the hot summer that lasts fromSeptember to mid-November. Mild and semi-humid conditions thuscharacterize the climate of GDRP ecosystem.

The records of the two observatories of the PakistanMeteorological Department at Port Qasim and Karachi InternationalAirport have been used as the source of data for wind,temperature and precipitation. These have been supplemented bymeteorological data obtained during the ambient air qualitymonitoring study carried out by the Space and Upper AtmosphericResearch Organization, SUPARCO over the years.

Average Wind SpeedRecent data suggest that just before the onset of monsoon season the wind direction is mostly westerly averaging at 256o and varying between 3.5o and 358o, while the wind velocity averages at 3.5 m/sec, varying between 0.9 and 5.5 m/sec.

Meteorological Data (Date 24-25052011) Wind Speed Pressure Wind Direction

Temperature Humidity Maximum 5.5 1000.0 358.7 37.4 70.6 Average 3.5 995.5 256.3 33.9 57.7Minimum 0.9 966.5 3.5 30.9 44.4

In June the monsoon winds start blowing westerly, with velocity varying from 0.3 to 8.9 m/sec and averaging at 4.0 m/sec.

Meteorological Data (June 2010)Wind Speed Pressure Wind Direction Temperature

Humidity Maximum 4.0 1008.8 265.5 33.3

Average 8.9 1011.6 344.5 35.7

Minimum 0.3 1006.9 6.4

31.5 64.4

With the onset of winter, the wind direction is mostly unsettledaveraging at 144o and varying between 1o and 359o, while the windvelocity varies between 0.0 and 2.2 m/sec and averages at 0.5m/sec.

Meteorological Data (November 2011)

Windspeed (m/s)

Pressure(mbar)

WindDirection(degree)

AirTemperature

Humidity (%RH)

Maximum 2.2 1018.3 359 35.2 79.4Average 0.5 1013.5 144 25.5 50.5Minimum 0.0 1011.3 1 17.2 18.4It has been noted that the wind direction is generally West-Southwest and Southwest. The annual average wind speed is 6.56m/sand the percentage time when wind speed is less than 2m/s is16.32% only.

TemperatureThe following Tables indicate that air temperature in the coastalarea to the east of Karachi is generally temperate throughout theyear. During winter the range of variation of temperature islarge for Karachi coast especially with respect to maximum andminimum temperatures. The air temperature for Karachi has anaverage annual range of ~6°C to ~42°C. The highest temperatures(40°C or above) occur in May, June and October. During SW monsoonin July and August the temperature is relatively moderate due tocloud cover but humidity remains high (~70%). The mean monthlymaximum and minimum temperatures recorded during the nine years(2001 - 2009 at Karachi Airport Meteorological Station ofPakistan Meteorological Department are given in the followingTables.

Table: Mean Monthly Maximum Temperature oCYear

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual

200 26. 31. 31. 34. 34. 35. 33. 31. 34. 35. 33. 26. 32.2

6 0 3 8 0 6 3 8 0 2 0 4 32007

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 33.0

Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department

Table: Mean Monthly Minimum Temperature oCYear

Annual

The above Tables indicate that the mean monthly maximumtemperature in Karachi ranged between 32.0oC and 33.0oC duringthe 2001-2009 period, while the mean monthly minimum temperatureranged between 21.0oC and 22.5oC. The mean maximum and meanminimum temperature during 1991-99 were 32.2oC and 20.9oC, whichindicates that there has been a slight but significant rise inthe mean minimum temperature during the last 20 years.

PrecipitationThe mean relative humidity in summer is 60-70% while the meanrelative humidity during winter is 25-30%. The rain fall in theSindh Coastal zone that includes the GDRP ecosystem is extremelylow and erratic; accordingly this region falls in the arid tosemi-arid climatic zone. The following Table shows theprecipitation data recorded for the last nine years at KarachiAirport station.

Table: Monthly Precipitation (mm) at Karachi Air PortYear

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.6

N/A 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.4

0.0 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 N/A N/A 52.2

N/A 0.0 0.5 0.4 55.5

6.4 21.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.3

9.8 N/A 0.0 0.2 0.0 324.9

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 N/A 3.0 5.6 N/A 39.3

0.0 4.3 65.9

6.6 12.8 N/A 0.0 0.0 N/A N/A 0.3 54.9

0.0 0.0 17.1

N/A 0.0 N/A 0.0 0.0 0.0 66.2

0.0 3.1 61.3

0.0 13.2 33.4

0.0 0.0 110.2

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 156.8

8.0 Trace

1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 54.0

0.0 0.0 21.0

3.0 Trace

0.0 Trace

0.0 2.6 159.9

0.0 0.0 1.5 279.9

The 9-years record for rainfall of PMD at Karachi Airport (2001-2009) suggests that July and August are the wettest months andthat the maximum rainfall recorded in Karachi during 2001-2009period was 270.4 mm during the month of July 2003, while themaximum annual rainfall was 324.9 mm during the year 2003,followed by 301 mm in 2006 and 279.9 mm in 2009. The wet yearsfollowed a 3-year cycle during the first 9 years of the New

Millennium. The year 2010 seems to be among the wettest yearssince Karachi City had witnessed more than 5 spells of 50 mm eachduring the month of July, three major spells of 60 to 100 mm inAugust and two spells of 25 and 10 mm each in the month ofSeptember.

In July and August 2011 again there was heavy rainfall all overSindh. Hyderabad received about 74 to 103 mm rain in 24 hours andthe same amount poured in Karachi and the villages in itsoutskirts. The torrential rains resulted in flooding of severalvillages and Dhabeji as well as Gharo were not spared. Themicroenvironment of the proposed Wind Farm that has the KWSB’sFilter Plant in the neighbourhood was inundated.

National Highway N5 at Gharo on August 11, 2011

Karachi was facing drought conditions in the past and rainfallwas erratic at around 50 mm for three years followed by wetspells every third year. The average of two decades (70s and 80s)shows that rainfall varies between 150 and 250 mm during theyears. For Karachi the average number of rainy days/year is lessthan ten. However, most of the precipitation usually takes placewithin a short spell of 2 to 7 days. About 50 to 65 percent ofthe total annual rainfall occurs during July and August while thesouthwest monsoon is on, another 15 to 25 percent of the annualrainfall occurs during NE monsoon in winter months (December -February). The rest of the rainfall occurs in the form ofoccasional cloud burst.

Table: Average Temperatures for Mirpur Sakro, PakistanMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Maximum 26°c 29°c 32°c 35°c 36°c 35°c 34°c 32°c 33°c 35°c 33°c 28°c

Minimum 12°c 15°c 19°c 23°c 27°c 28°c 28°c 27°c 26°c 23°c 17°c 14°c

Source: http://www.worldweatheronline.com/weather-averages/Pakistan/1736163/Mirpur-Sakro/1784986/info.aspx Table: Average Rainfall for Mirpur Sakro, PakistanMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecMaximum 17mm 3mm 3mm 0mm 3mm 9mm 48mm 43mm 4mm 6mm 1mm 7mm

Minimum 3 2 1 0 0 2 8 8 2 1 1 2

Source: http://www.worldweatheronline.com/weather-averages/Pakistan/1736163/Mirpur-Sakro/1784986/info.aspx

Ambient Air QualityThe ambient air quality at the GDRP ecosystem which includes theStudy Area is fairly unpolluted since the industrial area ofDhabeji is at a distance of at least 6 km while the NationalHighway N5 is at 2.4 km. The impact of exhaust emissions fromvehicular traffic operating on Highway N5 is limited to themicroenvironment of the highway.

The following Tables present the ambient air quality recorded in the recent past for the outskirts of Karachi. It may be seen thatthe average level of each parameter in ambient air is on lower side in comparison with NEQS, USEPA and World Bank Guidelines.

SO2 level ranges between 7.0 ppb and 13.6 ppb which is muchlower than 38 ppb recommended for the 24-hourly average bythe NEQS.

NOx level ranges between 8.2 ppb and 16.3 ppb which is muchlower than 38 ppb recommended for the 24-hourly average bythe NEQS, or World Bank and WHO guidelines, both of whichrecommend 50 ppb or 53 ppb respectively as its maximumlimit.

CO level ranges between 0.2 ppm and 1.9 ppm which is wellwithin the USEPA and WHO standards i.e. 9 ppm and 8.7 ppmrespectively.

PM10 concentration was between 114.0 µg/m3 and 163 µg/m3 withthe average at 140.6 µg/m3 which is below the levelsuggested by USEPA guidelines (150 µg/m3).

Table: Ambient Air Quality at Outskirts of Karachi East

Standards and Guidelines for Air Quality ParametersGuideline/ Standards

SO2 µg/m3 NOx µg/m3 CO2 ppm CO µg/m3 O3 ppb Dust /PM10 µg/m3 Noise dB (A)

Pakistan NEQS

<200(70 ppb)24-hourly

50 (24 ppb)Yearly Average

-- -- -- -- 70 *

World BankGuidelines

150 (53 ppb) 24-hourly

150 (73 ppb)24-hourly

-- -- -- 150 24-hourly 70

WHO Standards

SPM (µg/m3 )

SO2 Units: ppm (µg/m3)

NOx Units: ppm (µg/m3)

CO Units: ppm(µg/m3)

O3 ppm(µg/m3)

24 Hr 1 yr 1 hr 24

hr 1 yr 1 hr 24 hr

1 yr 1 hr 8 hr 24

hr 1 hr 8 hr

50 - 120 -(350)

0.048 (125)

0.02(50)

0.21(400)

0.08(150)

0.02 (40)

(40,000)

9 (10,000)

- 0.09(180)

(0.11)

Modeling for dispersion of PM10, the parameter of concern to awind farm, from the proposed Study Area finds that there would beno addition of PM10 or any other pollutant into the air-shed ofthe GDRP ecosystem. This is because operation of the windturbines itself will not discharge any pollutant. The windturbines will only modify the wind speed and leave the airquality unaltered. The dispersion of the existing level of PM10

SO2 (ppb)

(ppb)CO (ppm)

DUST (g /m3)

Noise dB(A)

Average 9.7 11.6 1.2 140.6 45.9Max 13.6 16.3 1.9 163.0 54.0Min 7.0 8.2 0.2 114.0 41.0

and other pollutants will maintain the status of the airshed ofthe corridor in the unpolluted category.

