Climate Change Environmental Degradation Poverty Nexus in Thatta Coastal Taluka Gharo Update

CLIMATE CHANGE ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION & POVERTY NEXUS IN

COASTAL REGION OF
THATTA DISTRICT
PART-1
DHABEJI 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 Beg
136 C, Rafahe Aam Housing Society
Karachi 75210
This Report forms Part 1 of a series of papers that present an overview of the physical and
socioeconomic environment of coastal area extending from Gharo-Mirpur Sakro-Ghorabari-Keti
Bandar-Shah Bandar-Jati of Thatta District that forms the macroenvironment of the Study area.
The Report is part of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study for establishment of a wind
farm carried out by the author in December 2011 and January 2012. The Study Area forms the
microenvironment that comprises the site of the Wind Farm at the Gharo Pumping Station 2.4
km off the National Highway: N5 in Union Council Dhabeji, Taluka Mirpur Sakro Sindh
Province. The physical features such as physiography, geology, soil classification, land capacity,
land use, water resources, natural hazards, climate, hydrology, sea conditions, ambient air quality
and noise emission issues in the macroenvironment are described in this Report. Secondary data
and maps prepared by the Geological survey of Pakistan and Soil survey of Pakistan, published
literature; District Census Reports (DCRs) etc. have been used in this compilation. Figures and
Tables derived from published literature are referenced in the text that follows.
The macroenvironment i.e. Thatta District is spread over 17,355 km 2 or 1.735 million hectare
and is located between 2343' to 2526'N and 6705' to 6845'E in Sindh, Pakistan. The district is
bounded on the north by Dadu district, on the east by Hyderabad and Badin districts, on the
south by Rann of Kutch area and the Arabian Sea and on the west by Karachi District. According
to the 1998 census of Pakistan, it had a population of 1,113,194 of which 11.21% were urban.
The population of Thatta District was projected in the year 2008 at 1.469 million, with 778
thousand males and 691 thousand females.
The Microenvironment of Study Area

Location: The Study Area falls in the administrative unit called Union Council Dhabeji in
Mirpur Sakro Taluka, District Thatta, Sindh Province, Pakistan. The Study area is approximately
65 km from Karachi and 2.4 km off the National Highway; its coordinates are as follows:
Table I: Location coordinates of Study Area
Point
Coordinates
1
2446'15.00"N, 6735'56.82"E
2
2446'18.30"N, 6736'19.08"E
3
2447'39.90"N, 6735'52.74"E
4
2447'24.00"N, 6733'22.14"E
5
2447'18.06"N, 6733'18.24"E
6
2446'44.64"N, 6734'30.66"E
Physical Environment of Macroenvironment
Physiography and Geology: The coastal area extending from Gharo-Mirpur Sakro-GhorabariKeti Bandar-Shah Bandar-Jati lies in the south western part of Sindh Province and is mostly
covered by the Indus Delta of the ancient past. In its physical aspects the District has features
varying from coastal swamps to fresh water marshes 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 age and the lack of fresh water flow in the Indus River and
hence into 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 length and 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 of hilly tracts known as Kohistan. The
hills are bare and mostly composed of limestone while the valleys are covered with grass or
brushwood. 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 intersected by
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 and
south east are the Ghorabari, Keti Bandar, Kharo Chann, Shah Bander and Jati Talukas which are
home to an extensive creek system that formed the channels of the Indus Delta. These talukas are
constituents of a wide expanse of salt waste, embracing a large part of the land between Sir and
Khori Creeks and the great Sirganda salt deposits which consist of many square kilometers of
solid salt.
Physiography and Geology of Microenvironment
The Study area forms the eastern part of a synclinorium that stretches from Rann Pethani River
to Ghaggar nala othe west and Mehar and Mol Jabals (mountains) in the north to the swampy
area of the Gharo Creek in the south. The microenvironment comprising the coastal area from
Ghaggar Nala-Dhabeji Nala-Rann Pethani (GDRP) can be considered a distinct ecosystem on the
north of the railway line. It is more or less level and was found fairly covered with grass and/or
brushwood. The physical landscape has evolved under sub-tropical and arid conditions. The
effects of aridity are visible in the erosional work of the Ghaghar nala, Dhabeji nala and Rann
Pethani River and their tributaries that cross the railway line. The otherwise barren land is
dispersed with scanty vegetation and with agricultural fields near the beds of the nalas.
The land area of the GDRP ecosystem is the drainage basin of the Ghaggar and Dhabeji nalas
and also of the Rann Pethani River both systems discharge into the Gharo Creek. The Gharo
filtration plant is located about two km from National Highway. The Gharo Creek also receives
some spill over from the filtration plant. The land area between the Railway line and the Super
Highway is under subsistence farming and grows maize for fodder.
The area to the south of the GDRP ecosystem slopes towards the Gharo-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 Ecosystem

gravelly, and is scene for extensive excavation of gravel, sand and silt for the construction
industry in Bin Qasim and Gadap towns. The area from about one km to the creek is sandy-cummuddy sub-stratum, with very soft mud and mangrove vegetation. It has three salt pans along the
sandy-muddy terrain of the creek. This creek also houses the archaeological site of Bhambore.
The presence of concealed structures under the hills, plains and rivers can fairly be deduced.
Rock aggregates, sand, glass sand, limestone and clay are some of the potentials for gainful
utilization. Members of the Gaj Formation offer ground water potential for limited use.
Topography: The Project area has variegated topography ranging in height from below the
datum level in the south along the tidal swamps and mud flats of coastal strips to the maximum
of 525 meters above the mean sea level at Mol escarpment in Sindh Kohistan.
The project location is covered with un-differentiated piedmont and sub-piedmont deposits
consisting of loosely packed boulders, cobbles, pebbles and coarse to fine stand. Its
topographical features can be described as follows:
Plains and Plateau of Ghaggar - Rann Pethani Interflows: The vast tract of land lying between
the Ghaggar - Rann Pethani forms the interflows of the drainage systems of the two streams. This
area has very little natural drainage scars, which indicate its having a 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 ecosystem follows 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 outline of the vast synclinorium,
subsided and were covered by the sea making a shallow basin. In the course of time the deltaic
deposits of the Indus River filled this shallow basin and the northern part of the basin, which
coincided with a fault line making the coastal edge. The terrain rises gradually northward from
the Arabian Sea, culminating in low, flat-topped, parallel hills. Sub-parallel ridges interrupted by
wide intervening plains, categorized as marine denudation plains, sand dunes, and marine
terraces, are prominent features of this area.
The site proposed for the Wind Farm is enclosed between the National Highway N5 in the south
and the Pakistan Railway line in the north, and between the Dhabeji nala just ahead of Dhabeji
Railway Station on the west has the Tota Pahari in the west, Gharo Pumping Station and its
residential area in the east, the Gharo Creek in the south and south east. Pipri and Badel Nala
flow northwest of the proposed site. This nala ultimately falls into the Gharo creek located in the
adjacent south of the proposed site. The land use of the rest of the project area is divided amongst
industrial plots; public and civic buildings; roads, railway lines, and drains that are passing
through the industrial area.
The Study Area is approximately 65 km from Karachi, Capital of Sind Province, with elevation
ranging from 70 to 180 feet from sea level. Ground flat terrain in the south eastern part of the
study area is 70-80 feet above sea level while north western hilly part of the project area is 100180 feet above sea level.
The proposed wind farm site is covered under the Miocene Sedimentary Rocks (Limestone,
sandstone and Shale) of Tertiary age and Pliocene and Miocene Sedimentary Rocks (Shale,
Sandstone, Conglomerate and Limestone) of Tertiary ages.
Soil
The 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 proposed wind
farm site are also classified as mainly loamy saline and part gravely.
Properties
Some part of the Study area soil is strongly saline and some part is strongly calcareous
(moderately alkaline).
Land Use
The land area covered by the wind farm site consists of complex of agriculturally unproductive
(rock) land and some poor grazing (gravely land). This area constitutes about 30% of the total
wind farm area and is also incapable of agriculture as the soil underneath mainly consists of rock
and gravel. The remaining portion (about 70%) of the land is a complex of poor torrent-watered
crop land and poor (loamy) grazing land. Some part of this land is capable of agriculture since it
is being fed by torrent water whereas the remaining portion comprises grazing area (capable of
growing grass and shrubs).
Figure 2: Desertified arid land of Dhabeji

