Pakistani Universities Promoting Moringa to Fight Malnutrition

Aga Khan University and Sindh Agriculture University are jointly promoting Moringa tree planting in Pakistan's Thar desert to fight malnutrition, according to multiple media reports. Moringa has gained popularity as superfood in the West in recent years. People of drought-stricken Tharparkar have been suffering from malnutrition and disease in the middle of a long-running drought in the region. Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam, and the Aga Khan University will plant 40,000 moringa tree seedlings in Matiari, a rural district in central Sindh, in an effort to improve the health of malnourished mothers, children and adolescents in the area. The moringa tree plantation campaign has been funded by the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Fund for the Environment, a $10 million fund dedicated to practical solutions to environmental problems.  

Moringa Flowers

There is high incidence of stunting and wasting among children in Tharparkar district and elsewhere in rural Sindh due mainly to their very limited diet of daal-roti (lentils and bread) which does not supply essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals for good health and early development. Moringa tree packs 92 essential nutrients, 46 antioxidants, 36 anti-inflammatories and 18 amino acids which help your body heal and build muscle. Native to South Asia, the hardy and drought-resistant Moringa tree can contribute to everything from better vision and stronger immune system to healthier bones and skin. Moringa has 25 times more iron than spinach, 17 times more calcium than milk, 15 times more potassium than bananas and nine times more protein than yoghurt,  according to Dr. Shahzad Basra of the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Pakistan. “It also has seven times more vitamin C compared to oranges, over 10 times more vitamin A compared to carrots and three times more vitamin E compared to almonds", he added. No wonder the powder made from Moringa leaves is sold as superfood in the West. Global market for Moringa products is estimated at $5 billion and growing at 8% CAGR. 


Child Nutrition in Pakistan. Source: PDHS


Moringa tree is also known as Drumstick tree. In Pakistan, it is called Suhanjana  (سھانجنا) or Mungay (مونگے) tree. Every part of this tree offers uses in nutritional or commercial applications. The leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, seeds, and root of the tree all have medicinal properties. Oil from Moringa seeds is used in foods, perfumes and hair care products, and as a machine lubricant. The seed cake remaining after oil extraction can be used as a green fertilizer and also to purify well water and to remove salt from seawater.

The Thar project supported by Aga Khan University goes beyond just planting and growing trees. Its goals include educating the people of its benefits and showing how its leaves and other parts of the tree can be cooked and eaten in the form of curries and sauces, according to a report by Voice of America

In 2017, Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam had planted 5,000 Moringa trees with 500 households for human and animal consumption. These drought-resistant fast growing trees have now matured. Their consumption is showing good results in terms of improving nutrition and health of these 5000 families. 

Here's a BBC report on Moringa in Pakistan:

https://youtu.be/3Wc2Yw_VDFE

  



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Riaz Haq said…
FAO applauds bio-saline agriculture, fisheries models in Thar


https://www.brecorder.com/news/40058348/fao-applauds-bio-saline-agriculture-fisheries-models-in-thar

Rizvi said, they have received successful outcomes under pilot projects of Biosaline Agriculture and fisheries in Thar Desert, which needs to be scaled up with the support of Govt of Sindh and technical expertly support from organizations like FAO. “We have planted 850,000 trees under Thar Million Tree Program and have also cultivated vegetables, fruits, moringa, multiple species of fodder like Rhodes Grass, Corn, and Jantar,” he added.

-----------------------------
United Nations organization on agricultural development “Food, and Agriculture Organization” (FAO) has applauded innovative agriculture models in Thar and termed it ‘critical for to the success of this area.’

The FAO delegation led by Country Representative in Pakistan, Ms. Rebekah Olivia Bell visited Thar and witnessed Bio-saline Agriculture and Bio-saline Fisheries pilot projects being carried out by Thar Foundation and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) in Thar Coal Block II and Gorano area.

The delegation included FAO senior officials Ashraf Ali, Amir Sultan, Ghulam Qadir Mangrio, Shariq Aziz, and Aamer Irshad. They were briefed on Apple Ber Orchards, Sindh’s largest private-sector saplings nursery, Thar Million Tree initiative, Green Park, and Gorano Pond where organic fisheries being practiced. The delegation was also served cooked organic Gorano fish which has been declared fit for human consumption by a leading laboratory of Pakistan.

The delegation was told that the Biosaline agriculture pilots were being carried out in collaboration with Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), Livestock and Fisheries Department, Govt of Sindh and Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam, and Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization, University of Karachi. It was further told that Thar has great potential for Biosaline agriculture and fisheries, as 80 billion cubic meters of water with 5000-6000 TDS available at the 3rd aquifer beneath the soil, which can be pumped out to water nutritive crops for human and livestock population.

Speaking during the visit, Ms. Rebekah Olivia applauded the initiatives and thanked them for showing the initiatives and explaining ambitious models. “The work carried out is critical to the success of this area,” she commented. She said, FAO provides technical assistance to the provincial and federal governments of Pakistan and has established its offices in Sindh to work closer in the areas of mutual interest. “Agriculture models should benefit local communities in terms of livelihood betterments and develop linkages with the private sector,” she added.

Briefing the delegation about different initiatives, Thar Foundation and SECMC CEO, Syed Abul Fazal Rizvi said the all the community development initiatives undertaken by them have been linked with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “We would like to aim at making Islamkot Taluka UN-SDG compliant by the year 2025,” said Rizvi. And for this purpose, he added that a comprehensive house-to-house survey has been carried out by Thar Foundation in consultation with UN-SDG Cell P&D Dept and UNDP.

Rizvi said, they have received successful outcomes under pilot projects of Biosaline Agriculture and fisheries in Thar Desert, which needs to be scaled up with the support of Govt of Sindh and technical expertly support from organizations like FAO. “We have planted 850,000 trees under Thar Million Tree Program and have also cultivated vegetables, fruits, moringa, multiple species of fodder like Rhodes Grass, Corn, and Jantar,” he added.


Gulati said…
It was just recently that Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that he eats a dish made with drumsticks at least twice or thrice a week.

Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/food/features/2020/09/28/moringa-parathas-pm-modi-recipe.html
Anonymous said…
Moringa Powder in Pakistan
Moringa Pakistan: Buy Premium Moringa powder
Moringa Pakistan: Buy Premium Moringa powder
Feb 26, 2020·7 min read

You may buy quality moringa powder in premium form from morniga pure Pakistan. It is available in 1 kg, 500g and 250g packing. You may visit https://moringa-pakistan.business.site/ or https://www.facebook.com/Moringa.Lahore.Pakistan/ to explore the facts and place order. To direct contact connect whatsapp at https://wa.me/923024184220


https://medium.com/@moringa.pakistan/moringa-powder-in-pakistan-a2c006dff34f#:~:text=Moringa%20is%20cultivated%20in%20southern,milk%20production%20in%20dairy%20animals.