NEQS requires that the 24-hour maximum average and annual meanconcentration of SO2 should be less than 50 g/m3 and 200 g/m3

for unpolluted category respectively. Thus the land is so farunpolluted in GDRP ecosystem.

NoiseThere is no continuous source of noise emission in the proposedStudy Area wind farm site. Occasionally there is someintermittent noise emission from a passing by motorcycle or arailway train. This may raise the noise level by ~2 to 4 dB(A).The ambient noise level remains as recorded in the followingTable.

The Noise level recorded at the unpolluted site in GDRP ecosystemranges between 41 dB(A) and 54 dB(A) with the average at 45.9dB(A), which is characteristic of wilderness and well within 70dB(A) the level suggested by World Bank Guidelines.

*FacingWind,

**Exposed to Heavy Traffic

Table: Noise Level at Different Locations Around Proposed SiteS. No. Site Noise Level

dB(A)Wind Mast 47.0Near Tota Pahari 65.0*Near Steel mill Pipeline 51.0Near STUDY AREA Office 2.5km from Project area 68.0**

Near Baba Bukhari Shrine 46.0Near Railway Track at Dirt Road 66*

Goth Yusuf Khaskheli 57.0Goth Jaffer Jokhio 55.0Goth Haji Hamza Zangiyani 54.0

HydrologySurface HydrologyThe GDRP ecosystem is drained by several streams including theGhaggar nala, Lat nala also known as Dhabeji nala which has itssources in a spring, and the Rann Pethani Nadi are the wellestablished surface water sources, only the Dhabeji nala isperennial, while the other two receive their share of surfacewater during the rains. The rains adequately charge the aquifersin such manner as to make good quality groundwater available tothe industries throughout the year. The recipient industriesinclude Pakland Cement and those in the Dhabeji Industrial Area.

The Ghaggar-Dhabeji-Gharo-Rann Pethani ecosystem is governed bythe catchment area of Ghaggar nala, which is a natural non-perenial stream that flows North-South along the Eastern boundaryof Eastern Industrial Zone of Port Qasim. It finally drains intothe Choudhry Creek about 4 km from the Indus Refinery site. Thestream discharge depends on the rainfall in its catchment. Therainfall record for the years 2001 to 2007 at Karachi Airport andMeteorological Department recorded above shows wide range monthlyand annual variation. Monthly precipitation varies from almostnil in the month of March, April and May and November to maximumin July and August. Similarly year 2002 and 2004 had very littlerains (55.5mm and 65.9mm), while year 2003, 2006, 2010 and 2011were wet years with over 300 mm rainfall. The quality of Ghaggarwater is sweet, however, the physical examination indicates thatmunicipal as well as industrial wastewater is being dischargedinto the stream and is polluting it.

Ghaghar Nala has an extensive catchment area in themacroenvironment comprising the Ghaggar Union Council in BinQasim Town. The large catchment area is a possible reason for itsflooding with small amount of ~5 mm rainfall as was observedduring the September (2005) rains in the area. Another streamknown as the Filter Nala, which flows parallel to Ghaghar Nala isabout three Km to the east of Ghaggar Phatak. The two streamsflow to the Gharo Creek, which is about 6 Km to the south of thesite. A perennial stream flows just ahead of Dhabeji and is asource of irrigation water for a large farm adjacent to the

spring that is the source of the perennial Dhabeji stream. Thewater from this stream as well as the Ghaggar Nala is beingextensively excavated by water carriers.

The spring related Dhabeji Nala has a large grove of date palmtrees and is also site of the shrine of Baba Jumman Shah Bokhariwho is claimed as the companion of six other Bokharis in theBhambore area.

Other water courses on the north in Gadap town of Karachi areSukkhan Nala, and Thaddo Nala, which are the tributaries of MalirRiver. They flow away from Ghaghar and hence do not contribute tothe hydrology of the eco-subsystem. Groundwater resourcepotential is low at the site since water has not been found at adepth of 100 ft.

The GDRP ecosystem is also home to quite a few water ponds formedat natural depressions, some of them being the result ofextensive excavation of sand and gravel. The ponds are generallyused by locals for domestic and livestock purposes, although notall of them are fit for drinking water.

Water ResourcesIndus River via the Keenjhar Lake is the source of freshwater forKarachi. The KWSB Water supply mainline takes off from Gujju andis brought to the Dhabeji Pumping Station at Tota Pahari where itis filtered and pumped into the mainline to Karachi, as shown inthe following figure. Pakistan Steel, Port Qasim and theindustries in the Eastern Zone of Port Qasim also source theirwater from the Indus River system. Pakistan Steel Mills hasfacilitated the off take of freshwater from its pipeline to meetthe requirements of the Jokhio community in the villages e.g.Jaffer Jamadar across the Study Area boundary line.

Water supplyThe Kalri Baghar Feeder from Kotri Barrage on River Indus feedsthe Keenjhar Lake from where around 90 percent of the watersupply is made available to the City of Karachi. This supply isconveyed through the Keenjhar-Gujju Canal (KG Canal) which has a

capacity of 320 MGD and through the K-II scheme commissioned witha capacity of 100 MGD. An additional 80 MGD is made availablefrom a 54 km pipeline from Gujju canal built by ICI forindustrial uses at PQA. Similarly Pakistan Steel Mills has itselfa system for the supply of 200 MGD water for its own use.

WetlandThere is no water body designated as wetland except Haleji Lakeand Mehro Kotri which are 35 and 20 km respectively from StudyArea. These two wetlands are also designated as Important BirdArea (IBA) by BirdLife International.

Haleji Lake is a perennial freshwater lake with marshes and abrackish seepage lagoon. Considered a game reserve in 1971, thislake was declared a wildlife sanctuary and in 1976, the lake wasdesignated as a Ramsar site. Haleji serves as an important sourceof water for Karachi besides being a popular recreationaldestination. The Lake is located in Thatta district on 24°47’N,067°46’E coordinates.

Groundwater HydrologyGround water generally becomes saline from Hyderabad down south.This is attributed to the shift of the Arabian Sea in geologicaltimes. There are credible evidences to the effect that theKirthar Mountains were witness to the last ice age some 15,000

years from the present and that the seashore was at the presentsite of Hyderabad some 12,000 years ago. The areas with salinegroundwater show higher concentration of chlorides compared withcarbonates, bicarbonates and sulphates which suggests that somemillennia ago the area was submerged in the sea. Although meltingof the Himalayan glaciers and water flow downstream the Indus andthe ancient Saraswati had diluted the salinity, yet saline waterin the deep down strata could not be displaced by the fresh waterflow from the rivers. The sediment transported by the riversultimately trapped the salinity in its fold.

Hydro-geological investigations carried out by the Water andPower Development Authority (WAPDA) on the western side of theIndus River reveals that fresh water is available at shallowdepths in Hyderabad and Thatta districts up to 60m. It becomessaline to highly saline as one moves southwards to the coastalareas. Ground water occurs under water table condition at depthsvarying from 3m to 10m.

Groundwater depth in the GDRP ecosystem is about 30m. Quality ofthe ground water is reasonable and is potable as reported bylocals.

BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT Flora & FaunaMacro-Site Selection ConsiderationsFor siting of wind farms, the Wildlife Act of 1975 makes itnecessary to examine the potential of the impact of operation ofthe wind turbines on the bird and bat migration flyways. Windfarms sited outside these flyways are expected to have the leastimpact on wildlife. However, even if they are sited peripheralto major flyways, they could have impacts, which could beverified, on local populations, and on threatened and endangeredspecies.

Micro-Site EvaluationThe Study Area does not fall within major or minor migration route, and because sufficient work has been done in this region previously6, Site evaluation studies generally include the following methodologies for measurement of potential wildlife mortality, displacement and disturbance:

a. Mobile Radar: This technique uses mobile radar and is perhapsthe most powerful tool for conducting a risk assessment as itprovides data on the abundance, spatial distribution andelevation of birds. This technology is very costly and has notbeen used in Pakistan. b. Sound Recordings: This low cost technology uses microphonesin an array that can provide information on speciescomposition, abundance and altitude.c. Aerial Surveys: This method is chiefly employed in determiningspecies composition, abundance, behaviour and movementpatterns in an offshore environment. Aerial surveys can beused to supplement visual observations.d. Visual Observations: Qualified observers conduct surveys that provide data on abundance and behaviour of birds on and aroundproposed sites.

Visual observation techniques were adopted for identifying thefauna as well as flora. Local population and Study Area personnelassisted in a 12-hour watch on the movement and intensity of thewildlife including quadrupeds, reptiles and high flying as wellas nesting birds, in addition to locating habitats, if anybesides identifying the species in and around the Study Areawhere the wind masts of the wind farm will be located.

FaunaWildlife: Wild hare, fox, jackal and porcupine were sightedduring surveys by the observers. Only one burrow of a honeybadger was found but there were no imprints to show that thesame was being actively used by the animal. Only the fox

6 Mohammad Sharif Khan, Annotated Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Pakistan, Asiatic Herpetological Research, 2004, Vol. 10, pp. 191-201

droppings were sighted near a poultry farm, while a jackalwas once sighted during the afternoon and was heard once inthe night. The number and frequency of visits by theseanimals into the area is reported by the locals to havesubstantially reduced now. It is inferred from the frequencyof visits that those spotted and reported by the locals didnot seem to have their habitat in the microenvironment. Theyappear to have strayed in as casual visitors.

Reptiles Reptiles are also getting rare because of aridity which hasin general reduced the biodiversity of the area. The monitorlizard population in the microenvironment of ZWPL Study Areais low, while that of spiny-tailed lizard is abundant. IndianMonitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) Wadhi Go/Gioh (reported butnot spotted), and Monitor lizard (Varanus griseus) were neitherreported nor spotted. The spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastixhardwickii) Sandho/Sandha was not spotted perhaps because theyand the other reptiles were hibernating; their abundance isnevertheless low as suggested by the locals. All sand moundsin the area were found to have their burrows. The species areincluded in Appendix III of the CITES.

Other reptiles reported here include: Yellow-headed Agama(Stellio=Agama nupta fusca) Batth Kirro/Zard Sar Pahari Girgit(spotted during the survey), Indian Garden Lizard (Calotesversicolor) Wann Kirro/Rang badal Girgit, Long-tailed DesertLacerta (Eremias guttulata watsonana) Wadhi Puch Kirri/Taweel dumSandhi (reported but not spotted), Sindh Sand Gecko(Crossobamon orientalis) Thari Kirri/Regi Chhupkali (reported butnot spotted).