Seismicity & Natural Disasters
The above seismicity map of Pakistan shows that the GDRP Ecosystem has been hit by
earthquakes a number of times, but the depth of their epicenter is not usually lower than 33 km.
The map also shows the yellow line, which marks the frequency zones as well as the fault lines.
It also shows that the yellow line on entering the Arabian Sea bifurcates into a line that travels
along the coastline while the other goes southwest. This indicates that there are quite a few other
active faults in Lower Sindh, including a thrust-and-fold belt extending northward parallel to the
transform fault separating India from Asia, and the Rann of Kuch fault system trending westward
towards Jhimpir, Karachi city and Makran Coast bordering the Arabian Sea. The map does not
show the presence of the unique Mud Volcanoes, which are still active on the Balochistan coast.
Seismic activity in the macroenvironment of the GDRP ecosystem is caused by the dynamics of
slow but constant relative motion of the active Karachi Triple Junction (KTJ) of three major
tectonic plates viz. the Indian Plate, the Arabian Plate, and the Eurasian Plate of the earth's crust.
Their corresponding fault systems comprising a subduction zone, a transform boundary, and the
ancient rift system, intersect in the general vicinity. Each produces a distinct type of ground
motion and appears to have been reactivated, with an associated hazard risk that can be
disastrous. Seismic activity in the region is the result of movement on one or more faults and
mainly 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, while Karachi lies approximately
160 km east of the triple junction. The western and north-trending arms of the triple junction
sustain convergent and trans-current rates of 28-33 mm/yr respectively1.
1
Geodetically constrained Indian plate motion and implications for plate boundary deformation, Apel, E, R.,
Brgmann, P. Bannerjee, and B. Nagarajan, 2006, EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union 85,52 T51B-1524
Fall meeting supplement
The presence of a recently discovered active Sonne fault indicates that the Arabian plate has been
fragmented across the southwest corner of the triple junction defining a triangular plate: the
Ormara plate2 whose velocity relative to the Arabian plate increases the subduction velocities by
a few millimeters per year compared with the rate at the west. In addition to these clearly defined
plate boundaries, other active structural zones have produced damaging earthquakes that have
been felt in the macroenvironment of GDRP in the past 200 years. They include the following
faults:
(1) Karachi-Jati, (2) Surjan-Jhimpir, (3) Pab Fault (4) Hab Fault (5) Allah Bund-Rann of Kutch,
(Fig. 03).
Fig.03. Seismic risk map of Karachi-Hyderabad Divisions,

majordip-slip
active faults
(after Mirza et
al., are
1984).
Theseshowing
N-S trending
or bedding-plane
faults
active along
Surjan Fault:
the Kirthar
Range Front. This fault cuts across the Quaternary deposits on the north of Karachi and west of
Mirpur Sakro. The southern end of this fault is intersected by the northwest trending Jhimpir
Fault on the west of Jhimpir. The interaction of these two faults is characterized by at least four
teleseismic events of shallow focal depth and magnitude 3-6. The maximum magnitude of the
earthquake associated with the Surjan Fault is of the order of M 6-1.
Jhimpir Fault: A number of epicenters are located on this N-W trending fault. The fault has
produced an earthquake of M 5.6 on Richter scale.
Pab Fault: This NNW-SSE trending is 135 km in length and islocated in the eastern part of
the Pab Range and has dislocated vertically the Quaternary alluvial fans. The maximum
magnitude of the earthquake associated with this fault 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 produced earthquake of the order of M ~
7.6 on Richter scale. In 1819 and 1956, this fault was responsible for severe earthquakes in
Gujrat, Tharparkar and Indus delta. This fault system also known as Allah Bund Fault passes in
the proximity of the Steel Mills and Karachi Nuclear Power plant. It is 225 km in length and is
2 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]
responsible for the production of earthquake of considerably high magnitude of up to 7.6 M on