Moringa is cultivated in southern Punjab of Pakistan and surrounding Areas of Sindh. It is utilized as food and supplement for both humans and animals. In small villages across Pakistan, people use to for animals to boost the milk production in dairy animals. An estimate 3–5 kg milk is increased depends upon the type of animal.
Moringa powder price in Pakistan
Moringa is available in different prices and qualities. For animals, it is available from Rs.200–400/- per kg in leaves form. Whereas in powdered form for human consumption . The good quality or premium grade powder starts from price Rs. 1600/- to Rs. 3000/- per kg. Most, people or companies in Pakistan usually supply low grade powder in price for premium grade moringa powder. That’s way always buy from authentic shop and trustworthy fellow. We recommend you to buy moringa powder from https://moringa-pakistan.business.site/ in reasonable price.
Moringa in context to Pakistan
Ailing health and healthy food instability are significant difficulties in Pakistan. As indicated by the World Food Program Household Food Security and Nutrition Assessment, a fourth of the populace lack healthy foods and 41% of all youthful population with age less than five nutrient deficiencies. Given its high healthy benefits, Moringa could assume a job in diminishing food weakness for nutrition and lack of healthy sustenance in Pakistan.
Riaz Haq said…
“While carrying out hydrogeological studies for Thar coal project, we found out abundant water reserves of groundwater at the depth of 450 plus feet in the whole of the desert region,” said Syed Abul Fazal Rizvi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SECMC and Thar Foundation.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40064859

Speaking exclusively to Business Recorder, Rizvi said our studies suggest the availability of 80 billion cubic feet of water underneath coal, TDS level quality of which ranges between 5000-7000 PPM.

The available water in Thar has the potential to irrigate thousands of acres of land by applying modern watering methods such as drip and sprinkler systems, he added.

He said in collaboration with Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization of Karachi University, we have produced commercially viable production of Apple Ber, Rhodes Grass, Castor Oil, Cluster Bean, and vegetables.

Utilizing the underground saline water, Thar Foundation has piloted a 40 Acres land to grow fruits, vegetables, and local grass species and established Sindh’s largest private sector nursery which nurtures 500,000 saplings at a time. It has also set up a 68-acre Green Park which has grown local species of trees that comprises Neem, Babur, Roheero, Kandi, Moringa, and other species.

Umair Aslam Butt, Manager Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) of SECMC said that they have also planted 860,000 trees of mostly local species under the Thar Million Tree campaign by utilizing Biosaline water.

“This is not merely a campaign to plant one million trees but a vision to make greener Thar by collaboration with various entities including Sindh Forest Department, Urban Forestry, HANDS Organization, and others,” said Mr. Butt.

He said with the technical help of partners like PARC, Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam, and ISHU-KU, they adopted proven plantation techniques to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts jointly.

Another massive opening in Thar is the organic fish farming by setting up small- and large-scale fish farms at the pattern of Gorano Pond, which cultivates tons of fish-catch every year. Gorano is 35 KMs south of the Islamkot Taulka where an artificial reservoir of 1500 Acres was established. Dewatering started in April 2017 from SECMC coalmine and so far, 600 Acres of the reservoir have been filled with water.

Project In Charge of the Gorano Fish farming, Hafiz Shakeel told that this is the perfect illustration of innovation derived by the idea of utilizing the excess volume of underground water for which more than 100,000 fish-seedlings (3-4inches in size) were initially released and within 8-9 months, fishes became the size of more than 1Kg only on natural feed (Zooplanktons, Phytoplanktons, Algae and other marine insects available in Pond) and were declared fit for consumption by an external laboratory.

After the successful production, Hafiz said Thar Foundation and Sindh Fisheries Department under a joint venture also released 200,000 fish seedlings.

He said seedlings of 3–4-inch size released in 2018 have now 8kg-12kg in weight, while seedlings released in 2019 have grown to 4kg-6kg.

Riaz Haq said…
fish-farming – aqua-culture
in the heart of the desert


https://www.tharfoundation.org/sdg/

Followed by the successful Bio-saline agriculture at Thar Block II, the Thar Foundation has initiated breeding fish in the man-made Gorano Reservoir, where brackish and saline ground water extracted from the depth of 180 m, containing 5000 ppm is stored.

About 7 species of fish including Morakhi (Mrigal Carp), Rohu (Labea Rohita), Theli, Kuriro, Gulfam, African Catfish, and Dangri (Barramundi) are being raised in the project. Around 100,000 small fishes of these species were released, as seeds, at the outset of the project which have now been grown into fully mature fish. The fish raised at Gorano are purely organic with no artificial chemical used at any point of breeding and has been declared fit for human consumption by medical laboratories. The extension plan has already been launched under “Desert Fisheries Initiative” in collaboration with Livestock and Fisheries Department, Government of Sindh where 200,000 seeds have been released in May 2019. In the first year, 12,000 KGs of fish catch was cultivated. The fish catch is distributed to local villages free of cost every year. The fish farmed at the reservoir will be used as a source of livelihood as well as nutrition for the local population specially the students of Thar Foundation schools.
Riaz Haq said…
A Precedent for the future Nurtures drought resistance in community Round-the-year yields

http://www.pacadengg.org/pdf/Programmes/13th%20Symposium:%20Presentation%204.%20Engr.%20Nadeem%20Arif%20-%20%20Recycling%20of%20Water%20from%20Thar%20Coal%20Mines.pdf

Possible Effluent Reuse Options
Opportunity for Biosaline Agriculture
 15 Indigenous crops successfully
harvested, including fodder
species.
 25% of irrigated land in Pakistan is
affected by high salinity.
 Fish farming in Gorano Dam is
also underway.
Bio Saline Pilot Program, Block II
5000 – 6000 TDS Brackish Water
from Mine Dewatering
41
Well Field Development
 Despite an arid environment with low rainfall, large volumes of
groundwater can potentially be abstracted. This has been proven by the
dewatering volumes to be abstracted from the regions adjoining the main
mining areas.
 Although this water is mostly from deeper aquifers with moderate to high
salt content, it is an option to develop a well field in the north-west of the
Thar Coal Mining area, for supply to the mining blocks.
 The abstraction of water north-west of the developed coalfield will also
potentially aid the mining owners in underground water management and
reduce the amount of water to be abstracted on site. The development of
a water supply well field is however something that needs further
investigation and modelling.
Riaz Haq said…
Remarkable development with miraculous achievement and boon for Thar - Pakistan Today


https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/03/15/remarkable-development-with-miraculous-achievement-and-boon-for-thar/


The government of Pakistan has taken indispensable initiatives to covert Thar as a major economic zone for the major foreign direct investment and projection economic and industrial activities. It is mandatory to mention that the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) is fervently engaged in coal mining and its power generation plants have been successfully adding 660 Mega Walt(MW) coal-generated energy in the national grid. whereas 1320 MW will be added to the national grid by Sino Sindh Resource Private Limited ( SSRL). There are two under construction power plants of Thal Nova and Hubco Thar Energy limited of 330 MW each and they will also add their power to the national grid by 2020. Hence, it won’t be incorrect to assume that Thar will change Pakistan.