SnakesThe Indian sand boa (Eryx johni) Bar Matti/Do Muhi (reported butnot spotted); Saw-scaled Viper (Echis carinatus) Lundhi Bala/JalebiSamp (reported to be quite frequent but not spotted), arecommon in the project area, while the Sindh two-headed snake,Indian common krait, and oxus cobra are rare. All thesesnakes are front-fanged. The krait, viper, and cobra are

deadly but incidence of snake bite, as reported by thelocals, is getting low, quite likely because their populationhas been thinned out.

Birds A detailed bird life survey in and around the Study Area wasconducted to collect baseline information regarding bird habitatsand migratory patterns within the Study Area including theProject Area and an area of 5km from the Study Area boundary. TheBirdlife survey included specific details on:

Presence or likely presence of state protected species and those that are recognized by the IUCN as globally threatened species within the Study Area;

Large numbers of any particular bird species utilizing the Study Area;

Preferred habitat on or near the wind farm for the above species;

Species or groups of birds that are potentially affected by the wind farm during its operation (i.e. prone to collision with turbines or other indirect effects).

Both direct and indirect impacts on birdlife from the operation of wind farms are a major concern in Pakistan and abroad. Bird areas of concern, which are located close to or in the vicinity of the Project Area, are presented in the following Checklist.

Table: IBAs identified close to or in the vicinity of Study Area

Name ofthe Bird Area

Coordinates

Altitude (ft.)

Area (ha)

Closest distancefrom the ProjectArea (km)

Protection Level

Habitat

Major species of concern (IUCNimportance/class I protection)

Haleji Lake Wildlife Sanctuary

24o 48’14.33”N67°46’ 37.41” E

13 1704

Approx. 19km

Wet Land

wetlands

Threatened Species:Pelecanus crispus,haliaetus leucoryphus,Aquila Calnga,Aquila heliacal,Rynchop Albicolliis,columa eversmanni

Mahro Kotri

24°38’43.82”N67°27’07.05”E

162Approx. 20km

Wet Land

Shrub land, Wetland

Threatened Species:Haliaeetus leucoryphus, AquilaClanga

Source: http://wwfpak.org/ and http://www.iucn.org/places/pakistan/

The most common birds found in the macro environment and spotted during the field survey of study area are presented in the following Table:

Table XXX: Most common birds found in the macro environment

Common Name Scientific name

Protection StatusIUCN

Siting Picture

Indian Robin

Thamnobia cambaiensis

Least Concern

Spotted inProject Area

Indian Grey Partridge

Francolinus pondicertanis

Least Concern

Characteristic bird species that have adapted tothe environment and are still to be found in the area and

Siting Picture

reported by locals

Chest-nut-bellied Sandgrouse

Pterocles exustus Least Concern

Reported but not spotted

Rock Pigeon Columba livia Least

Concern

Spotted inProject Area

Indian little Button Quail

Turnix sylvatica Least Concern

Eurasian Roller Coracias garrulus Least

Concern

Kite Milvus migrans Least Concern

Spotted. Highflyingbird

Siting Picture

Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata

IUCN RedList as low risk, Vulnerable. VU

These werenot spotted during thesurvey. They were reported by the locals to be sited 2-3 km away from study areaand only occasionalvisitors.

Little Bustard Tiloor

Tetrax tetrax

IUCN RedList as low risk, near threatened. NT

Not spotted during thesurvey, but reported by the locals as occasionalvisitors in areas on the hills beyond 5 to 8 km from StudyArea.

Siting Picture

Grey Partridge

Francolinus pondicerianus

Least Concern

Painted Sand Grouse

Pterocles indicus Least Concern

Saker Falcon

Falco biarmicus cherrug

IUCN RedList as low risk, Vulnerable. VU

Extremely rare. Highflyingbirds werenot spotted during thesurvey andthe several visits to the area. They were reported by the locals to be only occasionalvisitors.

Siting Picture

Common Quail Coturnix coturnix Least

Concern

Indian Griffon Vulture

Gyps fulvus fulvescens Least Concern

Not spotted. High Flying Bird

Partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis

Least Concern

Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla Least

Concern Spotted

Sindh WoodpeckerDendrocopos assimilis Least Concern

Siting Picture

Common Hoopoe Upupa epops Least

Concern

Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea

Least Concern Spotted

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri Least Concern Spotted

Spotted Owlet Athene brama Least

Concern

Indian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto Least Concern

Reported and spotted

Siting Picture

Common CraneKoonj

Grus grus Least Concern

Reported by the locals butnot spotted this year and also not spotted during thesurvey

Tawny EagleGandoori Okab

Aquila rapax Least Concern

Reported as rare and also not spotted

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Least

Concern Spotted

Pale Crag-martinAbabeel

Hirundo obsolete Least Concern

Siting Picture

House Sparrow Passer domesticus Least

Concern Spotted

Black kiteMilvus affinis Least Concern

Spotted inmoderate population. Their presence is usuallydue to poultry farms

Houbara bustard, although a migratory bird, is one of the endangered species found in the macro environment but not in the microenvironment of the Study Area. Falcons are rarely spotted bythe locals in the area and were also not spotted during surveys.

The most common birds found in the macroenvironment are sparrows,robins and doves. Characteristic bird species that have adaptedto the environment and are still to be found in the area, includethe Indian grey partridge (francolinus pondicertanis), chest-nut-belliedsand grouse (pterocles exustus), rock dove (Columbia livia), Indian littlebutton quail (turnix sylvatica) and Eurasian roller (coracias garrulous).Kites and vultures, the high flying birds were spotted but thefalcons were conspicuous by their absence during the survey andthe several visits to the area. The falcons were reported by thelocals to be only occasional visitors.

Other birds reported to be straying in occasionally, but notspotted during the surveys, include the Houbara bustard(Clamydotis undulate), Houbara Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) Tiloor(spotted), which are in IUCN Red List as low risk, near threatened);Grey Parttridge (Francolinus pondiceranus); Indian Sand grouse(Pterocles exustes); Painted Sand grouse (Pterocles indicus); Saker Falcon(Falco biarmicus cherrug) (Extremely rare); Indian Griffon Vulture(Gyps fulvus fulvescens) (not spotted); Partridge (Ammoperdix griseogularis)See See Teetar/Sissi Tittar; Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix)Butair/Bhuntrio; Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) Gandam Muroor/NandoKath-Kulho (not spotted); Sindh Woodpecker (Dendrocopos assimilis)Sindhi Khat-Khat/Kath Kutho (reported but not spotted); CommonHoopoe (Upupa epops) Hud Hud /Hud Hud (spotted); Indian Roller(Coracias benghalensis) Neel Kanth/Sat Rango (spotted); Asian Koel(Eudynamys scolopacea) Koel/Koel (spotted); Rose-ringed Parakeet(Psittacula krameri) Tota, Gulabi Kanth Tota/Mitthu, Chattu (reportedbut not spotted); Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) Chittidar Ullu/NandhoChibhro (reported but not spotted); Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)Jhungi Kabutar (reported but not spotted); Indian Collared Dove(Streptopelia decaocto) Bari Fakhta Gero (spotted during survey);Common Crane (Grus grus) Koonj (reported but not spotted this yearby locals and also not during the survey); Tawny Eagle (Aquilarapax) Gandoori Okab, Rigger/Par Mar (not spotted), Common Myna(Acridotheres tristis) Myna Ghursal/Kabbri, Myna (spotted duringsurvey); Pale Crag-martin (Hirundo obsoleta) Peeli ChataniAbabeel/Jabal wari Ababeel also as pithee (spotted duringsurvey); House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Gorrea, GhareluChiriya/Jhirki (spotted during survey).

MammalsIndian Pangolin (Scaly Anteater) (Manis crassicaudata) Safna Shikam,(reported but not spotted by locals and also not during survey)is reported in the IUCN Red List as low risk, near threatened;Jackal (Canis aureus) /Geedarr (spotted during survey) is reported inIUCN Red List as low risk; Ratel (Honey Badger) (Mellivora capensis)Gorrpat/Qabar Ka Bijju (abandoned burrow spotted during survey);Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) Chhota-Neula (spottedduring survey); Black-naped Hare (Lepus nigricollis dayanus)

Saho/Khargosh; Grey Spiny Mouse (Mus saxicola) Kandan WaroKuo/Kharpusht Chooha (reported but not spotted).

Livestock Local inhabitants in the microenvironment maintain stocks ofcows, goats and sheep that were found grazing in the area.Livestock and ruminants include: Domestic Goat (Capra hircus)Bakri/Bakra; Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries) Bhairru/Bhairr; DomesticCattle (Bos taurus) Gaon/Dhaggo, Dhaggi (male, female); DomesticDonkey (Equus asinus) Gadduh/Gadah,

FLORAIn the case of flora also sufficient work has been reported for the Gharo7 region previously. EMC did, however carry out its own field observations. According to these observations, the vegetation and vegetative growth in Project area is constrained by aridity, typography, and relief. The stony waste or the plainsof the GDRP ecosystem are getting depleted of whatever natural vegetation as a result of extensive deforestation and land clearance for stone and gravel excavation. The following trees, shrubs and grasses were found during survey of the site:

Trees Trees found in the Project macroenvironment include Acacia nilotica (babul) (spotted during survey, low frequency), Acacia senegal (khor) (spotted during survey, low frequency), Calotropis procera (spotted, low frequency), Salvadora oleoides (khabar) (dominant) and Prosopsis senegal (kandi) (dominant but with low frequency), Acacia arabica (kikar) (dominant but with low frequency), Capparis aphylla (reported but not spotted),Commiphora wrighti (spotted during survey, low frequency), Commiphora stocksiana (spotted during survey,low frequency), Prosopis cenraria (spotted during survey, low frequency), Tamarix gallica (lai) (dominant), tamarix aphylla(low frequency), Euphorbia cauducifolia, Lasiurus sindicus ; willo or bahan (populus euphratica), Rhazya stricta (spotted during survey, low frequency), karil (capparis aphyila), and siris (acacia lebbek) (not found during survey), Prosopis cineraria, Eleusine flagelliforia, Salsola foetidia;

7 Ethnobotanical Studies Of Mahal Kohistan, Abdul Qadir Panhwar and Hidaytullah Abro, Pak. J. Bot., 39(7): 2301-2315, 2007

Baleria acanthoides(spotted during survey, low frequency), Lasiurus sindicus, Aristida sp. Ziziphus nummularia (spotted, low frequency), Cordia gharaf (spotted during survey, low frequency), Grewiavillosa, Leptodenia pyrotecneca, Lyssium depressum (spotted during survey, getting scarce), Pterophyllum oliveri (spotted during survey, low frequency), Tecoma undulate (spotted during survey, (spotted during survey, low frequency),

GrassesThe following grass species have been reported at the site but most of them were found to have succumbed to aridity compounded by overgrazing: Arisdita adscensionis, A. Mutabilis, Cenchrus ciliaris, Cenchrus biflorus, Cenchrus, Cenchrus pennisetformis, Cynodon dacdylan, Cymbopogon jawarancusa, Digitaria sp, Eleucine flagellifera, Lasiarus sindicus, Saccharum spontaneum, Sporobolus marginantus.