Richter scale and of IX to X intensity 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 5 on Richter Scale, including those
in 1945 and 1985, have struck the region comprising the macroenvironment and thus far they
have been of minor significance. This is mainly because the earthquakes here are not "InterPlate" or "Plate Boundary" earthquakes which occur commonly along narrow zones that follow
the edges of tectonic plates.
The tectonic fault that produced the 2001-Bhuj earthquake, which registered a massive 7.7 on the
Richter scale, was part of a complex system of geologic faults that run northwest in Gujrat
through the marshy Rann of Kutch, where it produced a magnitude 7.6 quake in 1819, and also
ran into Pakistan. While concealed under the loose sand of the Rajasthan and Thar deserts and
sediments of the Indus delta, this system of faults appears to continue to the west, passing
through Karachi and while extending into the Arabian Sea, it intersects another system of faults
associated with a major tectonic boundary that has produced devastating earthquakes as far north
as Quetta in the past. Together these fault systems have produced historically large earthquakes
within Kohistan, notably in the Pab Range, Thatta taluka, and Jhimpir areas.
It is the Intra-plate type of earthquakes (Mid-Plate Earthquakes) that occur far away from plate
boundaries. The latter type earthquakes are less frequent but are capable of releasing just as
much energy in a single event as one of similar intensity along a plate boundary. These arise due
to localized systems of forces in the crust sometimes associated with ancient geological
structures such as in the Rann of Kutch. Thus while the October 8, 2005 megathrust earthquake
was the direct result of the interaction between Indian Plate and the Eurasian plate, the
earthquakes of July, August and October 11 in the macroenvironment are intra-plate or Mid-Plate
events, and so are the low intensity shocks that are incident in the region since a long time but
whose frequency has increased after the Indonesian earthquake induced tsunami of 2004.
It may be noted that no earthquake, including the 1945 Makran and 2001 Bhuj events, as well as
the occasional shaking from M 4-5 earthquakes on faults in Kohistan, has ever produced
documented damage anywhere. Although the 1819 earthquake was apparently similar or larger in
magnitude than the 2001 Bhuj event, little damage occurred in Thatta and Hyderabad in 1819
compared to 2001 even though the former event was closer to these towns/cities.3
The following Table shows the earthquake occurrences over the last forty years. The Table does
not include the numerous events of magnitude less than 4.0 on Richter scale. Earthquakes of
recent occurrence were recorded on July 16, 2005, followed by one on August 6, another on
August 13, yet another on October 9 and then again on October 11, 2005. They were all of
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
magnitude between 4 and 5.1 on Richter scale. The epicenter of these earthquakes was away
from those listed in table. The epicenter of the most recent tremor of January 2, 2009 was 100
kilometers in the coastal region of Thatta district. It had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers and
magnitude of 2.2 M on Richter scale.
Table showing Epicenter, Depth, Magnitude & Intensity of Earthquakes In GDRP
Ecosystem
Coordinates
Depth Magnitude Intensity Location
Year
Richter
MM
Scale
196 24o70N66o00E
0
4.50
Karachi
2
196 25o 03N67o76E
40
4.50
Karachi
5
196 25o 0N68o00 E
5.0
VI-VII
Jhimpir
6
196 24o 61N66o42 E
19
4.10
Karachi
8
197 25o 28N66o65 E
33
4.90
V
Karachi
0
197 25o 00N68o00 E
4.50
V
Jhimpir
1
197 25o 35N66o71 E
33
4.50
V
Karachi
2
197 25o 00N68o00 E
5.00
VI
Jhimpir
3
197 25o 48N66o33 E
57
4.90
V
Karachi
3
197 25o 50N66o80 E
4.50
V
Gadani
5
197 25o 22N66o59 E
33
4.90
V
Karachi
5
197 24o 96N70o38 E
14
4.70
V
Karachi
6
198 25o 86N66o41 E
33
4.70
VI
Karachi
4
198 24o 90N67o39 E
33
5.00
VI
Karachi
5
198 25o 34N66o60 E
33
4.50
V
Karachi
6
199 25o 25N67o76 E
33
3.60
IV
Karachi
2
199 25o 06N66o76 E
33
Karachi
6
199 25o 69N66o46 E
33
4.40
V
Karachi
8
199
8
200
9
24o 85N66o35 E
33
4.50
Karachi
24o 31N67o18
10
2.2
IV
Thatta
According to the map created by Pakistan Meteorological Department, the country is divided
into 4 zones based on expected ground acceleration. The areas surrounding Quetta, those along
the 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, with the exception of southern parts of this province, which lie
in Zone 2. The remaining parts of the Pakistani coastline also lie in Zone 3. The remaining parts
of the country lie in Zone 2. According to this classification the GDRP ecosystem would be
placed in Zone 2.
In view of the not too distant location of the Study Area to Allah Bund Fault line, it is suggested
that GDRP ecosystem should be placed in Zone 2A i.e. between Zone 2 and Zone 3. The seismic
hazard, in view of the historical data, has been estimated for GDRP ecosystem as "moderate to
major". This suggests the "possibility" of earthquakes of intensity V to VII on (MM) scale and
"probability" of those above VII. The seismic risk factor of g/20 must therefore be incorporated
in the design factor for the construction of Wind Towers and Turbines. Moreover in view of the
Rock Quality Designation (RQD) values being generally lower than 30% which shows poor
Rock Quality and low load bearing capacity of the soil of the area, the risk of liquefaction during
major (> 7 on Richter Scale) earthquakes will have to be taken into account. The appropriate
mitigation measures would be to provide bored reinforced concrete piles to minimize the risk of
liquefaction 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).
Tsunamis
Major damages done by Tsunamis, the impulsively generated seawater waves that are not
necessarily the result of underwater earthquakes, have not been recorded for the coastline south
of Karachi. There are, however, evidences of a 1.2 m tsunami generated by an offshore
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]
earthquake of intensity 8 M in 1945, which caused only minor damages in Port Qasim area. This
event was followed by another Tidal wave that was recorded in 1953. The Tsunami of December
26, 2004 had no visible impact on the Study Area in the GDRP ecosystem.
Tsunami hazards exist on the contiguous coastline. The > 1-hour delay between the main shock
and the arrival of the damaging tsunami associated with the 1945 earthquake was very probably
caused by submarine slumping offshore rather than direct uplift of the coast. If this were indeed
the case, even a modest earthquake in the Rann of Cutch region would be sufficient to trigger a
submarine slide that would endanger the shoreline of Karachi and Thatta Districts, which
however are less than 10 km from the Study Area. The Rann of Kuchch has been bearing the
intra-plate shocks over the years as is evident from the 2001 earthquake 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 were observed at Bhuj (2001) have not
been ruled out and hence chances of major submarine slide and the consequent liquefaction in
the GDRP Synclinorium do exist.
Storms
The following Table shows the movement of cyclones and storms in the Arabian Sea. The
movement is generally in the west-north-westerly direction. The one that moved into the coastal
area on May 12, 1999 changed direction and hit the coastal area of Badin while the coastal area
southeast of Karachi was in the periphery and only rain showers of moderate intensity were
recorded. This coast is otherwise classified outside the zone of cyclone activity for the Arabian
Sea. Thunderstorm frequency is also low and is reported to occur at an average rate of 10
thunderstorms/year.
The pattern seems heading towards a change during the last two years. Coastal area of Pakistan
has experienced an increase in the frequency of storms in the southern part of Pakistan especially
along the Sindh-Balochistan coastline. In the month of June 2007 two tropical cyclonic storms
namely Gonu and Yemyin hit the Balochistan coast. Under their influence, rain /thunder showers
associated with gusty winds and thunderstorms occurred at isolated places of Makran Coast,
while the sea conditions were very rough along the coast of Sindh. The high heat content of the
Arabian Sea that is adjacent to the heat zone of Pakistan had disturbed the heat balance and water
balance of the region in the north 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, and thereafter by Tropical Cyclone 04B nicknamed Yemyin.
The June 6, 2010 cyclone 03A, nicknamed Phet had landed on the coast of Oman and had lost its
intensity. Moving in clockwise direction it poured heavy rains on Gwadar and Pasni. The rain
bearing winds moved along the coastline towards Karachi. It touched Karachi only tangentially
and brought 100 mm rainfall in Karachi and 50 mm rainfall in Hyderabad two days before it
landed south of Thatta District.
Table 4.10: CYCLONES & STORMS DURING LAST 17 YEARS5
5 AEDB website/updated by EMC Associates
Sr.
N
o.
1
Year
Type/ Location of Cyclone
Wind Speed
Range (km/h)
Tropical Cyclone/ Northeast Arabian Sea
62 88
Cyclonic Storm /East Central Arabian Sea

Tropical Storm /Southeast Arabian Sea
62 88
62 88
Cyclonic Storm /Southeast Arabian Sea

62 88
62 88
6.
November
1993
June 1996
October
1996
June 1998
October
1998
May 1999
> 118
7.
May 2001
8.
September
2001
May 2002
May 2004
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /East Central

Arabian Sea
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /East Central
Arabian Sea
Tropical Cyclone /West Central Arabian Sea
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /Southeast
Arabian Sea
Severe Cyclonic Storm /Northeast Arabian Sea
62 88
> 118
Tropical Cyclone /East Central Adjoining

Northeast Arabian Sea
Tropical Cyclone /East Central Arabian Sea
62 88
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /Northwesterly of