It is meritorious to mention that Sindh Government has taken praiseworthy and remarkable initiatives to facilitate and encourage the investment and industrialisation in the Tharparkar district with vivid infrastructural development such as a widespread network of well-constructed roads, construction of the 42 small dams, water carrier pipelines, dam for the reservoir of rainwater in Tharparkar district, establishment of the Mai Bhakhtawar airport, Establishment of NED University Campus, schools by Engro with the collaboration of TCF and the start of the state of the art institutions of heart diseases the institute of Cardiovascular Diseases( NICVD) and several other projects.

The Sindh government has made a remarkable initiative on constructing 42 small dams in Thar. The construction of 23 dams has successfully completed and inaugurated by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and he showed an eager interest in the completion of the remaining 11 small dams will be completed by 2022. The initiative of the construction of small dams will not only provide fresh drinking water to 87 villages but will irrigate 85000 acres of land. At present constructed 23 dams have immensely contributed to the irrigation of the hundred acres of land with bumper crops of wheat, Onions, Garlic, Oats, Gawaar, and other crops which is indeed a miraculous achievement of the Sindh government for the prosperity of the People that was the vision of Mohtrama Shaheed Banzeer Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto which coming to happen as an undeniable reality.

Riaz Haq said…
New zinc-fortified wheat set for global expansion

The improved varieties of so-called biofortified wheat are being rolled out with the help of seed company partners in countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Bolivia.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2295107/new-zinc-fortified-wheat-set-for-global-expansion-to-combat-malnutrition

Scientists at a leading global grains research institute expect to sharply ramp up new wheat varieties enriched with zinc that can boost the essential mineral for millions of poor people with deficient diets, the institute's head told Reuters.

Martin Kropff, director-general of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), said he expects the newly-developed high-zinc wheat to make up at least 80% of varieties distributed worldwide over the next ten years, up from about 9% currently.

The Mexico-based institute's research focuses on boosting yields, and livelihoods, of the world's poorest farmers while also addressing specific challenges posed by climate change, including higher temperatures, less rainfall and constantly mutating plant diseases.

US researchers find way to read sealed historic letters

The improved varieties of so-called biofortified wheat are being rolled out with the help of seed company partners in countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Bolivia.

Kropff said Asian giant China may also begin adopting the fortified wheat varieties this year.

Over the next decade, he said he expects nearly all newly deployed wheat varieties to be nutritionally improved, noting that the high-zinc varieties were developed by traditional breeding techniques instead of research based on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

"This is something that is really starting in a big way this year," said Kropff, who also pointed to CIMMYT-developed zinc-enhanced corn that was introduced in Colombia over the past two years.

"I'm super proud of this," he added, touting the seeds ability to dent malnutrition via one of the world's grains staples.

The dramatic expansion of the new wheat varieties, which has not been previously reported, holds the promise of improving diets that lack essential minerals like zinc and iron, used to fight off viruses and move oxygen throughout the body.

Zinc deficiency, in particular, is one of the main causes of malnutrition globally and estimated to afflict more than 2 billion people.

CIMMYT scientists, with a research budget last year of $120 million, have developed about 70% of wheat varieties currently planted globally as well as about half of the world's corn, or maize, varieties.

The vast majority of CIMMYT's research is non-GMO.

Chinese scientists develop gene therapy which could delay ageing

The institute was founded by 1970 Nobel peace prize winner Norman Borlaug and runs research projects in some 50 countries. It has attracted funding from the US and British governments, among others, as well as billionaires like Bill Gates and Carlos Slim.

'FIRST OF ITS KIND' CORN

Kropff also cited three recently-developed CIMMYT corn varieties that are resistant to Fall Armyworm (FAW), an insect that has caused major damage to crops in both Africa and Asia, that were bred in Kenya with the help of CIMMYT's maize seed bank in Mexico, the world's largest.

"Like people, (the worms) like maize as well, but they eat the leaves and also the grains and it's really terrible," said Kropff.

The new varieties will be distributed over the next few months for performance trials in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, according to CIMMYT officials.

Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan: A win-win thanks to flatbread

https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/pakistan-win-win-thanks-flatbread

More than half of the women and children in Pakistan lack adequate levels of essential micronutrients such as iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin A and vitamin D. Poor nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in childhood have profound effects on immunity, growth and cognitive development.

WFP’s Chakki project aims to combat malnutrition and stunting (lower height for age), by targeting the small-scale local mills where most people buy their flour. People like Tahir have learnt how to add micro-nutrients (iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin B12) that are essential to good nutrition, especially in pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and adolescents.

Talking about his customers, Tahir says: “Many are highly educated people, so they quickly understand that the small price increase of 6 PKR (equivalent to US$0.04) per 20 kg is worth it. I spend a little longer convincing sceptics who are not familiar with the positive impact fortified flour will have on their diet. However, they usually decide to give it a try when they learn about the benefits, and they end up coming back to purchase more.”

Just a few steps away from Tahir’s mill lies local meeting spot Quetta Akbar Café and Hotel. After hearing from Tahir about the value of using fortified flour, owner Anwar Khan shifted to using fortified flour too. The price of one chapati increased from 12 to 15 PKR, equivalent to a US$ 0.02 increase, but customer feedback on taste and texture is very positive. Some also mention that the bread stays softer for longer. Since May this year, posters placed on the café's walls educate customers about the added value of using fortified flour. And both Tahir and Anwar enjoy talking to people about fortification and getting feedback.