ForbsAerva tomentosa, Cassia holoserica, Convolvulus glomeratus, Crotolaria bifolia, Fagonia cratica, Helotropium ophioglossum, Indigofera oblongifloia, Rynccosia minima.

Bush Predominant bush species found in the area include Devi, Chali, Damral and Darathi (local names). No special medicinal value is associated with these bush species by the locals.

CropsAgricultural activities are constrained by rainfall which has been erratic as well as scant in the microenvironment. Major crops grown on the few fields outside the villages include Indiancorn. No crop production was possible during the current season because there was cloud burst which flooded the land area and thesoil being largely sandy and gravely could not retain the moisture.

Wildlife Reserves & Endangered SpeciesThere is no Wildlife Reserve in close vicinity of Study Area. Keenjhar Lake Wildlife Sanctuary is located 100 km outside of the

macroenvironment. This, the largest freshwater lake in Pakistan, supports extensive reed beds and rich submerged and floating vegetation. This is also a breeding, staging area for wintering water birds. It is estimated that it has been at times supportingover 140,000 birds, including European Wigeon, Black Coot and Common Pochard, besides fisheries. The lake also serves as storage for Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

Houbara bustard is a migratory bird that flies into Pakistan fromformer Soviet territory and is among the endangered species thethe Country. A number of non-technical reasons are operative innot allowing enforcement of several wildlife conservationprograms in their true spirit, and in allowing the slowdisappearance of the houbara bustard. It adapts to arid conditionswith little vegetation, and hence is found in sandy and stonysemi-desert regions such as that in the GDRP ecosystem andsimilar areas in Sindh and Punjab. A largely solitary bird, thehoubara bustard feeds alone or in small groups on beetles, antsand plants. Between February and April the female lays two orthree eggs in a small scrape. After hatching, the chicks followthe female for protection as well as feed, as they are vulnerableto predators, including eagles, falcons, foxes, wolves, monitorlizards, snakes and kestrels.

The bird had been hunted in the Middle East to the point of near-extinction by the nineteen-sixties, and by 1975 it was declaredan endangered species in Pakistan. It was agreed in 1983 at aninternational wildlife symposium in Peshawar that Pakistan’smigratory houbara bustard population was numbered between twentyand twenty five thousand birds and in 2002 it was estimated atabout thirty thousand.

The legalised hunting of houbara bustards implies purchasing apermit license, the amount of which differs throughout theregions of Pakistan but ranges over millions for each area. Heavycost is involved for relaxation of rules and obtaining permits toaccommodate Arab dignitaries for whom hunting camps are set up bythe landlords in Sindh and Punjab. The bird is widely popularamong Arab hunters due to traditional beliefs, starting with the

old customs and traditions and ending with houbara’s meatqualities, which Arabs consider to be aphrodisiac while inreality it is diuretic. To meet the Arabian demand for houbarabustards seven thousand live birds enter the UAE illegally andbecause of bad conditions of detention and confinement many ofthem die during the journey from Pakistan, Iran and Central Asia.The million dollar illegal trade prospers nevertheless.

The traditional sports hunting of the houbara bustards hassignificantly reduced the population of not only these birds butalso that of the falcons and the wintering birds such as thecranes from Kazakhstan and Siberia. This over-hunting has beencompounded by habitat loss and degradation. The subspecies C. u.fuertaventurae has been particularly affected by habitatdegradation as a result of tourist/trophy hunting activities andassociated development, as well as by military exercises, over-grazing, sand-extraction, and road-development. Further threatsto these birds include collisions with power lines, and nest-predation by introduced mammals.

High flying birds that may be impacted by the operations at thewind farm include the black kites, eagles (uqqab), vultures,crows and the pigeons. The black kites and crows outnumber thevultures while the uqqab seems to be extinct and was alsoreported as such by the locals. The black kites were spottednesting in hundreds on a transmission tower near the poultryfarms in Gharo township. Only one eagle was spotted during thedawn to dusk survey at and in the neighbourhood of the StudyArea.

The spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastix hardwickii) Sandho/Sandha is inabundance in the microenvironment but it is protected by thelocals. All sand mounds in the area have the Sandha burrows. Thetwo species: Uromastix and monitor lizard are included inAppendix III of the CITES.

CropsAgricultural activities are constrained by rainfall which hasbeen erratic as well as scant in the microenvironment. Major

crops grown on the few fields that have illegally diverted theseepage of the Filter plant on the outside of the Study Area,include vegetables, cotton, mango, banana, jack fruit, tamarind(Imli). No crop production was possible elsewhere during thecurrent season because of the erratic rainfall. Only maize cropcould be harvested but that was enough to feed the largelivestock population owned by the community.

Mangrove EcosystemThe 8 km shoreline on the west and the Gharo creek on the southof the Study Area are at least 5km from the mangrove ecosystem.The mangrove ecosystem of Gharo Creek and on the southeast isknown to be inhabited by invertebrate fauna predominantlycrustaceans, and by gastropods, bivalves and polychaetes, whilethe common fish species include mud skippers, mullets andsardines. Avecenna marina is the predominant mangrove speciescolonizing the mud flats. The density of the forest variesbetween 1000 and 2000 trees per hectare, while the averageheights of the stands vary from 1 to 3m.

The seawater in the creek is however contaminated with sewage andindustrial effluent discharged from Dhabeji and Gharo Industrialareas. The mudflats of the creeks and the swamps in the mangroveecosystem provide sustenance to the fish, crabs and shrimpscommunity noted during the reconnaissance survey. The fishermenresident in Khaskheli Goth reported that they catch pomphret,dangra, mangra, crabs and shrimps from the creek adjacent to theStudy Area.

The mangrove system contributes to the stability of the shorelineas such it will be helpful if and when an onshore wind farm is planned in the subsequent phases of the Project. They will further be useful in prevention of erosion and reduction in siltation. As such the Project activities will be aimed at conservation of this ecosystem.

Impoverishment of ResourcesThe above description of flora and fauna might give an impressionthat the area is rich in biodiversity. This is not correct. The

fauna and flora that have been reported above are scarcelyspotted by the locals and most of them were not spotted duringthe surveys by the author. As such it needs to be emphasized thatthe land is fast getting impoverished with respect to flora andfauna.

The Flora: Vast area of land in the Study area is losing itsvegetative cover. The acacia prosopis is for example under stressand lohiro is threatened, since they are both required to meetthe urban as well as industrial demand for firewood and charcoal.The firewood is being extensively used all over the country; itsdemand having been raised manifold by the shortage of hydrocarbonfuel. Large trees in the riverine and delta area have since beenfelled and their roots subsequently removed. This has left onlythe thorny acacia which grows wild as the only fuel resource todepend on. The removal of trees is however is a source ofconflict that has been created by impoverishment of the onlyresource for which the rural poor did not have to pay.

Removal of vegetative cover has had far reaching adverse impacton the environment. The cutting of trees has for example resultedin desertification, land erosion and the consequent increase inheat capacity of the soil and aridity of the atmosphere. The netresult of urban demand is therefore impoverishment of resourcesand perpetuation of poverty by making the poor poorer. Thissupports the hypothesis that poverty per se is not a problem ofthe coastal area of the under developed regions includingPakistan; it is the impoverishment of resources that is cause forconflict.

Charcoal kiln with the acacia shrub growing all around

The Fauna: Big-game hunting is banned in Pakistan by governmentregulations, except in community controlled areas with anexisting limitation on exact kinds and numbers of species as wellas countries they can be exported to. There is decline in suchspecies of migratory birds as cranes, geese, storks, pelicans,and houbara bustards. Removal of vegetative cover and illegalhunting have together led to impoverishment of resources in termsof continuous loss of land, its fragmentation and degradation ofnatural habitats that include forests, rangelands, and freshwaterand marine ecosystem. Some species in Pakistan are alreadyextinct, and many are internationally threatened. The 1996 IUCNRed List of Threatened Animals classifies 37 species and 14 sub-species of mammals that occur in Pakistan as internationallythreatened or near threatened. The Red List is based on fielddata that are more than 20 years old and need to be reassessed,since the situation with endangered species has changedconsiderably during the intervening years. The country provides critical habitat to 25 internationallythreatened bird species that includes the houbara bustard and 10internationally threatened reptiles including the sandhas. The

bird population, in particular the high value Houbara Bustard andthe falcons, is decreasing due to illegal hunting that is allowedunder the guise of trophy hunting. The houbara bustard is listedin the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, which isknown as the Bonn Convention.

Organizations that have been formed to protest against illegalhunting and preserve the wildlife, include National Council forConservation of Wildlife (NCCW), established in 1974 andsupported by the UN, which breaks into three groups: Conventionon International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna andFlora (CITIES), Convention on Wetland of International ImportanceEspecially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar) and Convention on theConservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Otherorganizations that play important roles in fighting againstillegal hunting include WWF-Pakistan, Torghar ConservationProject (TCP), DAWN independent newspaper, and National AvianResearch Center and Houbara Foundation in Pakistan. PakistanGovernment enacted the Wildlife Conservation and Preservation Actof 1975, ratified the Convention of Biological Diversity, and in1994 has also prepared a Biodiversity Action Plan.

Pakistan is an important wintering ground for migratory birds.The Indus Flyway provides a significant series of waterways andwetlands from northern mountains to the Indus Delta. Almost 70%of migratory birds that enter Pakistan finally settle on variouswetlands and coastal areas of Sindh Province, while the rest staybehind in other provinces. Migratory birds are a resource for thetourist trade in Pakistan, which provides little benefit in termsof alleviation of poverty of the local population.