East Central Arabian Sea
Tropical Cyclone (Deep Depression) /Northeast
Arabian Sea
Tropical Cyclone /Northeast Arabian Sea
> 118
2.
3.
4.
5.
9.
10
.
11
.
12
.
13
.
14
.
15
.
16
October
2004
September
2006
02 June 2007
07 June 2007
21 June 2007
07 June 2010
> 118
62 88
89 117
62 88
> 50
> 50
Climate
The Study Area site is located at a higher level than the Karachi coastal belt and has a climate
typical of subtropical coastal zones lying in the monsoon region. The climate of the GDRP
ecosystem can be characterized by dry, hot and semi-humid conditions and is described as
moderate. The seasonal intervention of mild winter is brief; it lasts from mid-December to midFebruary. This is followed by a long hot and humid summer that extends from April to mid-July.
From here onwards up to mid-September the monsoon winds and cloud cover dominate over the
climatic norms: the temperatures are moderate, the humidity is high and one can expect about 7
to 10 rainy days. This is followed by a brief return of the hot summer that lasts from September
to mid-November. Mild and semi-humid conditions thus characterize the climate of GDRP
ecosystem.
The records of the two observatories of the Pakistan Meteorological Department at Port Qasim
and Karachi International Airport have been used as the source of data for wind, temperature and
precipitation. These have been supplemented by meteorological data obtained during the ambient
air quality monitoring study carried out by the Space and Upper Atmospheric Research
Organization, SUPARCO over the years.
Average Wind Speed
Recent 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
Maximum 5.5
1000.0
358.7
37.4
Average
3.5
995.5
256.3
33.9
0.9
Minimum
966.5
3.5
30.9
Humidity
70.6
57.7
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
Maximum
Average
Minimum
4.0
8.9
0.3
1008.8
1011.6
1006.9
Wind Direction
265.5
344.5
6.4
Temperature
33.3
35.7
31.5
Humidity
77.9
86.9
64.4
With the onset of winter, the wind direction is mostly unsettled averaging at 144o and varying
between 1o and 359o, while the wind velocity varies between 0.0 and 2.2 m/sec and averages at
0.5 m/sec.
Meteorological Data (November 2011)
Maximum
Average
Minimum
Windspeed
(m/s)
Pressure
(mbar)
Wind Direction
(degree)
Air Temperature
(0C)
Humidit
y (%
RH)
2.2
0.5
0.0
1018.3
1013.5
1011.3
359
144
1
35.2
25.5
17.2
79.4
50.5
18.4
It has been noted that the wind direction is generally West-Southwest and Southwest. The annual
average wind speed is 6.56m/s and the percentage time when wind speed is less than 2m/s is
16.32% only.
Temperature
The following Tables indicate that air temperature in the coastal area to the east of Karachi is
generally temperate throughout the year. During winter the range of variation of temperature is
large for Karachi coast especially with respect to maximum and minimum temperatures. The air
temperature for Karachi has an average annual range of ~6C to ~42C. The highest
temperatures (40C or above) occur in May, June and October. During SW monsoon in July and
August the temperature is relatively moderate due to cloud cover but humidity remains high
(~70%). The mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures recorded during the nine
years (2001 - 2009 at Karachi Airport Meteorological Station of Pakistan Meteorological
Department are given in the following Tables.
Table: Mean Monthly Maximum Temperature oC
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
27.2
27.0
27.6
26.6
24.9
26.0
26.9
24.4
29.6
28.2
28.5
29.9
26.3
31.3
29.4
26.9
33.1
33.3
32.4
36.2
31.5
31.8
31.4
34.3
34.6
35.4
36.6
35.4
35.3
34.0
37.7
34.4
35.1
35.6
35.7
36.8
35.4
34.6
36.0
33.9
34.9
35.1
34.9
35.6
36.0
35.3
36.4
35.1
32.2
32.2
34.1
33.8
33.2
33.8
N/A
33.5
32.3
31.6
32.6
32.7
32.2
31.0
N/A
31.9
33.1
31.4
32.5
32.8
34.2
34.2
N/A
34.7
36.0
36.5
37.0
33.7
35.2
35.0
N/A
35.5
33.5
32.7
32.2
33.1
33.1
33.4
N/A
32.5
30.4
28.1
28.3
29.4
28.4
26.3
N/A
27.2
32.7
32.3
32.7
33.0
32.1
32.2
33.0
32.0
2009
26.2
29.8
33.0
36.0
36.8
35.7
34.5
33.0
32.8
35.9
33.0
28.6
32.9
Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department
Table: Mean Monthly Minimum Temperature oC

Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Ma
y
Jun
Jul
Au
g
Sep
Oct
No
v
Dec
Annua
l
200
1
200
2
200
3
200
4
200
5
200
6
200
7
11.
5
12.
8
12.
7
12.
9
12.
3
11.
7
13.
0
14.
9
13.
8
16.
9
14.
5
11.
3
18.
1
17.
3
19.
6
19.
5
19.
8
19.
1
20.
3
19.
6
19.
7
23.
8
23.
9
24.
2
24.
8
23.
0
24.
5
24.
7
28.1
29.
0
28.
2
28.
2
28.
8
28.
3
28.
5
28.
6
27.
1
29.
6
23.
6
27.
5
27.
2
28.
3
N/
A
26.
5
25.
6
27.
0
26.
3
26.
6
26.
3
N/
A
25.
9
24.
8
25.
3
25.
3
26.
6
26.
8
N/
A
24.
4
22.
5
20.
9
22.
4
22.
9
25.
7
N/
A
18.
6
17.
7
15.
2
18.
0
18.
9
19.
4
N/
A
15.
8
14.
9
12.
0
15.
4
13.
0
14.
0
N/
A
22.1
200
8
10.
1
11.
1
19.
6
24.
0
27.3
29.
1
27.
9
26.
8
26.
6
23.
8
17.
6
14.
9
21.6
14.
7
16.
5
20.
8
23.
8
27.6
28.
28.
27.
26.
22.
17.
13.
22.3
200
9
27.0
26.5
27.3
26.4
27.5
27.6
21.7
21.0
21.9
21.4
22.5
21.8

The above Tables indicate that the mean monthly maximum temperature in Karachi ranged
between 32.0oC and 33.0oC during the 2001-2009 period, while the mean monthly minimum
temperature ranged between 21.0oC and 22.5oC. The mean maximum and mean minimum
temperature during 1991-99 were 32.2oC and 20.9oC, which indicates that there has been a slight
but significant rise in the mean minimum temperature during the last 20 years.
Precipitation
The mean relative humidity in summer is 60-70% while the mean relative humidity during
winter is 25-30%. The rain fall in the Sindh Coastal zone that includes the GDRP ecosystem is
extremely low and erratic; accordingly this region falls in the arid to semi-arid climatic zone. The
following Table shows the precipitation data recorded for the last nine years at Karachi Airport
station.
Table: Monthly Precipitation (mm) at Karachi Air Port
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
0.0
0.0
6.4
13.7
6.6
N/A
0.0
8.0
3.0
0.0
2.4
21.8
0.0
12.8
0.0
13.2
Trace
Trace
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
N/A
N/A
33.4
1.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Trace
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
10.6
N/A
16.3
N/A
N/A
0.0
110.2
0.0
2.6
73.6
N/A
270.4
3.0
N/A
66.2
N/A
54.0
159.9
16.2
52.2
9.8
5.6
0.3
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
54.9
21.9
N/A
0.0
0.0
0.0
39.3
0.0
0.0
N/A
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.5
0.2
0.0
0.0
3.1
N/A
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.4
0.0
4.3
17.1
61.3
N/A
21.0
1.5
100.4
55.5
324.9
65.9
91.7
301.1
156.8
121.6
279.9
148.6
N/A
37.5
44.0
Trace
68.9

The 9-years record for rainfall of PMD at Karachi Airport (2001-2009) suggests that July and
August are the wettest months and that the maximum rainfall recorded in Karachi during 20012009 period was 270.4 mm during the month of July 2003, while the maximum annual rainfall
was 324.9 mm during the year 2003, followed by 301 mm in 2006 and 279.9 mm in 2009. The
wet years followed a 3-year cycle during the first 9 years of the New Millennium. The year 2010
seems to be among the wettest years since Karachi City had witnessed more than 5 spells of 50
mm each during the month of July, three major spells of 60 to 100 mm in August and two spells
of 25 and 10 mm each in the month of September.
In July and August 2011 again there was heavy rainfall all over Sindh. Hyderabad received about
74 to 103 mm rain in 24 hours and the same amount poured in Karachi and the villages in its
outskirts. The torrential rains resulted in flooding of several villages and Dhabeji as well as
Gharo were not spared. The microenvironment of the proposed Wind Farm that has the KWSBs
Filter Plant in the neighbourhood was inundated.
National Highway N5 at Gharo on August 11, 2011