------------------


ISLAMABAD – The National Fortification Alliance (NFA) of Pakistan, with technical support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and funding from the Australian Government launched a pilot project to fight malnutrition by fortifying wheat flour in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. This project will support chakkis (small-scale grinders) to mill flour that is rich in micronutrients that are key to keeping families healthy.



https://www.wfp.org/news/national-fortification-alliance-and-world-food-programme-launch-pilot-project-fortify-wheat



“Given the extent of the consumption of wheat from chakkis, this project will provide a firm basis to reach nutritionally vulnerable populations and provide them with essential nutrients, which is another step WFP is taking to curb malnutrition in Pakistan,” said WFP Country Representative, Finbarr Curran at the launch of this programme today.

Dr. Baseer Achakzai from the National Fortification Alliance, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination also participated in the launch.

Almost half of Pakistan’s population suffers from micronutrient deficiencies which can lead to poor child growth, anaemia and many other health issues. Reducing these deficiencies is a high priority for the Government of Pakistan.

Riaz Haq said…
Seeing the rural Sindh through the lens of ‘Guddu Pakistani’
His biggest accomplishment is to show the Sindh that needs to be seen and known

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/seeing-the-rural-sindh-through-the-lens-of-guddu-pakistani-1.86725862

Islamabad: Brimming with energy and colours, the landscape, culture and people of rural Sindh fascinate in a way that few places do.

Sindh feels like seeing life through a kaleidoscope when viewed from the lens of duEmmanuel Gud – the photographer who captures the heart and soul of the region, showing to the world that life in rural Sindh is not as dull and dusty as generally assumed.

“My photographs are changing the perception of Sindh, showing the vivacious culture, simple people and stunning architecture of my beautiful home region,” said Emmanuel Guddu in an interview with Gulf News. The 42-year-old freelance photographer hails from Sindh’s Mirpur Khas city, best known for its delicious mangoes.

Emmanuel, who is famously known as ‘Guddu Pakistani’ on social media, says that his biggest accomplishment is to show the Sindh that needs to be seen and known. “I can think of no greater honour nor privilege than knowing that I have lived a life, creating images, sharing the stories and struggles of the incredible people of Sindh, the culture of the beautiful land I call home,” he shared during the interview.

The photos sometimes are surprising not just for foreigners and residents of other regions of Pakistan but even the people of Sindh themselves as not many locals travel outside their hometowns, he says. Emmanuel calls himself the ‘Awara (wandering) photographer’. “Photographers are passionate people who are willing to go to any length to share their passion with people,” he believes.


What inspired him?
Born as a Catholic Christian, he belongs to the Kachhi Kolhi Hindu community in Sindh. He found his inspiration early from National Geographic magazines in which the pictures of the cultural and historic sites and vibrant communities moved him. “Those photos inspired me and I decided I will also show to the world the unique culture of my land.”

Personal life and photography career
Emmanuel, who is the eldest among his siblings, wasn’t able to continue education after 10th grade as he was expected to start working to support his family. Remembering the tough days, he shared that his father worked at the community church and his mother as a seamstress, struggling to put food on the table and raise the family. Later, the family sent Emmanuel to Lahore to become a priest at a church where his maternal uncle served as the priest. But that is not where he was meant to be.

Emmanuel’s professional photography career started in 2010 when he went to capture the impact of the 2010 floods, the worst in Pakistan’s history that submerged entire towns. “Some of the portraits of flood survivors in Sindh and the enormity of the floodwater that I captured went viral,” he shared. It was then that Emmanuel knew he had found something he wanted to passionately pursue: photography.

Stories behind the photographs
His brilliant and breathtaking photographs reveal that Pakistan’s province of Sindh is home to fascinating architecture and shrines, majestic deserts and lakes, rural tattooed women, exquisite pottery and handicrafts, mud and straw houses, unique traditional food and beautiful birds.

In one photograph taken in Tharparkar, a woman in her traditional, vivid red dress, is seen feeding her brilliant blue peacock. The image is among his favourite. “This photo captures the pure human-animal relation. This bond is strong in Sindh.”

Many of his pictures capture the rural women of Sindh, working in the farms and at their homes, in their bright traditional dresses, faces hidden behind the veils and wearing white bangles from wrist to the entire length of their arm. “Our women have tattoos on their faces, necks, hands and even on foot,” he shared. It is this unique rural culture and heritage that he aims to show through his photographs and videos.
Riaz Haq said…
Nai Gaj Dam is an embankment dam currently under construction on the Gaj River in the gorge area at the edge of Kirthar Mountains range at about 65 kilometres (40 mi) north-west of Dadu city in Dadu District, Sindh Province of Pakistan. When complete, its power station will have a 4.2 MW installed capacity. Consultant supervision by Techno Consult International (TCI) from Karachi, Pakistan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nai_Gaj_Dam

Construction of the dam started in May 2012. Initially planned to be completed in 3 years, the project has been heavily delayed, increasing its cost from an initial estimate of Rs17 Billon to a revised Rs 47.7 Billion in 2019, with a completion now expected in mid-2021. Around 51% of the construction work was completed as of 2018.

It is estimated that water will be supplied from Nai Gaj Dam to 28800 acres land in tehsil Johi and 300000 acres in other areas of Dadu District. Moreover, Nai Gaj Dam will supply 50 cusecs of water to the Lake Manchar for decreasing its pollution. Furthermore, the water will also be supplied from the dam to Kachho desert and area of Kohistan in Dadu District. PM Imran Khan vowed to complete the project and expressed concern over ineptitude of sindh

Riaz Haq said…
A friendly desert - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

Opinion by Rajesh Kumar Goyal
Assistant Commissioner Karachi

https://www.dawn.com/news/1696453

THARPARKAR has always been portrayed as an underprivileged area with low socioeconomic indicators. Drought, water crisis, infant mortality, suicide cases, grievances of the locals against Thar coal, Gorano dam issues, displacement of indigenous people on account of industrialisation, lack of health and educational facilities, and much more like these have made headlines in national and international media from time to time.

My own experience, however, has been quite different and surprising since the day I was posted in Mithi. To me, Thar is a beautiful place.

The day I stepped in Mithi, I was fasci-nated and surprised to see such a neat and clean city with spacious roads, glittering streetlights, decent infrastructure and the amazing night-time view of Mithi city from Gadi Bhit.

The more I explored Mithi, the more I found it to be a beautiful, unique and amazing city. My prior impression, formed on the basis of media reports, stood shattered. It is the shattering of such illusions that has compelled me to share my personal experience of the area and its lovely and loving people.

The idea is to portray the brighter side of Tharparkar, which rarely gets the attention that it deserves. Tharparkar is not just a desert; it is a vegetative desert, meaning a friendly desert. Thari people, being extremely resilient, live in the lap of nature, eat natural, organic food, walk miles on foot, sleep early, wake up early and enjoy a satisfied and fulfilled life away from everything that defines urban life.