The bird population is under stress at the hands of facilitatorsof the hunting programs. Facilitation of the sort is a roaringbut unorganized business, of which hunting and falconry is asmall segment that involves quite a few million dollars any way.The hunting program is promoted in unorganized manner in atypical facilitator style. Landlords make their land availablefor hunting at a certain hidden cost. The facilitator arrangesthe logistics and welfare of the hunter aristocrats and of the

hunting parties besides maintaining the political force to obtainthe permit from the Federal Government, bypassing the WildlifeDepartment.

The hunting party has normally four security cordons at thehunting camp. The first cordon is the hunter`s own security, twoother cordons relate to the law-enforcement agency personnelwhile the fourth is that of the police. Sindh Wildlife Departmenthas full authority to control sport hunting and to restrainpoaching of wild birds and animals for trade purposes. But thecontrol against illegal poaching and hunting is ineffective,especially against influential personalities who support thistraditional game. At the end of the hunting season severalhundred birds are lost and the bird resource is impoverished,while the facilitation business firms up by signing moreMemorandum of Understanding so that the business goes on as perpast practice.

It may be mentioned here that hunting of houbara bustard wasbanned on the subcontinent in 1912 by the British Government.Pakistan also imposed a permanent ban on hunting of the bird in1972. Hunting of houbara bustard by Pakistanis is banned underwildlife laws, but is permitted for the visitors from ArabStates. And that is the source of conflict. Until the late 1970s,the Arab aristocracy used to go to Iran and Afghanistan forhunting this bird. After the fall of Shah of Iran and thebeginning of war and war like situations inAfghanistan, Pakistan became the sole destination for the ArabAristocracy interested in falconry and houbara hunting.

The facilitators have cashed the interest of the Arab Aristocracywhich continues to believe that the meat of this bird hasmythical aphrodisiac qualities. Despite strong opposition by theEnvironment Ministry, the facilitators have been successful allthe way in using the long handle of social pollution toregularize the irregularity. They were, for example successful ingetting 28 special permits issued by the Federal Government tothe rulers, members of ruling families and other dignitaries offour Gulf States to hunt the internationally protected Houbara

bustard during the 2010-2011 winter seasons. Sheikh Khalifa binZayed Al-Nahyan, President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, hasbeen allotted hunting areas in Sindh Sukkur, Ghotki, Nawabshahand Sanghar districts.

Because of increased hunting of the bird, especially in itswinter habitats, the Convention on the International Trade inEndangered Species (CITES) has classified it as an endangeredmigratory bird. According to a study conducted by the EnvironmentResearch and Wild life Development Agency (ERWDA), the AsianHoubara could be extinct within 15 to 25 years if uncheckedhunting, illegal trapping and trading of the bird continued atthe existing scale. ERWDA estimated that the natural death rateof the bird was 3.28 percent while death due to hunting accountedfor more than 73 percent. The rate of hunting has reached nearly20.8 percent, dangerously exceeding the acceptable 7.2 percent.

The conflict arises due to inability of government to restrainthe long handle of social pollution that is even otherwiseengaged in regularizing the irregularities on hunting and makingthe conservation methods ineffective. As the winter sets in, atug of war is initiated between the hunter-funded lobbies andconservationists. The former group tries to persuade thegovernment to continue with its houbara bustard policy, while thelatter group wants that hunting be banned at least for a fewyears so the dwindling population of that threatened bird canresurrect itself.

Due to the large amounts of money involved, the conflict betweenconservationists and officials remains unresolved, with theformer fighting a losing battle. According to unofficialestimates, Arab sheikhs spend about ten to twenty million dollarsper hunt on houbara bustards. Officials in the Governinghierarchy argue that the sheikhs contribute to the localinfrastructure development, and also contribute in their own wayto help the population in the neighbourhood in betterment ofquality of life. This however, is contradicted by the privateairports that are useless for the local population and beneficialfor sheikhs themselves. The mosques are not used by many people

while the charity offered at times is limited to the few hundredin the immediate neighbourhood. Contrarily there is destructionof the local ecosystem due to the massive killings of animals, assheikhs have to support their regular 300-people camps.

The hectic activity of the falconers in the area, and theirassociated men and materials, are responsible for disturbing thebiological phenomena of the animal wildlife, including hormonalbalance and feeding activities. The period of mating andreproduction of most of the desert animals coincides with thefalconry in the area, and hence these activities result in theproduction of malnourished, biologically unbalanced individuals.

The indiscriminate killing of houbara and falcons has resulted inunbalanced ecosystem, with the massive elimination of houbararesulting in increases in the populations of harmful organismslying at lower trophic levels, and decreases in the populationsof organisms lying at higher trophic levels. The elimination ofraptorial falcons has probably resulted in increases in thepopulations of rodents in Sindh and hence increased damage toagricultural crops or water channels. The falconry also has thepotential of physically destroying the habitat through crushingof the slow-growing plants, denuding the camping sites throughmovement of men and materials, dumping of nondegradable wastes,and woodcutting for camp fires. The movement of heavy huntingvehicles sometimes causes severe damage to small earthfilled damsthat are used for storing irrigation water, slowing rapid runoff,and recharging ground-water resources (Afsar Mian Environmental Conservation, 1986,

13, 41-46).

Many species of avian and mammalian fauna are experiencingpopulation decline because of illegal hunting for sport, meat andtrade. There is a strong tradition of hunting in Pakistan and theimpact of hunters has increased with the spread of modern weaponsand great mobility. Virtually all-large mammals have declined innumber and their range has been reduced. It is being increasinglyfelt in Pakistan that operators of the long handle of socialpollution will have to be restrained if its rich biodiversity is

to be conserved. For this purpose the governing hierarchy willhave to adopt a sustainable hunting program that will include:

i) Collection of authentic data regarding the population of birds and status of species,

ii) Monitoring mechanism that ensures the bag limit is followed irrespective of the hunter`s clout, and

iii) Implementation of hunting laws and ensuring a bag limit.

There is no credible data regarding the houbara bustards that visit Pakistan each winter and as such it is impossible to quantify how many birds can be culled without imperilling the breeding stock. The ground reality is that when Arab hunters descend on our shores they are awarded the highest protocol possible. Low-level wildlife department staffers cannot even darego near the hunters` camps and check the bag limit.

The ground realities suggest that monitoring the bag limit is simply not possible in case the Governing hierarchy is involved in the operation of the long handle of social pollution. The onlyway to prevent the slaughter of the houbara is to stop issuing hunting permits. The hunters, who are members of Arab aristocracy, would not engage in illegal activity, at least not publicly. But once the hunting permits are awarded, no one can ensure that the bag limit will be observed.

Sensitive Areas of Archeological and Historical significanceThatta district as a whole and its surroundings arearchaeologically important as it was chosen by several Emperorsand feudal lords as the place of their eternal abode.Consequently, Makli Hills became the largest cemetery of Pakistanwhere several marvellous monuments were constructed depictingoutstanding episode of history. Makli Hilll is now an institutionfor learning and research. Because of its historical importanceand uniqueness in the built heritage of humanity, this site hasbeen recognized as ‘world heritage’.

Significant Protected Archaeological Sites in GDRP ecosystem include the site of the ruins of ancient Port of Debal at

Bhambore town about 5km off the National Highway and 10km from Dhabeji town and 15km from the Study Area.

The settlement of ‘Bhambore’ is located some 64km east of Karachion the Gharo Creek which in fact is the ancient deltaic channel of Indus River. The settlement has been described in history as the port city Debal where large ships were anchored to trade goods brought from the hinterland by huge caravans. It was considered a doorway from Middle East to Ceylon in the east, and Alor to Multan in the North.

The shrine of Baba Jumman Shah Bokhari near the spring which is the source of Dhabeji nala is another historical site. The shrinehas a large grove of date palm trees in its surrounding. The datepalm grove is stated to have its origin with the caravans that stayed here during their journey to the trade centre at Debal. Baba Jumman Shah Bokhari is claimed as the companion of six otherBokharis in the Bhambore area. The presence of these cultural sites and of red stones scattered at quite a few places suggests that the area may have historical or cultural significance. This aspect needs to be taken special care of during construction at the site, and if artifacts of significance are found, the findingwill be immediately reported to the Department of Archaeology, Sindh.

SOCIOECONOMIC PROFILE OF GDRP ECOSYSTEMThatta District is spread over 17,355 km2 or 1.735 millionhectare and is located between 23°43' to 25°26'N and 67°05' to68°45'E in Sindh, Pakistan. The district is bounded on the northby Dadu district, on the east by Hyderabad and Badin districts,on the south by Rann of Kutch area and the Arabian Sea and on thewest by Karachi District. According to the 1998 census ofPakistan, it had a population of 1,113,194 of which 11.21% wereurban. The population of Thatta District was estimated in 2008 at1.469 million with 778 thousand males and 691 thousand females.

District administration in Thatta district was till recentlygoverned by the local government system. The District issubdivided into 7 tehsils (talukas or sub-district): Ghora Bari,

Jati, Mirpur Bathoro, Mirpur Sakro, Shah Bunder, Sujawal, Thatta,Kharo Chan, and Keti Bunder. These talukas include 55 UnionCouncils, 7,200 villages and over 190,000 households with anaverage size of 6.5 persons per household. The seven talukas aregoverned by their respective Taluka Municipal Administration(TMA), while the 55 UCs of 7 talukas are governed by UnionCouncil Administration (UCA).

Tehsils and Union Councils of District ThattaTehsil Union Council Total

UcsGhorabari

Garho, Khan., Kotri Allah Rakhio, Mahar, Uddasi 5

Jati Begna, Gul Muhammad Baraa, Jati, Karamalik, Kothi, Murid Khoso 6

MirpurBathoro

Bachal Gugo, Banno, Darro, Darya Khan Suho, Jhoke Sharif, Laikpur, M.Bathoro,Mehar Shah

MirpurSakro

Bohara, Choubandi, Dhabeji, Gharo., Ghulamullah, Gujjo, Haji Ghirano, Karampur, Mirpur Sakro, Sukhpur

Sajawal

Ali Bahar, Bello, Bijora, Jar, Kinjhar,Sujawal 6

Shah Bander

Chuhar Jamali, Doulatpur, Goongani, Jungo Jalbani, Ladiun 5

Thatta Chatto Chand, Doomani, Jherruck, Jhimpir, Jungshahi, Kalakot, Kalri., Makli, Onger, Sonda, Tando Hafiz Shah, Thatta-I, Thatta-Ii

Total Number of Tehsils = 7 Total Number of Union Councils = 53

Urbanization

Going by status of urbanization given by urban: rural populationratio, which stands at 11.2:88.8 for District Thatta, thisdistrict is among the least-developed areas of Pakistan whoseratio of rural : urban population according the 1998 census is35:65. It was stated earlier that adequacy in providing thebenefit of development processes to the grass root level isinvariably reflected in the level of urbanization of the areaconcerned. Since a share of 30% urban population in the totalsuggests a threshold stage of development and of over 45%suggests a take-off stage, the ratio for District Thatta suggeststhat it has yet to come out of the stage of under-development8.