Karachi was facing drought conditions in the past and rainfall was erratic at around 50 mm for
three years followed by wet spells every third year. The average of two decades (70s and 80s)
shows that rainfall varies between 150 and 250 mm during the years. For Karachi the average
number of rainy days/year is less than ten. However, most of the precipitation usually takes place
within a short spell of 2 to 7 days. About 50 to 65 percent of the total annual rainfall occurs
during July and August while the southwest monsoon is on, another 15 to 25 percent of the
annual rainfall occurs during NE monsoon in winter months (December - February). The rest of
the rainfall occurs in the form of occasional cloud burst.
Table: Average Temperatures for Mirpur Sakro, Pakistan
Month
Jan
Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug Sep Oct
Nov Dec
Maximum 26c 29c 32c 35c 36c 35c 34c 32c 33c 35c 33c 28c
Minimum 12c 15c 19c 23c 27c 28c 28c 27c 26c 23c 17c 14c
Source: http://www.worldweatheronline.com/weather-averages/Pakistan/1736163/MirpurSakro/1784986/info.aspx
Table: Average Rainfall for Mirpur Sakro, Pakistan
Month
Jan
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug
Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximu
17mm 3mm 3mm 0mm 3mm 9mm 48mm 43mm 4mm 6mm 1mm 7mm
m
Minimum 3
2
1
0
0
2
8
8
2
1
1
2
Source: http://www.worldweatheronline.com/weather-averages/Pakistan/1736163/MirpurSakro/1784986/info.aspx
Ambient Air Quality
The ambient air quality at the GDRP ecosystem which includes the Study Area is fairly
unpolluted since the industrial area of Dhabeji is at a distance of at least 6 km while the National
Highway N5 is at 2.4 km. The impact of exhaust emissions from vehicular traffic operating on
Highway N5 is limited to the microenvironment 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 that the 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 much lower than 38 ppb
recommended for the 24-hourly average by the NEQS.
NOx level ranges between 8.2 ppb and 16.3 ppb which is much lower than 38 ppb
recommended for the 24-hourly average by the NEQS, or World Bank and WHO
guidelines, both of which recommend 50 ppb or 53 ppb respectively as its maximum
limit.
CO level ranges between 0.2 ppm and 1.9 ppm which is well within the USEPA and
WHO standards i.e. 9 ppm and 8.7 ppm respectively.
PM10 concentration was between 114.0 g/m3 and 163 g/m3 with the average at 140.6
g/m3 which is below the level suggested by USEPA guidelines (150 g/m3).
Table: Ambient Air Quality at Outskirts of Karachi East

SO2 (ppb)
NOX (ppb)
CO (ppm)
DUST
(g /m3)
Noise dB(A)
Average
9.7
11.6
1.2
140.6
45.9
Max
13.6
16.3
1.9
163.0
54.0
Min
7.0
8.2
0.2
114.0
41.0
Standards and Guidelines for Air Quality Parameters

Guideline/
Standards
SO2 g/m3
NOx g/m3
CO2 ppm
CO g/m3
O3 ppb
Dust /
PM10 g/m3
Noise dB (A)
Pakistan
NEQS
<200
(70 ppb)
24-hourly
50 (24 ppb)
Yearly
Average
--
--
--
--
70 *
World Bank
Guidelines
150 (53 ppb)

24-hourly
150 (73 ppb)

24-hourly
--
--
--
150
24-hourly
70
WHO Standards
SPM
(g/m3 )
1
hr
SO2 Units: ppm (g/m3)
8 hr
24
Hr
1 yr
1 hr
24
hr
1 yr
NOx Units: ppm