On the development side, Tharparkar is undergoing serious transformation. Thar coal has contributed a lot to its development, though there is still a long way to go. Its beautiful wide network of roads, comfortable rest houses, government as well as private health facilities, educational centres make it a far better district than many others across Sindh.

Its historical sites, such as Gori Temple, Bhodisar Mosque, Jain Temple, Karoonjhar Hills, Gadi Bhit, and, above all, its scenic natural beauty during the monsoon attract a large number of tourists from all over Pakistan who visit to explore Thar and its rich culture.

Mithi, the headquarters of Tharparkar, is an embodiment of tolerance, interfaith harmony and human compassion. The loving people of Mithi live together in peace and harmony regardless of their religious creed. All religious festivals are celebrated by both Muslim and Hindu communities.

Not visiting Tharparkar, especially during the monsoon when it is in full bloom, is like depriving oneself of a chance to enjoy the rich Thari culture, some real fun, and peace and relaxation that this beautiful place offers. Try it this monsoon!
Riaz Haq said…
Kitchen garden in a desert | WaterAid Pakistan

https://www.wateraid.org/pk/stories/kitchen-garden-in-a-desert

Tharparkar is the 18th largest desert in the world and is considered to be the only fertile desert. However, the limited period of rainfall in the area results in a shortage of water even for the basic needs. Hence, the inhabitants are not able to fully benefit of the fertility of the land. But the fertility has increased the beauty of the desert with naturally grown trees. The area becomes mesmerising in the rainy season that it attracts tourists mostly from the Sindh province and some from other provinces as well.

Riaz Haq said…
HOW ROADS CHANGED THARPARKAR


by Arif Hasan

https://www.dawn.com/news/1714144

The main recommendation of the 1987 report on drought and famine conditions in Thar, prepared by the author, was that the changes taking place in Thar could only be consolidated through increased mobility and linkages of Thar with the rest of Pakistan in general and Karachi and Hyderabad in particular.

It was felt that, if a road-building programme did not take place, the inequities in Thari society would increase, since those who could hire or possess four-wheel drives would be the main beneficiaries of Thar’s huge mineral and livestock potential.

For mobility and linkages to happen, a road-building programme had been recommended, which envisaged linking the four Thar taluka headquarters with one another and with the national road network. However, it was not till the Musharraf era (2000-08) that a road-building programme commenced.

The roads have made transportation cheaper and easier. The old six-wheeler kekra [World War II era American truck], which was slow and consumed enormous amounts of energy plying on the desert tracks, has been replaced by normal Bedford trucks, which are cheaper to run and can carry 250 maunds as opposed to 150 maunds carried by the kekras.

It is claimed by the transporters that, earlier, it used to take three hours from Mithi to Naukot, but now this has been reduced to one hour. They also claim that the cost of petrol/diesel and maintenance of vehicles have been reduced by 20 per cent.

With the building of the road network, trade and commerce has increased substantially. Thar’s agricultural produce now goes to distant markets — six to seven lorries per day carry onions from Nagarparkar to Lahore, and vegetables and fruit from other areas of Sindh and Punjab are now easily available in Thar.

Unlike the situation that prevailed 15 years ago, there are cattle markets in the taluka headquarters, so the Tharis do not have to make the long trek on foot to Juddo to sell their animals. Shops carrying industrially produced household food have multiplied and sell items such as baby diapers, something quite unimaginable before. Every hour an air-conditioned bus, complete with TV and Wi-Fi (owned mainly by Pakhtuns and people of Mianwali based in Karachi) leaves for or arrives in Mithi.

The number of taxis operating in Thar has increased from 150 to over 400, while the qingqis in Mithi have increased from over 150 to over 300 since 2013. These taxis carry passengers not only within Thar but to distant locations all over Pakistan, while the qingqis have almost completely replaced transport animals such as camels and bullocks.

Bank loans for the purchase of taxis are available, but to buy the qingqis and trucks, one can only borrow from the informal market. Interest rates against loans are high and vary depending on how much advance payment can be made by the borrower, or if property or land can be mortgaged against the loan. Spare parts and mechanics for the maintenance of the taxis and qingqis are locally available, which was not so in 2000 and, very often, the vehicles had to be taken to Umerkot for maintenance purposes.

Almost all these different types of vehicles have no insurance, since the owners find insurance rates far too expensive and prefer to put their trust in God. The qingqi and taxi owners have no association but are of the opinion that they desperately need one to negotiate with government agencies and fight against the bhatta [protection money] that the police extorts from them.

An association is also necessary to resist pressure from national transporters’ associations, who coerce the Thari transporters to call a strike on their advice. This was not an issue in the past, because the kekras, which the new vehicles replaced, were collectively owned by seths in Umerkot and Naukot. One truck driver pointed out that there was a desperate need for a driving school in Mithi, because people who were learning to drive were dangerous and caused a large number of animal deaths.


Riaz Haq said…
HOW ROADS CHANGED THARPARKAR


by Arif Hasan

https://www.dawn.com/news/1714144


The roads have also brought about a change in lifestyles and supported people in fulfilling their aspirations and needs. For instance, the kekras have been converted into water tankers; people can now actually order one by phone, to pick up water from Mithi and deliver it to the village. In many neighbourhoods, this is now the preferred source of potable water. The tanker is often shared by many families and this is encouraging the construction of individual underground water tanks.

Similarly, access to healthcare units, especially to the Civil Hospital in Mithi, has become a lot easier and faster, and has been of special importance in maternity-related cases. At a meeting of lady health workers (LHWs) attended by my colleagues and myself in 2011, the LHWs requested that they be given motorbikes now that roads had been built, as this would make their work easier. When told that their husbands and sons would not agree, one of them said that, earlier, they had not agreed to us working but now we work; so tomorrow we will also ride motorbikes.

A major change has also occurred in gender relations — males are less restrictive; there is an increase in education and hygiene; women can now move around without male escorts; women have more say in domestic affairs; and have learnt to talk and carry themselves with confidence, as they have got rid of fear. Before, they had to take permission to go to their parents’ house, but that is not so anymore in the majority of cases.

Clothes have also changed and, as one Thari woman put it, they now prefer to dress for ‘fashion’ as opposed to tradition. People have stopped using asli ghee [clarified butter] and taken to Dalda, and they no longer use bajra [millet] bread but purchase flour instead. As one old Thari put it: “Earlier, we would eat what we grew. Now, we sell what we grow and buy what we eat.”