According to the Pakistan National Human Development Report 2003,Thatta stands 64th among 91 Districts (UNDP 2003) and one of itsTaluka Mirpur Sakro was declared the most poverty ridden Talukain District Thatta.

The underdeveloped status of Thatta District is reflected by theland utilization pattern, type of dwelling units and availabilityof infrastructure facilities such as water supply and sanitation,roads, transportation. As expected the infrastructure facilitiesthat upgrade the quality of life of the people of the areaconcerned are all highly deficient. The villages, union council,tehsil and district centres as a whole bear a rural character andthe status of degraded land.

The population of all seven Talukas of Thatta District accordingto the 1998 Census was 1.113 million. Based on an annual growthrate of 2.26 percent the current population of the district isestimated to be around 1.301 million. There are three Talukaswhich are coastal and four which are non-coastal. The populationof the non-coastal Talukas is the densest. Mirpur Bathoro is themost densely populated Taluka followed by Sujawal and ThattaTalukas. The coastal Talukas have large geographic areas and muchlower population densities.S. No. Name of Taluka No. of UCs Population 1998 Census EstimatedPopulation in 2007

8 Mirza Arshad Ali Beg, Problems due to Urbanization in Pakistan, Chapter VIII in Democracy Displaced in Pakistan, Case History of Disasters of Social Pollution, Research & Development Publications, Karachi, 1998

1. Thatta 13 254,056 361,8202. Sujawal 06 127,299 221,8143. Shah Bundar 05 100,565 158,2014. Jati 06 126,550 205,9685. Mirpur Bathoro 08 150, 598 194,2816. Mirpur Sakro 10 202,800 296,6507. Ghora Bari 05 105,562 129,081

The rural population of the district was 0.988 million in 1998 constituting 89 percent of the population. The average annual growth rate in rural population between 1981-1998 was 2.15 percent annual. Males were 113 percent of females. The age structure of the population showed that those of 18 years and above were 52 percent of the population. The entire district has a broad based population pyramid indicating a high proportion of population at younger age groups. With 68 percent of the people currently married and 47 percent of total females in the reproductive age.

However, the people with the most threatened and vulnerable livelihoods are the people along the coastal areas. The population along the coast is difficult to estimate as there is no system in place that tracks the movement of this population.

The coastal talukas in Thatta District have a population of 619,980, which is 48 percent of the total district population. The average annual population growth in the coastal talukas is estimated at about 2.2% per annum.

The Mirpur Sakro Taluka, where the proposed wind farm will belocated, covers an area of about 2,982 square kilometers (736,541acres). The taluka is distributed in 10 unions, 92 revenuevillages, 1,526 villages and 32,099 households. The totalpopulation according to the 1998 census was 198,852 individuals.

Table: Mirpur Sakro Population

TALUKA UNION COUNCILS

No. ofDehs

REVENUEVILLAGES

VILLAGES

HOUSEHOLDS

POPULATION (1998 CENSUS)

Mirpur 10 95 92 1526 32099 198852

Within the GDRP ecosystem Gharo and Dhabeji are the importanttowns on National Highway N5 to Thatta. They are both in talukaMirpur Sakro. Dhabeji town is located at 24'47" N 67'31" E, inUnion Council Dhabeji of Taluka Mirpur Sakro in District Thatta.It is just past Ghaggar Phatak on National Highway and is southof the Pakistan Railway line. It has an industrial zone along theNational Highway.

Gharo is the UC Head Quarter and is the terminus of Keti Bunder-Gharo Link road and being at the head of Gharo Creek it has aunique position as a rural trade centre. It has a slightly largerpopulation than Dhabeji. S.No.

Name of UC

Population (1998 Census)

Estimated Current Population (2007)

% of Taluka

1 Gharo 21,723 28,112 11%2 Dhabeji 18,908 24,446 10%

Average household size in the two UCs is reported to be 6 to 7 per household.

Figure: Heath Facilities in MirpurSakhro

Migratory TrendsIn 1998 the total in-migrants into the district were estimated at22,871 or about 2 percent of the population. Only 26 percent had

migrated within the earlier five years and the remaining hadmigrated before this period. The major reasons for the shift ofpopulation were marriage, business and transfer ofposting/duties. The most significant aspect as far as migrationtrend in this district is concerned is the out-migrationespecially from the coastal areas as a result of impoverishmentof resources which has reduced the employment opportunities andhas added to the problem of living within affordable means.

Sources of Income and LivelihoodsAgriculture and LivestockGood breed of buffalo and cow are found in Thatta District.Sheep, goat, camel, horse, ass and mule are also the mainlivestock of the district. The numbers of large animals farexceeds the number of smaller animals showing preferences ofpeople for keeping cattle rather than goats or sheep. Livestockin the district suffers in particular from shortage of highquality feed and fodder crops as a result of the overall shortageof water. The livestock numbers have been particularly affectedas a result of the decrease in the flow of freshwater in theIndus.

Table XXX: Livestock Population in Thatta District Type

Population Percentage

Cattle 339,105 31Buffalo 314,253 29Sheep 170,031 16Goat 240,920 22Camel 11,081 1Horse 424 0Mule 183 0Ass 23,748 2Domestic Poultry 510,114 Not includedSource: Livestock census: 1996

Villages have, since historical times relied on multiple sources of income depending upon the household resource ownership. In theGDRP ecosystem fishing formed a major part of livelihoods, while

rice crop farming was another key component as each family had access to some land to grow red rice on, which they cultivated ona subsistence basis. Scarcity of water has constrained crop production as a means of livelihood.

Livestock ownership is now the only means to supplement householdconsumption needs and as a source of value. Wood cutting enabled households to meet their fuel needs as well as supplement incomesfor the poorer households. As a result of decrease in water availability and increased salinity there is pressure on diverse type of livelihoods. The choice that was once available to households is gradually diminishing and households are increasingly becoming dependent upon one or two sources of income. Along the coast, fishing has become the single source of income for many families. In addition, this source of income has become more unreliable with much lower returns than were possiblea decade or so ago.

In some villages in the GDRP ecosystem, land cultivation is seasonal, restricted to the rainy season, to ensure sufficient water for the crops. The agricultural land is owned by villagers.Two-thirds of the village households own land of varying sizes. Most of the cultivable land is worked upon by the land owners themselves who are inhabitants of the village, but some are too poor to cultivate it themselves, hence a few households have rented it out to “Haris” who invest in cultivating their land, preparing it for crops, build canals and bunds to irrigate the land and then collect the harvest to sell it in the markets in Gharo and Dhabeji. The Hari gives the land owner two-thirds of the money earned from the crop. This augments the annual income of the household. The “Hari” i.e. the lessee or share cropper of that land allows the household to take 1 to 2 kilo of vegetables that he cultivates.

The crops grown on their lands are: guaar beans, torian, loki, kaddu, teenday, lady finger, and lentils (moong). In non-edible items they cultivate sesame seed for oil extraction.

Occupation

The GDRP area does not offer opportunities for employment and thepopulation is primarily employed as cheap unskilled labour forceeither in Dhabeji or Gharo. Cultivation is not possible here dueto scarcity of water. Livestock herding is the only incomegenerating option; the limited livestock holdings in thesettlements is kept primarily for household use of livestockproducts. Skilled labour is scarce, and the categories of skilledlabourers are mostly chowkidars, drivers, welders, plumbers andelectricians. Government service is relatively rare but residentsof some villages find low level jobs in the KWSB’s Filter Plant,and the industrial units in Dhabeji and Gharo.

Employment and IncomesThe economically active population is 25 percent of the total, while 37 percent is aged 10 and above. A high unemployment rate of 18 percent was recorded in Thatta District in 1998. Of the total employed persons, about two-thirds are engaged in primary occupations namely agriculture, wood cutting, fishing and hunting.

The villagers in the GDRP area have multiple sources of income which varies from:

Government jobs in the Water Board and the Railway. Pension of villagers retired from Water Board and Railway

jobs Agriculture income from owner’s cultivable land Sale of Livestock as and when need arises Contractual jobs in mills and factories in Gharo, Wood cutting, and Fishing

There is unemployment all over the villages amongst the men who were previously employed. The focus group discussion revealed that two-thirds of the employable men are unemployed and only one-third are holding stable jobs. Qualified persons are few, almost non-existent in the villagers, maximum matriculation or intermediate certificate holders. Most men have skills (agricultural, masonry) but not education.

Focus group discussion at Goth Jafar Jamadar and at Goth Nabi Bakhsh revealed that the main source of income is employment only. At least 30% population is living at subsistence level, surviving only on pension of an aged family member who retired and now relies on subsistence farming. 10% population survives onfamily members who are not in regular employment.60% of the villagers earn their living from sources such asshop/kiosk in the village or from collection of stones or wood.

At least 35% of the population of the two villages survives on Rs5000 and less; another 30% earns 5000-11000; yet another 30% earns 11000 – 18000, while the remaining 10% in the villages earns Rs 18000-25000. The two villages: Goth Jaffar Jokhio and Goth Nabi Bakhsh have 200 and 300 goats respectively and 150 and 250 chickens respectively. Ownership of cows is limited to the upper class. Jaffar Goth has only 2 cows while there are about 20cows in Yusuf Khaskheli village. Almost all households in the villages have goats to fulfill their milk requirements for tea. Chicken are raised for eggs and are seldom used as a source of meat.

IndebtednessMost of the families are indebted in the range of Rs. 20,000 toRs. 50,000 yearly. They borrow money for household consumptionfrom banyas or the landlord on whose land they make a living, andrepay the loan by selling livestock at the time of Eidul Azha.