(g/m3)
1 hr
24
hr
CO Units: ppm
(g/m3)
1 yr
1 hr
8 hr
O3 ppm
(g/m3)
24
hr
1 hr
8 hr
50
120
(350)
0.048
(125)
0.02
(50)
0.21
(400)
0.08
(150)
0.02
(40)
35
9
(10,000)
(40,000)
0.09
(180)
(0.11 )
Modeling for dispersion of PM10, the parameter of concern to a wind farm, from the proposed
Study Area finds that there would be no addition of PM10 or any other pollutant into the air-shed
of the GDRP ecosystem. This is because operation of the wind turbines itself will not discharge
any pollutant. The wind turbines will only modify the wind speed and leave the air quality
unaltered. The dispersion of the existing level of PM 10 and other pollutants will maintain the
status of the airshed of the corridor in the unpolluted category.
NEQS requires that the 24-hour maximum average and annual mean concentration of SO 2 should
be less than 50 g/m3 and 200 g/m3 for unpolluted category respectively. Thus the land is so far
unpolluted in GDRP ecosystem.
Noise
There is no continuous source of noise emission in the proposed Study Area wind farm site.
Occasionally there is some intermittent noise emission from a passing by motorcycle or a railway
train. This may raise the noise level by ~2 to 4 dB(A). The ambient noise level remains as
recorded in the following Table.
The Noise level recorded at the unpolluted site in GDRP ecosystem ranges between 41 dB(A)
and 54 dB(A) with the average at 45.9 dB(A), which is characteristic of wilderness and well
within 70 dB(A) the level suggested by World Bank Guidelines.
Table: Noise Level at Different Locations Around Proposed Site
S. No. Site
Noise Level dB(A)
Wind Mast
47.0
Near Tota Pahari
65.0*
Near Steel mill Pipeline
51.0
Near STUDY AREA Office 2.5km from
68.0**
Project area
Near Baba Bukhari Shrine
46.0
Near Railway Track at Dirt Road
66*
Goth Yusuf Khaskheli
57.0
Goth Jaffer Jokhio
55.0
Goth Haji Hamza Zangiyani
54.0
*Facing Wind,
**Exposed to Heavy Traffic
Hydrology
Surface Hydrology
The GDRP ecosystem is drained by several streams including the Ghaggar nala, Lat nala also
known as Dhabeji nala which has its sources in a spring, and the Rann Pethani Nadi are the well
established surface water sources, only the Dhabeji nala is perennial, while the other two receive
their share of surface water during the rains. The rains adequately charge the aquifers in such
manner as to make good quality groundwater available to the industries throughout the year. The
recipient industries include Pakland Cement and those in the Dhabeji Industrial Area.
The Ghaggar-Dhabeji-Gharo-Rann Pethani ecosystem is governed by the catchment area of
Ghaggar nala, which is a natural non-perenial stream that flows North-South along the Eastern
boundary of Eastern Industrial Zone of Port Qasim. It finally drains into the Choudhry Creek
about 4 km from the Indus Refinery site. The stream discharge depends on the rainfall in its
catchment. The rainfall record for the years 2001 to 2007 at Karachi Airport and Meteorological
Department recorded above shows wide range monthly and annual variation. Monthly
precipitation varies from almost nil in the month of March, April and May and November to
maximum in July and August. Similarly year 2002 and 2004 had very little rains (55.5mm and
65.9mm), while year 2003, 2006, 2010 and 2011 were wet years with over 300 mm rainfall. The
quality of Ghaggar water is sweet, however, the physical examination indicates that municipal as
well as industrial wastewater is being discharged into the stream and is polluting it.
Ghaghar Nala has an extensive catchment area in the macroenvironment comprising the Ghaggar
Union Council in Bin Qasim Town. The large catchment area is a possible reason for its flooding
with small amount of ~5 mm rainfall as was observed during the September (2005) rains in the
area. Another stream known as the Filter Nala, which flows parallel to Ghaghar Nala is about
three Km to the east of Ghaggar Phatak. The two streams flow to the Gharo Creek, which is
about 6 Km to the south of the site. A perennial stream flows just ahead of Dhabeji and is a
source of irrigation water for a large farm adjacent to the spring that is the source of the perennial
Dhabeji stream. The water from this stream as well as the Ghaggar Nala is being extensively
excavated by water carriers.
The spring related Dhabeji Nala has a large grove of date palm trees and is also site of the shrine
of Baba Jumman Shah Bokhari who is claimed as the companion of six other Bokharis in the
Bhambore area.
Other water courses on the north in Gadap town of Karachi are Sukkhan Nala, and Thaddo Nala,
which are the tributaries of Malir River. They flow away from Ghaghar and hence do not
contribute to the hydrology of the eco-subsystem. Groundwater resource potential is low at the
site since water has not been found at a depth of 100 ft.
The GDRP ecosystem is also home to quite a few water ponds formed at natural depressions,
some of them being the result of extensive excavation of sand and gravel. The ponds are
generally used by locals for domestic and livestock purposes, although not all of them are fit for
drinking water.
Water Resources
Indus River via the Keenjhar Lake is the source of freshwater for Karachi. The KWSB Water
supply mainline takes off from Gujju and is brought to the Dhabeji Pumping Station at Tota
Pahari where it is filtered and pumped into the mainline to Karachi, as shown in the following
figure. Pakistan Steel, Port Qasim and the industries in the Eastern Zone of Port Qasim also
source their water from the Indus River system. Pakistan Steel Mills has facilitated the off take of
freshwater from its pipeline to meet the requirements of the Jokhio community in the villages
e.g. Jaffer Jamadar across the Study Area boundary line.
Water supply
The Kalri Baghar Feeder from Kotri Barrage on River Indus feeds the Keenjhar Lake from
where around 90 percent of the water supply is made available to the City of Karachi. This
supply is conveyed through the Keenjhar-Gujju Canal (KG Canal) which has a capacity of 320
MGD and through the K-II scheme commissioned with a capacity of 100 MGD. An additional
80 MGD is made available from a 54 km pipeline from Gujju canal built by ICI for industrial
uses at PQA. Similarly Pakistan Steel Mills has itself a system for the supply of 200 MGD water
for its own use.
Wetland
There is no water body designated as wetland except Haleji Lake and Mehro Kotri which are 35
and 20 km respectively from Study Area. These two wetlands are also designated as Important
Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.
Haleji Lake is a perennial freshwater lake with marshes and a brackish seepage lagoon.
Considered a game reserve in 1971, this lake was declared a wildlife sanctuary and in 1976, the
lake was designated as a Ramsar site. Haleji serves as an important source of water for Karachi
besides being a popular recreational destination. The Lake is located in Thatta district on
2447N, 06746E coordinates.
Groundwater Hydrology
Ground water generally becomes saline from Hyderabad down south. This is attributed to the
shift of the Arabian Sea in geological times. There are credible evidences to the effect that the
Kirthar Mountains were witness to the last ice age some 15,000 years from the present and that
the seashore was at the present site of Hyderabad some 12,000 years ago. The areas with saline
groundwater show higher concentration of chlorides compared with carbonates, bicarbonates and
sulphates which suggests that some millennia ago the area was submerged in the sea. Although
melting of the Himalayan glaciers and water flow downstream the Indus and the ancient
Saraswati had diluted the salinity, yet saline water in the deep down strata could not be displaced
by the fresh water flow from the rivers. The sediment transported by the rivers ultimately trapped
the salinity in its fold.
Hydro-geological investigations carried out by the Water and Power Development Authority
(WAPDA) on the western side of the Indus River reveals that fresh water is available at shallow
depths in Hyderabad and Thatta districts up to 60m. It becomes saline to highly saline as one
moves southwards to the coastal areas. Ground water occurs under water table condition at
depths varying from 3m to 10m.
Groundwater depth in the GDRP ecosystem is about 30m. Quality of the ground water is
reasonable and is potable as reported by locals.
BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
Flora & Fauna
Macro-Site Selection Considerations
For siting of wind farms, the Wildlife Act of 1975 makes it necessary to examine the potential of
the impact of operation of the wind turbines on the bird and bat migration flyways. Wind farms
sited outside these flyways are expected to have the least impact on wildlife. However, even if
they are sited peripheral to major flyways, they could have impacts, which could be verified, on
local populations, and on threatened and endangered species.
Micro-Site Evaluation
The 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 perhaps the most powerful tool for
conducting a risk assessment as it provides data on the abundance, spatial distribution and
elevation of birds. This technology is very costly and has not been used in Pakistan.
b. Sound Recordings: This low cost technology uses microphones in an array that can
provide information on species composition, abundance and altitude.
c. Aerial Surveys: This method is chiefly employed in determining species composition,
abundance, behaviour and movement patterns in an offshore environment. Aerial surveys
can be used to supplement visual observations.
d. Visual Observations: Qualified observers conduct surveys that provide data on abundance
and behaviour of birds on and around proposed sites.
6 Mohammad Sharif Khan, Annotated Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Pakistan, Asiatic
Herpetological Research, 2004, Vol. 10, pp. 191-201
Visual observation techniques were adopted for identifying the fauna as well as flora. Local
population and Study Area personnel assisted in a 12-hour watch on the movement and intensity
of the wildlife including quadrupeds, reptiles and high flying as well as nesting birds, in addition
to locating habitats, if any besides identifying the species in and around the Study Area where the
wind masts of the wind farm will be located.
Fauna
Wildlife: Wild hare, fox, jackal and porcupine were sighted during surveys by the observers.
Only one burrow of a honey badger was found but there were no imprints to show that the
same was being actively used by the animal. Only the fox droppings were sighted near a
poultry farm, while a jackal was once sighted during the afternoon and was heard once in
the night. The number and frequency of visits by these animals into the area is reported by
the locals to have substantially reduced now. It is inferred from the frequency of visits that
those spotted and reported by the locals did not seem to have their habitat in the
microenvironment. They appear to have strayed in as casual visitors.
Reptiles
Reptiles are also getting rare because of aridity which has in general reduced the
biodiversity of the area. The monitor lizard population in the microenvironment of ZWPL
Study Area is low, while that of spiny-tailed lizard is abundant. Indian Monitor lizard
(Varanus bengalensis) Wadhi Go/Gioh (reported but not spotted), and Monitor lizard
(Varanus griseus) were neither reported nor spotted. The spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastix
hardwickii) Sandho/Sandha was not spotted perhaps because they and the other reptiles were
hibernating; their abundance is nevertheless low as suggested by the locals. All sand mounds
in the area were found to have their burrows. The species are included 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
(Calotes versicolor) Wann Kirro/Rang badal Girgit, Long-tailed Desert Lacerta (Eremias
guttulata watsonana) Wadhi Puch Kirri/Taweel dum Sandhi (reported but not spotted),
Sindh Sand Gecko (Crossobamon orientalis) Thari Kirri/Regi Chhupkali (reported but not
spotted).
Snakes
The Indian sand boa (Eryx johni) Bar Matti/Do Muhi (reported but not spotted); Saw-scaled
Viper (Echis carinatus) Lundhi Bala/Jalebi Samp (reported to be quite frequent but not
spotted), are common in the project area, while the Sindh two-headed snake, Indian
common krait, and oxus cobra are rare. All these snakes are front-fanged. The krait, viper,
and cobra are deadly but incidence of snake bite, as reported by the locals, is getting low,
quite likely because their population has been thinned out.
Birds
A detailed bird life survey in and around the Study Area was conducted to collect baseline
information regarding bird habitats and migratory patterns within the Study Area including the
Project Area and an area of 5km from the Study Area boundary. The Birdlife 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
Closest
distance
Name of
Altitude Area from the Protection
the Bird
Coordinates
Habitat
(ft.)
(ha) Project Level
Area
Area
(km)
24o
Haleji Lake
4814.33N
Wildlife
13
6746 37.41
Sanctuary
E
Mahro
Kotri
243843.82
N
672707.05E
Major species of concern