In addition, weapons’ shops, the consumption of liquor, eating out and discussions on inter-caste marriages are increasing and becoming acceptable. Religious groups have also multiplied and have become the cause of considerable tension between different religions. There is also considerable questioning of the latter trend by a nascent civil society.

The number of shops has also increased — in Mithi there were 20 to 25 grocery shops in 2015, as opposed to seven or eight 10 years earlier. In some villages we visited, there were six to seven kiriana [grocery] shops, where only one or two existed in 1998. Earlier, their owners used to travel to Hyderabad to buy goods but, today, because of the road and mobile phone, they just order the items from Karachi and the transporter delivers them. The clients at the stores are both rural and urban.

Procurement of alternative energy sources like solar panels, easily accessible via the road network, has enabled Tharis to produce and consume goods that were previously scarce in the desert | White Star
Almost all the villages visited by me over the last decade and a half are still engaged in agriculture and herding. The majority of households do not own cattle or land and, although a minority, there are also villages where families do not have goats either.

Government jobs are preferred because of job security and because they add to the respectability of the person. However, the number of persons working in the public sector are negligible and are found only in better-off villages. The majority of households encountered do labour in the barrage areas or in the urban centres of Thar or Sindh.

Meghwar men also work in the garment industry in Karachi, where they save Rs 10-12,000 a month. These persons spend about four months getting trained in Karachi for the job. During this time, they receive no pay. The question is, can they be trained in Thar before they leave for Karachi? They also work as masons and building contractors in Thar’s expanding urban areas.

Riaz Haq said…
HOW ROADS CHANGED THARPARKAR


by Arif Hasan

https://www.dawn.com/news/1714144


Spread all over Thar, the Meghwar community is endowed with great artisanal skills. Embroidery and weaving are their two more significant skills. They produce carpets, shawls, blankets (khatta), kurtas, tablecloths, bedcovers and trinkets, which are in great demand. In fact, business is so good that many middlemen have opened outlets in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and a number of smaller towns in Sindh and the Punjab. Access to these markets was previously difficult but, with the building of roads, this has become much easier.

In addition, tourism has expanded in Thar and tens of thousands of people visit the area every year after the rains and for the many religious festivals that the desert celebrates. The expansion of NGOs and the roads, put together, have helped increase both international and elite domestic tourism. Businesses dealing in handicrafts claim that they can increase their market size if a proper tourism programme is initiated by the government or a private enterprise. Women, who are the most important producers of handicrafts, should logically be the main beneficiaries of such a programme.

Twenty to 25 carpentry workshops have started functioning in Thar over the past 10 years. The carpenters are from the rural areas of Thar, where they worked for the rural population, who paid them in grain. According to them, they have migrated from the traditional beygaar [unpaid labour] and caste culture and are now paid in cash, which has given them both social and economic mobility.

They have strong links with Karachi, since they import timber from there. They also use local Thari timber, but there is growing resistance to it, as the trees, especially the kandi [Prosopis cineraria], are fast disappearing. The carpenters say that if they are provided loans for buying power tools, they could easily increase their work, as the demand for carpentry is unmet.

The building of roads has also led to the establishment of petrol pumps, CNG [compressed natural gas] outlets, and maintenance services for vehicles. This has created a very large number of jobs and brought in money to the rural areas. In addition, building materials, especially burnt bricks that were imported from the barrage areas at considerable cost, have become cheaper by about 18 percent.

Roads have also helped in the increase of salt and china clay mining and there has been a growth in the number of enterprises in this sector. There is general consensus that this has also resulted in more jobs, especially for those villages that are next to the mines. The lives of the families who have benefitted from this growth in the job market have changed and the first investments they make is in the building of pakka houses, with steel channel and brick-tiled roofs. Another important investment is in motorbikes, which makes flexible and faster mobility possible. People have sold their camels and donkeys to buy motorbikes.
Riaz Haq said…
HOW ROADS CHANGED THARPARKAR


by Arif Hasan

https://www.dawn.com/news/1714144



However, a number of negative aspects were also discussed in village community meetings, especially in a 2011 visit. For household fuel, the population was still dependent on devi [mesquite] bushes. Many wanted gas cylinders and said that, with added income, they would be able to afford them.

Everyone complained of the disappearance or encroachment of gowcher [pasture] lands, because of government agencies or powerful individuals. Because the area is now connected by roads, land has become more expensive, which only the rich can buy to accommodate their enlarged families.

While people earn more, they also spend more, very often on things that they don’t really need. For instance, fresh milk is readily available in Tharparkar, but there is a growing preference for tetra pack milk and the use of mineral water is becoming increasingly popular — and to top it all, in weddings, baraats [wedding processions] no longer come in kekras, but in cars.

With the coming of roads, incidents of thefts have increased and the old method of investigating crime, by tracking footprints in the sand, is no longer feasible. No one abides by parking rules and regulations and so, although there are very few vehicles, traffic jams are not uncommon. Accidents involving cattle have increased substantially, and wildlife which was commonly seen while travelling on desert tracks is not visible anymore.

The coming of roads and the pressures of ‘modern life’ has also led to the establishment of a media sector, which is generating jobs in various taluka headquarters. Press clubs have developed where people can voice their concerns and show support or opposition to government policies. This is creating a more aware and politically involved population, and is providing news about Thar not only to Pakistan but also internationally, through channels such as the BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation] and VOA [Voice of America]. The more educated young Tharis are already working as journalists and reporters in the media industry and their number is growing.

One important trade that is seldom discussed, unless prompted, is related to wool and animal hair. An extensive discussion on it is available in the 1992 TRDP [Thardeep Rural Development Programme] evaluation and it was again touched upon by my colleague Mansoor Raza and myself in the bazaar in Islamkot.

It has been stated by middlemen in the trade that 10,000 maunds of wool are dispatched to the Karachi market every season and also to India. In Thar, this wool is used for making shawls. It is claimed that, if a mill for making thread from wool is set up in Thar, it would generate jobs and capital. But thread-making needs skill and training, so a training centre would be required. The cost of such a mill would be Rs 15 million and the process would also require non-saline water.

The roads have also impacted the agricultural sector. Animals can now be stall-fed with fodder from the barrage areas because of cheaper means of transport. Migration to the barrage lands in times of drought has become easier and trucks can also be used to transport animals. Because of the roads, men who migrated with their animals can also visit their families unlike before and, with the help of a mobile phone, can keep in touch with them. More than once it was mentioned that, because of the mobile phone, the mother could talk to her daughter who was married to a man in another village.