Enterprise and Industrial SectorFrom the industrial point of view Thatta District has progressed considerably. There are about 30 industrial units established in the district. Apart from the sugar mills all the larger industrial units are located in Dhabeji and Gharo in the GDRP area. Most of the labour in these units is non-local and commutesfrom within the two towns or from Karachi. These include textile mills (9), paper mills (2), flour mill (3) salt works, ice factory (2), etc. Additionally, stone from the Makli Hills and Kohistan is supplied to the Pakistan Steel Mill and the Thatta Cement Factory.

Factories in Dhabeji & Gharo Industrial Area

industryThere are numerous sites for salt production in the Bambhore area. Private contractors have leased these lands from the government and local people are working there since the inceptionof the salt works, under primitive conditions for seven days a week, at an average salary of Rs. 250-350 per day.

S.No. Functional Not Functional

01 M/s Tapal wood works Sakreo Road Gharo

M/s Allied Paper Mills Gharo

02 M/s Al-Asif Sugar Mills Gharo M/s Al-Noor Textile Mills Dhabeji

03 M/s Al-Abbas Gases Dhabeji M/s Azmat Textile Mills Dhabeji

04 M/s Indus Jute Mills Dhabeji M/s Ahmed Spinning Mills Dhabeji

05 M/s Jeo Links Dhabeji M/s Arafat Rice Mills Dhabeji

06 M/s O.K Oil Mills Dhabeji M/s Abasian International Dhabeji

07 M/s Anwar Textile Mills Dhabeji

M/s Abdul Haq Flour Mills Dhabeji

08 M/s Garieb Sons Gharo M/s Central Cotton Ltd Dhabeji

09 M/s Maza International M/s Classic Paper & Board Gharo

10 M/s Peoples Flour Mills Dhabeji M/s Madina Rice Mills Gharo

11 M/s Qureshi Salt Works Dhabeji M/s Pakistan PVC Ltd Gharo

12 M/s Hirjina Salt Works Dhabeji

M/s Peoples Flour Mills Dhabeji

13 M/s Dhabeji Salt Works Dhabeji

14 M/s Safe Salt Works Dhabeji

Poultry farmingA large number of poultry farms were observed during the site visit for socioeconomic survey in the project area. The climatic condition favours this profitable business in terms of quality and quantity. These farms are major suppliers to urban centres.

HandicraftsBoth men and women in the project area supplement their major income source with handicrafts. Women particularly use their leisure time, albeit minimal, for hand made products like rali, comforters called sour, sagi, agath and embroidery on shirts, bedsheets, pillows, handkerchiefs and table covers. Of importanceis rali making which is not only an economic activity but also a tradition for women in the area. Rali is traditional apparel usedas a mat or quilt. The upper part of rali is a combination of bright coloured square clothes sown together to form various floral and geometrical patterns. A simple rali takes about 1.5-2 months to prepare. Rali is an essential feature of a girl’s dowry, so a girl starts learning the art of rali making from the age of 6-8 years. Ghagho or Cholo is another piece of art. They may earn from Rs. 400 to Rs. 600 per month from these sources. Income from these activities usually stays with women themselves and they can spend this money as they desire.

Physical InfrastructureWater supplyAccording to the 1998 Housing Census, the facility of piped waterinside the house was available to 14 percent of the housing unitsin the district. There is a wide divergence in this facility in urban and rural areas. About one-third of the housing units have this facility in urban areas compared to around 10 percent in rural areas. Hand pumps inside the house were available to around13 percent of the housing units in the district. Hand pumps, wells and ponds were almost equally being used as a source of drinking water outside the housing units. About 16 percent used outside ponds for fetching water and 6 percent of housing units used dug wells. Being at the tail end of the Indus River system, Thatta District was facing the worst ever fresh water crisis due to non-release of water in the river. In the coastal talukas,

only 26 percent of the people had access to water supply from within the village.

Gharo Filter Plant network is the source of water for JafarJokhio Goth and ground water or supplies by donkey cart is thesource for Goth Nabi Bakhsh. The water so supplied is nottreated. Potable WaterLack of potable water is one of the primary issues of thisregion. The Union Councils have provided water supply lines tomost villages, but these schemes are largely non-functional.Groundwater levels are low and prospecting for water is anexpensive proposition.

Sanitary waste Disposal: Only about 1/3rd of the residents in the GDRPhave a separate sanitation facility. The residents of unitswithout proper latrine facility use adjacent rural environs.Majority uses the bushes to answer the call of nature. Only a fewhouseholds have latrines as part of their bathing area. In thebushes outdoors the toilet area is demarcated. Although, women’senclosure is separate but it is not properly concealed.

Solid waste from homes is thrown in a demarcated garbage dumpingarea in the bushes. There are three “bathoris” for the threemuhallahs. When the solid waste is in excess it is either liftedvia tractor and taken to the lands and dumped in a big hole forbio-degradation into manure, or it is burnt. Conversely, thiswaste might also be sold to contractors from some other villages,which then have the garbage lifted and removed to cultivablelands where it is used to make manure.

Animal waste is not collected separately; it is thrown in thecommon garbage den and allowed to dry. When the quantity ofanimal waste is substantial, it is lifted and taken to theagricultural field and dumped in a pit to form manure, or elsesold to contractors from other villages which may have it liftedby tractor trolley and taken to their own lands. Villagers in the

Study Area were found using poultry manure from the poultry farmsin the area.

ElectricityElectricity is available to about one-third of the housing unitsin Thatta District. There is a wide variation in the availabilityof electricity in urban and rural areas. It is estimated thatabout 79 percent in urban areas had access to electricity incontrast to about 21 percent in the entire District. Kerosene oilis used in over 77 percent of the rural dwellings. More than 80percent of the housing units in the district were using wood ascooking fuel. Only 3 percent of the housing units had access toSui Gas in the district. In Goth Jaffa Jokhio Jamadar the villagers use gas lamps andkerosene oil lamps for lighting. Once a week the gas tanks arefilled from Gharo. Batteries are used for charging mobile phones,playing a radio or a TV. In certain situations a large truckbattery is taken to Gharo for two days of charging and broughtback and it lasts for a week in the village for uses justmentioned. People also use a battery to illuminate the shop witha small tube light at night.

Fuel for energy comes from burning wood in the stoves, forcooking and burning wood in winter for heating purposes. Dieselis used for motorcycles and kerosene is used for hand held lamps.The source of wood is the bushes and woodlands around the villagefrom where household members cut bundles of wood as perrequirement. However, at least 50% of the sampled householdsbought their stock of wood from wood cutters who sell bundles ofwood to the villagers. Diesel for personally owned vehicles isacquired from Gharo city. A motorcycle needs Rs.175 worth ofpetrol to commute between Jaffer Jokhio Goth and Gharo city. Thevillagers average cost of fuel is as follows:

Type of Fuel Average cost per monthWood Rs. 750Petrol/Diesel Rs. 3000Kerosene oil Rs. 300

Since the villagers net income is limited, such a large cash outflow for fuel leaves them with little or no possibility of saving any part of their income.

Road TransportThatta District is linked by road with other districts. NationalHighway from Karachi to Peshawar passes through Thatta for alength of 200 kilometres. All major towns of the district areconnected with metalled roads of 1,585 kilometres length. Thedistrict is also connected by the main railway line from Karachito Peshawar. The principal railway stations are Jangshahi,Dhabeji and Jhimpir. The district is also equipped with digitaland non-digital telecommunication system besides postage andtelegraph.

Cost of travelling to and from the villages in GDRP area bydifferent means of transport is very high and is often cause fordelays and untimely deaths in medical emergencies. The cost oftransportation to and from Goth Jafar Jokhio Jamadar creates animpediment in visiting the doctor in case of illnesses. A familyin the Goth owns a Suzuki and charges a rent for taking villagersto and from Gharo. It is also used for transportation of goods tothe village from Gharo. Cost estimates for transportation from and to the village are as follows:

By motorcycle: Rs.200 to Rs. 300 (both ways inclusive) Richshaw: Rs.600 (both ways inclusive) Suzuki: Rs.1000 to Rs.1200 (both ways inclusive) Lorry: Rs. 900 to 1000 (both ways inclusive)

In the case of a medical emergency, they call their contacts in Gharo who send a vehicle to the village in which they commute to the hospital in Gharo. People in the village who cannot afford the transportation and medical fees, in case of emergency, borrowmoney from somebody in the village.

Irrigation and Drainage SystemsThe hilly areas of the district are cultivated on monsoon water and wells, while the canals and channels irrigate the other

lands. The areas within the protective banks of the Indus used tohave fertile patches of land which depended upon flood and lift water system from barrage channels at various places for irrigation purposes. However, the pattern of irrigation has been transformed in the district due to lack of water availability.

Table XXX: Different NGOs working in District ThattaDistrict NGOs

Thatta

1. National Rural Support Program (NRSP), 2. Aga Khan Planning and Building Services 3. IUCN 4. WWF 5. Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) 6. HANDS 7. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum 8. Adventure Foundation of Pakistan 9. Indus Earth 10. SCOPE

EducationEducation opportunities in the area are minimal in Mirpur Sakro taluka as a whole. The disparity seems more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas, and gender-wise.

The educational facility in the area in the GDRP ecosystem comprising Bhambore, Dhabeji, and Gharo is adequate to the extentof primary and secondary level. The Dhabeji Pumping Station residential Colony has a high school. Literacy and enrolment level for boys in particular, is above average in the villages visited. Each of the villages in the area has access to primary or middle school within a distance of three to four kilometres.

There is one high school each at Ghagar Town, Bhambore, Dhabejiand Gharo that offers services to nearby Dehs. Female literacyrate is low, with rare cases of literate adult females.General educational level, according to Nazims of Union Councils,is above average, training in technical skills is inadequate and

the proportion of skilled labour in the workforce is estimated atless than 10 percent of the total labour force. Thus the localresidents are ill-equipped for jobs in industry andmanufacturing.

Literacy Rate and Education FacilitiesThere are two primary school buildings for boys in the villages surveyed for this study; both of them are functional. It is reported that teachers have been appointed for the functional schools.

Male literacy ratio is less than 60% and female literacy isalmost 20%. Most persons can speak Urdu, the National languageand most of them can read the Holy Quran. Things have started tochange with the emergence of new leadership which has startedsetting up mosques and madressas in the area of influence.