(IUCN
importance/class I protection)
Threatened Species:
Pelecanus crispus,haliaetus
leucoryphus,Aquila
Approx.
1704
Wet Land wetlands Calnga,Aquila
19 km
heliacal,Rynchop
Albicolliis,columa
eversmanni
162
Shrub
Threatened Species:
Approx.
Wet Land land,
Haliaeetus leucoryphus,
20 km
Wetland Aquila Clanga
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
Protection
Common
Scientific name
Status
Siting
Name
IUCN
Least
Spotted in
Indian Robin Thamnobia cambaiensis
Concern
Project Area
Picture

Protection
Common
Scientific name
Status
Siting
Picture
Name
IUCN
Characteristic
bird species that
have adapted to
the environment
Indian Grey
Francolinus
Least
and are still to
Partridge
pondicertanis
Concern
be found in the
area and
reported by
locals
Chest-nutbellied
Sandgrouse
Pterocles exustus
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
Indian little
Button Quail
Turnix sylvatica
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Least
Concern
Least
Concern
Spotted in
Project Area
Reported but
not spotted
Eurasian Roller Coracias garrulus
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Kite
Least
Concern
Spotted.
Highflying bird
Milvus migrans

Protection
Common
Scientific name
Status
Siting
Picture
Name
IUCN
These were not
spotted during
the survey. They
IUCN Red
were reported
List as low
Houbara
by the locals to
Chlamydotis undulata risk,
Bustard
be sited 2-3 km
Vulnerable.
away from
VU
study area and
only occasional
visitors.
Not spotted
during the
survey, but
IUCN Red reported by the
List as low locals as
Little Bustard
Tetrax tetrax
risk, near
occasional
Tiloor
threatened. visitors in areas
NT
on the hills
beyond 5 to 8
km from Study
Area.
Grey Partridge
Francolinus
pondicerianus
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Painted Sand
Grouse
Pterocles indicus
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted

Protection
Common
Scientific name
Status
Siting
Picture
Name
IUCN
Extremely rare.
Highflying birds
were not spotted
during the
IUCN Red
survey and the
List as low
several visits to
Saker Falcon Falco biarmicus cherrug risk,
the area. They
Vulnerable.
were reported
VU
by the locals to
be only
occasional
visitors.
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Indian Griffon
Gyps fulvus fulvescens
Vulture
Least
Concern
Not spotted.
High Flying
Bird
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Partridge
Ammoperdix
griseogularis

Protection
Common
Scientific name
Status
Siting
Name
IUCN
Eurasian
Wryneck
Jynx torquilla
Least
Concern
Spotted
Sindh
Woodpecker
Dendrocopos assimilis
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Common
Hoopoe
Upupa epops
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Asian Koel
Eudynamys scolopacea
Least
Concern
Spotted
Rose-ringed
Parakeet
Psittacula krameri
Least
Concern
Spotted
Picture

Protection
Common
Scientific name
Status
Siting
Name
IUCN
Spotted Owlet Athene brama
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Indian Collared
Streptopelia decaocto
Dove
Least
Concern
Reported and
spotted
Least
Concern
Reported by the
locals but not
spotted this year
and also not
spotted during
the survey
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Gandoori Okab
Least
Concern
Reported as rare
and also not
spotted
Common
Myna
Least
Concern
Spotted
Common
Crane
Koonj
Grus grus
Acridotheres tristis
Picture

Protection
Common
Scientific name
Status
Siting
Name
IUCN
Pale Cragmartin
Ababeel
Hirundo obsolete
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Black kite
Milvus affinis
Least
Concern
Reported but
not spotted
Least
Concern
Spotted
Least
Concern
Spotted in
moderate
population.
Their presence
is usually due to
poultry farms
Picture
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 by
the 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 adapted to the environment and are still to be found in the
area, include the Indian grey partridge (francolinus pondicertanis), chest-nut-bellied sand grouse
(pterocles exustus), rock dove (Columbia livia), Indian little button quail (turnix sylvatica) and
Eurasian roller (coracias garrulous). Kites and vultures, the high flying birds were spotted but
the falcons were conspicuous by their absence during the survey and the several visits to the
area. The falcons were reported by the locals to be only occasional visitors.
Other birds reported to be straying in occasionally, but not spotted 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/Nando Kath-Kulho (not spotted); Sindh Woodpecker (Dendrocopos assimilis) Sindhi