The building of roads and change in attitudes has encouraged the use of tractors for ploughing the land. This has damaged agricultural land and made it less productive, because tractor ploughing turns a much larger volume of soil than that done by an animal and, in Thar, only the top soil is productive. Tractor use is as expensive as using an animal (such as a camel) but it is much quicker, since it ploughs in less time.

Riaz Haq said…
HOW ROADS CHANGED THARPARKAR


by Arif Hasan

https://www.dawn.com/news/1714144


Climate change is also affecting agricultural production in Tharparkar. Rain patterns have already changed, and this is affecting cropping patterns and will eventually also affect the technology of production. Fertiliser and pesticide has also increased and, with the use of the tractor, it is also destroying friendly insects and the soil. With increasing urbanization, the land under cultivation is also decreasing.

Education

There is a growing desire among young people to give up farming, although their elders find it difficult to come to terms with this reality. But farming and herding has to be replaced by something. To that end, the younger generation feels that they need to be trained as electricians, plumbers and tailors, and learn how to use industrial machines. This, they feel, would equip them for work in the urban markets of Sindh and beyond.

In every village visited, education was a priority, but it was claimed that at most only 50 per cent of the village children go to school. One of the reasons given for such low attendance is that, in most cases, there were no female teachers and not enough male teachers. There was also a lack of sufficient classrooms.

With the building of roads, the villagers are now more willing to send their children to school, including girls, since schools are easier to access. In case there are no schools in the village, they are even willing to send their children to the school of the neighbouring village. This holds especially true for villages that do not have middle and high schools.

However, they do not want to send their girls for higher school education to Mithi if it means living in a hostel. Living with relatives is also becoming impossible, since extended family relations were “not what they used to be.” This is in marked contrast to what a number of villages had demanded in 1998, that the government establish hostel facilities for girls at the taluka headquarters. Maybe this change is because of increased insecurity, given the anarchy that exists in other parts of Sindh.

With the building of roads, better incomes and contacts with the urban centres of Sindh, a demand for private schools has also risen and a number of them are operating today. Private schools have never been discussed earlier and nor has there been, to the best of Thari intellectuals and activists, a demand for them. But the demand has increased and a number of private schools are operating today.

In the opinion of Dr Khatau Mal, a prominent Thari intellectual, Thar needs O and A Level schools, so as to produce an elite that is at par with the elite of Sindh’s urban areas, and which will help them get into important decision-making jobs in the province and at the centre. Dr Khatau gave the example of a similar process followed in the Punjab and KP [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa], which helped in poverty alleviation and in the creation of an involved middle class. The counter-argument to this is that, once educated, the middle class would prefer to live in Karachi, Hyderabad and Islamabad, and only come back to Thar when it’s time to die.

A number of Thari activists have also argued that the migration of the potential middle class from the rural to urban areas will be a loss to the village, because it is this middle class that is the voice of the village. If they migrate, then only the landlord and the poor peasant would remain.

Another question that was raised was that people migrate in search of better education and facilities, business opportunities and professional jobs — can they not be provided in Mithi?

It was also pointed out, naming names, that the children of many Tharis who had studied in Karachi and Hyderabad abandoned Thar. It was further said that some sort of major investment in industry was needed to create professional and high-end jobs in the desert, with priority of employment given to the residents of Thar.

Riaz Haq said…
HOW ROADS CHANGED THARPARKAR


by Arif Hasan

https://www.dawn.com/news/1714144


The old parts of the taluka headquarters in Tharparkar were segregated by caste. The lower castes, who cleaned the town and lifted the excreta, lived in the outskirts and wastewater and sewage was dumped in the depressions. Brick-paved open drains carried the sewage and wastewater to their disposal points. The neighbourhoods were clean simply because of the presence of a hereditary professional caste, whose job it was to keep them clean. This has changed to a great extent, because of large-scale rural-urban migration within Thar especially in the last 20 years.

With the building of roads and markets at some distance from the old neighbourhoods, new shopping areas, bus terminals, storage facilities and eating places have developed. With Tharparkar becoming a district in 1990, government and semi-government buildings, hotels, guest houses and government residential accommodation have also been built away from the old neighbourhoods. So one can say that, while the old town still exists, it is in a state of decay, and the new town, which has not been really built so far, is developing without a cohesive planning strategy.

The other visible change is the expansion of settlements on the periphery and within Mithi and Islamkot. Google Maps show that Mithi’s spread has increased by over 200 per cent since 2012 and there has also been considerable densification of the existing built form. The construction boom is so large that steel for reinforced concrete construction, when this note was first written in 2014, was short in supply. Contractors also claimed that local timber for traditional construction was no longer available due to deforestation.

The new settlements are established by enterprising individuals who occupy state land, subdivide it, and sell it to the migrants. Increasingly, however, groups of up to 50 households organise to occupy and settle land on the immediate periphery of the urban areas. Before moving on to the land, they find out about its status and make preparations of dealing with any problem that is likely to surface during the process of occupation.

The support of an influential in the process and the large number of persons involved in settling provide the necessary security from eviction. Once the settlement is established, they lobby with their elected representatives for a road link and electricity and promise their votes in return. These unplanned, randomly located settlements are an ecological disaster that will be a nightmare for future planners.

There is a need to document and direct this development so that the towns of Thar do not face the same problems as the towns of the rest of Sindh do today. For documentation purposes and planning, mid-level expertise is required and, hence, the establishment of a mapping and survey school and a polytechnic institute would be helpful.

Migrants give different reasons for migrating. One reason was that, in the village, the landlord made life difficult for them because, unlike their ancestors, they were not willing to do beygaar for them. Also, unlike conditions in the villages, they could do cash-paid work on a daily basis, educate their children, and become azaad [free]. All those spoken to had no intention of going back.

Excerpt reproduced with permission from Tharparkar: Drought, Development and Social Change by Arif Hasan, published in 2022 by Ushba Publishing International
Riaz Haq said…
NON-FICTION: THE DESERT TRANSFORMED

https://www.dawn.com/news/1724585

Tharparkar: Drought, Development, and Social Change
By Arif Hasan
Ushba, Karachi
ISBN: 978-9699154553
436pp.

In his new book Tharparkar: Drought, Development, and Social Change, architect and city planner Arif Hasan has captured — in the simple yet powerful writing style so familiar to his readers — his long association with this district of Sindh. The association stretches over decades, through his engagement in various projects, formal commissions by several institutions and informal baithaks [meetings] with Thari individuals and communities.