HealthHealth facilities are inadequate and sub-standard in quality inthe GDRP ecosystem and people have to travel to Thatta DistrictHospital in severe emergencies or even to Hyderabad and Karachi.There is a Basic Health Unit (BHU) and a Mother and Child Centre(MCH) in Ghaggar town, Bhambore, Dhabeji and Gharo but thesecentres are understaffed and understocked. Serious ailments haveto be treated at Thatta, Quaidabad or Karachi. Many of thediseases occurring in the area are water borne, and the lack ofsanitation facilities and reliable water supply schemes hascontributed to health problems.

Fever, Malaria, Tuberculosis, respiratory tract congestion,asthma, sugar, blood pressure, diarrhoea, vomiting, Hepatitis B,kidney stone are the common reported diseases especially amongstwomen and children. Snake bite is not as common as it used to bea few years back. 28 percent cases of snake bite were reportedfrom Goth Jaffar Jokhio. After the rainy season, the entirevillage falls ill with high grade fever, vomiting, flu and coughsymptoms. Many adults and children pass away during this period.

Infant deaths have occurred more frequently and mostly in homebirth or during the journey to Gharo. Transportation of anemergency case to Gharo hospital may get delayed due to non-availability of conveyance or due to the uneven and rough terrainthat has to be crossed. Transportation cost for taking a deliverycase to Gharo is Rs.1500 per trip (approximately) and theHospital charges Rs.5000 plus medicine.

Nutrition & DietThe people consume a varied diet, consisting largely ofvegetables and lentils. They often go to their lands to get freshvegetables for self-consumption and cooking. The Hari allows thisas they are the land owners and just take enough for self-consumption of a couple of days.

The villagers have a proper meal twice a day. The men who have togo to work eat a breakfast mostly comprising tea and paratha, anda full meal at dinner time and the women and children have aproper meal at lunch and dinner time. For afternoon meals at workin Gharo, men take 2 chappatis each, from home and buy the“saalan” (gravy) from Gharo City. As fillers or stimulants themen consume pan, tea and gutka.

For making tea, goat milk is used. Each household has 1 or moregoats to fulfill its milk requirements. Some also use cow milkdepending upon the social strata the house belongs to. At lunchand dinner they frequently consume vegetables and lentils andoccasionally they eat chicken, red meat, and fish. Mostly theyeat wheat bread/roti and seldom do they have rice. The villagersalso consume meat once a week and may consume meat morefrequently when they cut one of their livestock animals.

Gender BiasThe women are responsible for cutting wood for the stoves,filling water from the pipes, cooking, cleaning and washingclothes. In each household the women have the duties dividedamong themselves. It is observed that the women perform verytedious and strenuous tasks and thus appear to age faster thanmen.

Women are the primary bearers of the burden of household chores.But responsibility of grocery shopping is that of the males sinceit has to be done from Gharo city. Males also lend a helping handin cutting wood for the stove. Children of age also assist theadults in household chores such as water filling, sweeping anddusting, milking animals and gathering eggs.

The women are interested in selling their handcrafted quilts oncommercial basis and men support the idea. The males would liketo open a kiosk; farming if they had the means, and in learningmasonry.

Most of the villagers are so frustrated by the restrictedemployment opportunities in the nearby urban areas that they arewilling to learn new skills to create opportunities for selfemployment or even find employment under contractors in theprivate sector.

Human Settlements in & around Project AreaThe Study Area has only two human settlements both located about2.5 km on the south and north: 1) Gharo Pumping Station and itsresidential Colony, and 2) an unsurveyed hamlet, Yousuf Khaskheliby name. There was another hamlet near the Yousuf Khaskheli Gothbut the same has been abandoned only recently. Other majorvillages in the GDRP ecosystem include the following:

Table XXX: Estimated population found in microenvironment of the project area

Living Area/Village

Households

Estimated Population

Source of Income

School

Hospital

ElectricityTota

lPukka

Filter Plant Colony(2.5 km)

60-80 60 500 Employme

nt 2 1 √

Yousuf Khaskheli (2.5 km)

15 x 60 AgricultureLivestock,

Labor*

Siddique Jokhio (2.4 km)

13-14 1 100

AgricultureLivestock, Labor*

Jaffar Jokhio Jamadar (8km)

40-50 10 280

Nabi Bakhsh (16 km)60-70 15 400

Hashum Jokhio (7.4 km)

20-25 2 180

Dost Mohammad Zangiyani &Haji Hamza Zangiyani (9km)

120Livestock, Labor*

Asghar Mirbahr (10 km) 2 20 Labor* x x X

Sumar Shoro (12 km)20-25 2 180Livestoc

k,Labor*

*Labor represents: quarrying, wood cutting, stone crushing, sand/gravel collection/transportation, odd jobs

Castes, Lineages and TribesThe GDRP ecosystem has two major groups of people: samat and non-samat. Samats are people inhabiting the Sindh province. Non-samats are the immigrants from various parts of subcontinentespecially Baloch tribes.

In the Gharo area, the major tribes include Baloch (Kalmati;locally pronounced Karmati, Ahmadani, Baghiar) Khaskheli, Mallah,Mir Bahar, Megwar, Kohli, Sodai, Machhi, Sathia, Hangoro,

Kathiar, Syeds, Qureshi, Samo, Mullepoto, Jat, Multani, Panjabiand Pathan (Niazi, Khattak, Sulemankhail).

In the Study Area and its environ the dominant tribe is Jokhio,followed by a small group of Khaskhelis.

The population in the project area is dominantly Muslim. Almostall Muslim population belongs to the Sunni sect. According to thegovernment figures 96.72% of the population is Muslim (ThattaDCR, 1998, p. 26). There is a small Hindu minority comprising2.7% of the district population. Owing to the strong sufitradition in Sindh, people in the Study area have strongaffiliation to sufism and piri/muridi. Females are more faithfultowards dargahs compared to men. This fact manifests theirinsecurity in local social setup. They also have a strong beliefon spiritual healing and hence rely on Dum, Darood, and Taveezfor disease cure, black magic, and help in their family lives.

Men are usually followers of pirs. Prominent pirs followed in thearea include Saeen Amanullah Shah, Saeen Baqir Ali Shah Jeelani, and Saeen Peeran Dinno Shah (lives in Uthal, Balochistan).

Social EnvironmentLand Degradation & Poverty NexusIn and around GDRP ecosystem, the development projects includingthe irrigation system have caused widespread degradation of theecosystem to support the quest for urban development and not somuch the growing population. Aridity in the ecosystem compoundedby deflation by wind as a common natural process in the GDRPecosystem has deflated the surface of the soils by severalcentimeters. The much too common gravel covered surfacesoccurring throughout the stony wastes of the area are evidence ofhigh contemporary rates of wind erosion. The elevated mounds offine sand that occur around shrubs on the plains provide evidencethat it has been deflated by wind blown sand during the life ofthe plants and aggravated the process of desertification thuscontributing to environmental crises, such as loss of flora,fauna, biodiversity and productivity of the ecosystems. Ingeneral, the quest for enhanced productivity in urban centres has

intensified exploitation and has carried disturbance by man intoless productive and more fragile lands.

Over exploitation of the meagre resources has given rise todegradation of soil, water and vegetation. These three elementsof the natural ecosystem serve as the natural foundation forhuman existence. In the fragile ecosystem at GDRP, the loss ofbiological productivity through impoverishment of plant, animal,soil and water resources has become irreversible, and hasgradually and now almost permanently reduced its capacity tosupport human life.

Impoverishment of resources leading to environmental degradationis both a cause and a consequence of rural poverty. Therefore,impoverishment of resources in the Study area has led todeforestation and desertification which in turn has compoundedpoverty manifold, and the vicious circle completes when povertyleads to further deforestation and desertification.

Poverty Level of poverty is increasing because of frequent droughtsoccurring in this arid zone of Sindh. As stated earlier, povertyper se is not a problem because the people have learnt to live withpoverty. Impoverishment of resources is worrisome for the peoplein this land that is facing deprivation in many respects. Thetrend of uprooting shrubs, cutting trees with their roots forfuel wood and making charcoal, over grazing due to over stocking,and sand /gravel removal from the river beds, has increasedseveral fold. The unfortunate part of this misery is that itcannot be restrained. If the current trend continues, the alreadyexhausted rangelands will not be in a position to support theexisting level of livestock population of this arid region. Theeconomic impact of such a situation has had direct effect on thepopulation here and is likely to increase the level of povertyamongst the herders of the GDRP ecosystem. The herders havealready switched to wood cutting and to fishing on the shorelinesome 10 km from the area.

Such continuous and uninterrupted degradation of naturalresources is pushing the ever growing population for itslivelihood to migration to urban centres, which are not preparedto absorb it. And that is the root cause of conflicts in the GDRPecosystem.

The migration of the rural population to the urban areas hasamassed the urban areas with social problems by increasing slumsaround the cities. This situation has created law and orderproblems in the cities. Because of increasing poverty and lack ofbasic amenities the most vulnerable sections of population likethe children and women are being affected and will be badlyaffected in the next few years, when the rapid rate ofimpoverishment of resources will reach its limit and push asubstantial segment of population below the poverty line.

Although formal area poverty profile has not been prepared forLower Sindh including Thatta, secondary data generated by theproject preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) showed that 54%are among the “poorest” category and 79% may be characterized aspoor. In a 2004 national survey Pakistan’s poorest district wasThatta.

Family income of Rs 5 to11 thousand, arrived at by a focusedgroup study, already suggests that almost 75% of the familieslive below the poverty line. All members of the family have tocontribute to sustain their subsistence living. Poverty hasmostly been caused by the following factors:

Scarcity of water Recurring drought Low return from crop and livestock farming Low wages from stone/wood cutting Low literacy rate Lack of training High population growth Lack of access to employment in industrial area Increasing unemployment High cost of healthcare

Community Expectations from Development ProjectsAll respondents i.e. males as well as females expect thefollowing from the Wind Farm Project:

Safe drinking water** Job Opportunity** Healthcare centers particularly for women and children** Schools* Vocational training Black top link roads* Poverty alleviation schemes* Land development for suitable crops Protection from drought New income generating opportunities like small business, and

supply of goods and services to the company and people working for the wind farm

** Highest Priority *High Priority

Employment Opportunities in GDRP EcosystemStudy Area comprising the GDRP Ecosystem has the industrialestates of Dhabeji and Gharo located within 10 Km from the site.The villages do not have skilled labour of the sort that isneeded for industrial units. However, the skilled labourers ofthe category comprising drivers, mechanics, welders, plumbers andelectricians, if available may be offered employment in theconstruction and operation phase of production units.

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