In 1991, the world’s sixth largest reserve of coal was discovered in Tharparkar, Sindh. After this discovery, the name of Pakistan was included in the list of 20 countries that are well known for having natural resources. Nearly 52 percent of the population of Tharparkar consists of Hindus; most of these families are very poor and the literacy rate is very poor in Sindh, particularly in Tharparkar. Despite having rich resources of black gold, the children of Thar are dying due to malnutrition. The Thar drought isn’t new for the government and residents of Tharparkar. It has become a usual phenomenon for the people of Thar.Last year, some parts of the Tharparkar region received no monsoon rain in July and August, whereas other parts received sporadic showers. which led to deaths of many children. Now the experts say that there seems to be no end in sight to a decline in drought-stricken Thar people’s untold hardship as weather experts warn they must brace themselves again for the fourth drought in a row.Experts see no significant weather system developing in the southern region of the country in the near future except for a light drizzle for July 18 and 19. While Tharis are accustomed to harsher climatic conditions, this time round the inclement weather has already taken a heavy toll on them since 2012, leading to deaths of hundreds of children in early 2013 from malnourishment and hunger. The livelihood of people in Thar is dependent on monsoon rainfall, but the monsoon pattern has changed due to climate change.The level of deprivation in Tharparkar far outstrips that in other districts of Sindh. In the district, out of 166 dehs only nine are located in the command area of a barrage, while the rest of the 157 dehs are in the desert where people mostly depend upon rains to feed their livestock and food. The drought has also lowered the underground water level drastically.The media has done well to highlight the sufferings of the people of Thar. But droughts and famines are not new for the people of the region. Old-timers in the area are witness to the misery and death wrought by the droughts and famines of 1951, 1968, 1969, 1987 and 1988. Similarly, the destruction and death in the famines of 1899 and 1939 are also remembered in Thar and Rajasthan, when there was not a single drop of rain throughout the years.Those at the helm of affairs must adopt a realistic approach to make this area less prone to famines, otherwise in the present global village and the age of free media the reputation of the government will be jeopardised.
pk.shafaqna.com