The book is structured clearly and presents facts, observations and analyses in a cohesive and convincing way. It is part academic article, part technical report and part travelogue and memoir. The book comprises three distinct sections, labelled ‘Drought’, ‘Development’ and ‘Social Change’.

The first section explores the conditions that led to the drought of 1987 and describes Hasan’s visits to Tharparkar to document the impacts of this phenomenon on local communities and economies.

Section Two details the Thar Rural Development Project (TRDP) — how it was formulated as a policy outcome of the 1987 drought, the socio-economic and spatial changes it proposed, and the interventions it (un)successfully brought about.

Section Three describes the more recent changes within Tharparkar as a result of new roads, increased tourism and the impacts of the Thar Coal project, and speculates what this spells for the future of Thar, not just as a physical region, but also as a culture, an imaginary and a policy deliverable for the government of Sindh.

In exploring the reasons behind Thar’s present conditions, Hasan mentions two specific disjunctures in the region’s social history: Partition, which violently ruptured the broader regional associations between families and communities; and the more recent Thar Coal project, which has brought about unprecedented disruption at multiple levels.

The coal project has caused both physical and spatial changes as well as social and domestic changes, such as forcing those displaced by coal-mining to move into a vivarium of cosmetic housing typologies — supposed to mimic authentic communities, but considered inappropriate by the villagers — built by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), which is a joint venture between the Sindh government and the Engro Corporation.

Hasan’s book creates a chronologically structured narrative that is personal as well as an attempt to provide an objective account of the changes that have taken place in Tharparkar. The author describes the physical features of 1980s’ Thar — its topography, water resources, vegetation and livestock economy — which sets up a basic understanding of the context for the lay reader to situate the socio-political implications of the climatic factors described ahead.

Today, this description reads like an archive of invaluable recollections: Hasan exoticises the Thar of that era, when the region was “another world” where “foxes and porcupines crossed the road” and “timings were determined by the stars and shadows cast by sunlight.” Perhaps it was these fond early memories that lured him to keep returning to Thar over the next three decades.

By being engaged in Thar for such a long time, Hasan was able to catch the earliest signs of how road and trade links to urban Sindh altered the cognitions and aspirations of the Thari communities, and how this reflected in the ways they started to dress, talk and conduct trade. He witnessed — first-hand, as well as through detailed conversations with locals — how the priorities of the Tharis started to shift: from a passionate attachment to tradition, to a curiosity for new technologies, products and services such as standardised education.


Riaz Haq said…
NON-FICTION: THE DESERT TRANSFORMED

https://www.dawn.com/news/1724585

Tharparkar: Drought, Development, and Social Change
By Arif Hasan

Book Review by Adam Abdullah

As the region’s economy started to integrate with that of wider Sindh during the 1980s and 1990s, a number of other visible changes also began taking place, notably in the spatial expansion of traditional markets and the upgrading of housing materials and structures within smaller towns.

Hence, Hasan emphasises how the 1987 famine should be attributed not only to episodic droughts but, more importantly, to these social, economic and demographic shifts in the lives of the desert dwellers, which compounded the effects of the drought to create famine-like conditions for particular populations.

He stresses how, traditionally, Thar and its population had been able to withstand severe climatic conditions by relying on embedded knowledges and practices, and by extending support through rural social networks that had only recently begun to dissociate as people began to “urbanise”, leaving communities vulnerable against sudden natural disasters.

A prominent strength of the book is the detailed appendices that make up its second half, providing data sources and terms of reference and agreements between the various agencies working in Thar, as well as route plans and schedules of field visits conducted by Hasan’s own team. These tables and diagrams set up a replicable methodology in terms of identifying data-generating organisations, the logistics of fieldwork and the kinds of secondary sources that could supplement similar fieldwork in the future.

The book also presents interesting ways to organise and methodise rural ethnography. Although this is not an explicitly stated aim, it provides the tools and a replicable audit trail that might be helpful for a new generation of scholars in urban and rural anthropology.

Despite not being formally structured as an ethnographic manual with memos, notes and active journaling, it gives rich insights into fieldwork, route-planning, active engagement and the contingencies of data collection that can be of immense value for new researchers, field workers, mappers and writers in economics, development studies and social policy, who may be planning to venture into rural Sindh.

However, there is at least one downside: the photographs included within are all black-and-white and of low contrast. This makes it difficult to appreciate visually the incredibly rich details of the mandirs [temples], communal practices and the desertscape, as well as the damaging impacts of the coal project.

Those of us fortunate enough to have visited Tharparkar at least once would fondly recall from hazy memory its desaturated greens, dusky browns and paling yellows; shaky mirages over the horizon; and the fading of thatch roof into sand dune. With black-and-white photographs, all of that chromatic bliss is left only to the memory — or imagination — of the reader.

Another minor shortcoming is that the appendices on demographic growth are cited directly from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in their original format. Perhaps processing these into visual graphs would have provided instantly readable snapshots of demographic trends of the particular decades under discussion.

Tharparkar’s changing region constitutes a critical moment in the urbanisation story of Sindh, in not just the changes to the province’s rural economies and socio-cognitive and lifestyle patterns, but also in the stories of the rapid growth of its secondary towns, peripheral urbanisation and spillover externalities, such as unregulated land use.

Researching Thar presents an opportunity for those planning our rural and urban policies to connect more deeply with the field, listen closely to stories from the ground and formulate not just more effective policy trajectories, but also contingency-based plans for unprecedented climatic or economic events that will keep surfacing as development propelled by coal extraction continues in this region.
Riaz Haq said…
NON-FICTION: THE DESERT TRANSFORMED

https://www.dawn.com/news/1724585

Tharparkar: Drought, Development, and Social Change
By Arif Hasan

Book Review by Adam Abdullah

For Hasan, Tharparkar demands a long-term policy commitment, requiring deep and persistent embeddedness in the field. Thar cannot be a one-time, grant-led, project-based solution and “the creation of new and viable social institutions” should underlie all attempts to develop Thar.

In this, Hasan posits a strong hope for the “communal” aspect of Tharparkar, that eventually Thari individuals and communities might be able to absorb and assimilate the new knowledge, technologies and lifestyle changes for the betterment of the region, and not to its further degradation.

He also hopes they would be able to hold off the onslaught of external entrepreneurs, investors and land developers who would wish to terraform the region into a cluster of monotonous housing schemes, bland commercial nuclei and generic leisure zones.

The reviewer is Associate Director, Karachi Urban Lab, and teaches Urban Studies at the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi. He tweets @a8junea

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, December 4th, 2022

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