Khat-Khat/Kath Kutho (reported but not spotted); Common Hoopoe (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 (reported but not spotted); Spotted Owlet
(Athene brama) Chittidar Ullu/Nandho Chibhro (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 year by locals and also not during the survey); Tawny Eagle
(Aquila rapax) Gandoori Okab, Rigger/Par Mar (not spotted), Common Myna (Acridotheres
tristis) Myna Ghursal/Kabbri, Myna (spotted during survey); Pale Crag-martin (Hirundo
obsoleta) Peeli Chatani Ababeel/Jabal wari Ababeel also as pithee (spotted during survey);
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Gorrea, Gharelu Chiriya/Jhirki (spotted during survey).
Mammals
Indian 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 in IUCN 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
(spotted during survey); Black-naped Hare (Lepus nigricollis dayanus) Saho/Khargosh; Grey
Spiny Mouse (Mus saxicola) Kandan Waro Kuo/Kharpusht Chooha (reported but not spotted).
Livestock
Local inhabitants in the microenvironment maintain stocks of cows, 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; Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus)
Gaon/Dhaggo, Dhaggi (male, female); Domestic Donkey (Equus asinus) Gadduh/Gadah,
FLORA
In 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 plains of 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
7 Ethnobotanical Studies Of Mahal Kohistan, Abdul Qadir Panhwar and Hidaytullah
Abro, Pak. J. Bot., 39(7): 2301-2315, 2007
(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; 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),
Grasses
The 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.
Forbs
Aerva 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.
Crops
Agricultural 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 Indian corn.
No crop production was possible during the current season because there was cloud burst which
flooded the land area and the soil being largely sandy and gravely could not retain the moisture.
Wildlife Reserves & Endangered Species
There 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 supporting over
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 from former Soviet territory and is
among the endangered species the Country. The long handle of social pollution is operative in
not allowing enforcement of several wildlife conservation programs in their true spirit, and in
allowing the slow disappearance of the houbara bustard. This bird species adapts to arid
conditions with little vegetation, and hence is found in sandy and stony semi-desert regions such
as that in the GDRP ecosystem and similar areas in Sindh and Punjab. A largely solitary bird, the
houbara bustard, feeds alone or in small groups on beetles, ants and plants. Between February
and April the female lays two or three eggs in a small scrape. After hatching, the chicks follow
the female for protection as well as feed, as they are vulnerable to predators, including eagles,
falcons, foxes, wolves, monitor lizards, snakes and kestrels.
The bird had been hunted in the Middle East to the point of near-extinction by the nineteensixties, and by 1975 it was declared an endangered species in Pakistan. It was agreed in 1983 at
an international wildlife symposium in Peshawar that Pakistans migratory houbara bustard
population was numbered between twenty and twenty five thousand and in 2002 it was estimated
at about thirty thousand.
The legalised hunting of houbara bustards is the long handle of social pollution that is set into
operation from the very start that is purchasing a permit license, the amount of which differs
throughout the regions of Pakistan but ranges over a few million dollars for each area. Heavy
cost is incurred for relaxation of rules and obtaining permits to accommodate Arab dignitaries for
whom hunting camps are set up by the landlords all over the Country. The bird is widely popular
among Arab hunters due to traditional beliefs, starting with the old customs and traditions and
ending with houbaras meat qualities, which Arab elites consider to be aphrodisiac while it has
diuretic characteristics. To meet the Arab elitist demand for houbara bustards seven thousand
live birds enter the UAE illegally and because of bad conditions of detention and confinement
many of them 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 has significantly reduced the population
of not only these birds but also that of the falcons and the wintering birds such as the cranes from
Kazakhstan and Siberia. This over-hunting has been compounded by habitat loss and
degradation. The subspecies C. u. fuertaventurae has been particularly affected by habitat
degradation as a result of tourist/trophy hunting activities and associated development, as well as
by military exercises, over-grazing, sand-extraction, and road-development. Further threats to
these birds include collisions with power lines, and nest-predation by introduced mammals.
High flying birds that may be impacted by the operations at the wind farm include the black
kites, eagles (uqqab), vultures, crows and the pigeons. The black kites and crows outnumber the
vultures while the uqqab seems to be extinct and was also reported as such by the locals. The
black kites were spotted nesting in hundreds on a transmission tower near the poultry farms in
Gharo township. Only one eagle was spotted during the dawn to dusk survey at and in the
neighbourhood of the Study Area.
The spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastix hardwickii) Sandho/Sandha is in abundance in the
microenvironment but it is protected by the locals. All sand mounds in the area have the Sandha
burrows. The two species: Uromastix and monitor lizard are included in Appendix III of the
CITES.
Crops
Agricultural activities are constrained by rainfall which has been erratic as well as scant in the
microenvironment. Major crops grown on the few fields that have illegally diverted the seepage
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 the current season
because of the erratic rainfall. Only maize crop could be harvested but that was enough to feed
the large livestock population owned by the community.
Mangrove Ecosystem
The 8 km shoreline on the west and the Gharo creek on the south of the Study Area are at least
5km from the mangrove ecosystem. The mangrove ecosystem of Gharo Creek and on the
southeast is known to be inhabited by invertebrate fauna predominantly crustaceans, and by
gastropods, bivalves and polychaetes, while the common fish species include mud skippers,
mullets and sardines. Avecenna marina is the predominant mangrove species colonizing the mud
flats. The density of the forest varies between 1000 and 2000 trees per hectare, while the average
heights of the stands vary from 1 to 3m.
The seawater in the creek is however contaminated with sewage and industrial effluent
discharged from Dhabeji and Gharo Industrial areas. The mudflats of the creeks and the swamps
in the mangrove ecosystem provide sustenance to the fish, crabs and shrimps community noted
during the reconnaissance survey. The fishermen resident in Khaskheli Goth reported that they
catch pomphret, dangra, mangra, crabs and shrimps from the creek adjacent to the Study Area.
The mangrove system contributes to the stability of the shoreline as 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 Resources
The above description of flora and fauna might give an impression that the area is rich in
biodiversity. This is not correct. The fauna and flora that have been reported above are scarcely
spotted by the locals and most of them were not spotted during the surveys by the author. As
such it needs to be emphasized that the land is fast getting impoverished with respect to flora and
fauna.
The Flora: Vast area of land in the Study area is losing its vegetative cover. The acacia prosopis
is for example under stress and lohiro is threatened, since they are both required to meet the
urban as well as industrial demand for firewood and charcoal. The firewood is being extensively
used all over the country; its demand having been raised manifold by the shortage of
hydrocarbon fuel. Large trees in the riverine and delta area have since been felled and their roots
subsequently removed. This has left only the thorny acacia which grows wild as the only fuel
resource to depend on. The removal of trees is however a source of conflict that has been created
by impoverishment of the only resource for which the rural poor did not have to pay.
Removal of vegetative cover has had far reaching adverse impact on the environment. The
cutting of trees has for example resulted in desertification, land erosion and the consequent
lowering of heat capacity of the soil, and increase in aridity of the atmosphere. The net result of
urban demand is therefore impoverishment of resources and perpetuation of poverty by making
the poor poorer. This supports the hypothesis that poverty per se is not a problem of the coastal
area of the under developed regions including Pakistan; it is the impoverishment of resources
that is cause for conflict.
Charcoal kiln with the acacia shrub growing all around

The Fauna: Big-game hunting is banned in Pakistan by government regulations, except in
community controlled areas with an existing limitation on exact kinds and numbers of species as
well as countries they can be exported to. There is decline in such species of migratory birds as
cranes, geese, storks, pelicans, and houbara bustards. Removal of vegetative cover and illegal
hunting have together led to impoverishment of resources in terms of continuous loss of land, its
fragmentation and degradation of natural habitats that include forests, rangelands, and freshwater
and marine ecosystem. Some species in Pakistan are already extinct, and many are
internationally threatened. The 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals classifies 37 species
and 14 sub-species of mammals that occur in Pakistan as internationally threatened or near
threatened. The Red List is based on field data that are more than 20 years old and the long
handle of social pollution has already taken its toll the list needs to be updated.
The country provides critical habitat to 25 internationally threatened bird species that includes
the houbara bustard and 10 internationally threatened reptiles including the sandhas. The bird
population, in particular the high value Houbara Bustard and the falcons, is decreasing due to
illegal hunting that is allowed under the guise of trophy hunting. The houbara bustard is listed in
the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, which is known as the Bonn Convention.
Organizations that have been formed to protest against illegal hunting and preserve the wildlife,
include National Council for Conservation of Wildlife (NCCW), established in 1974 and
supported by the UN, which breaks into three groups: Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES), Convention on Wetland of International
Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar) and Convention on the Conservation of

Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Other organizations that play important roles in
fighting against illegal hunting include WWF-Pakistan, Torghar Conservation Project (TCP),
DAWN independent newspaper, and National Avian Research Center and Houbara Foundation in
Pakistan. Pakistan Government enacted the Wildlife Conservation and Preservation Act of 1975,
ratified the Convention of Biological Diversity, and in 1994 has also prepared a Biodiversity
Action Plan. Such organizations are however silent spectators to the organized trade of hunting
protected species on their well maintained jagirs.
Pakistan is an important wintering ground for migratory birds. The Indus Flyway provides a
significant series of waterways and wetlands from northern mountains to the Indus Delta. Almost
70% of migratory birds that enter Pakistan finally settle on different wetlands of the GDRP
ecosystem, while the rest stay behind in other provinces. Migratory birds are a resource for the
tourist trade in Pakistan, which provides limited benefit in terms of alleviation of poverty of the
local population. However, the organizers of hunting party do share a few morsels with the local
population by engaging one or the other person for identifying the hideout of the birds.
The bird population is under stress at the hands of facilitators of the hunting programs.
Facilitation of the sort is a roaring but unorganized business, of which hunting and falconry is a
small segment that involves quite a few million dollars any way. The hunting program is
promoted in unorganized manner in a typical facilitator style. Landlords make their land
available for hunting at a certain hidden cost. The facilitator arranges the logistics and welfare of
the hunter aristocrats and of the hunting parties besides maintaining the political force (the socalled long handle of social pollution) to obtain the permit from the Federal Government,
bypassing (at times in connivance with) the Wildlife Department.
The hunting party has normally four security cordons at the hunting camp. The first cordon is the
hunter`s own security, two other cordons relate to the law-enforcement agency personnel while
the fourth is that of the police. Sindh Wildlife Department has full authority to control sport
hunting and to restrain poaching of wild birds and animals for trade purposes. But the control
against illegal poaching and hunting is ineffective, especially against influential personalities
support this traditional game since they have major stake in the game. At the end of the hunting
season several hundred birds are lost and the bird resource is impoverished, while the facilitation
business firms up by signing more Memorandum of Understanding so that the business goes on
as per past practice.
It may be mentioned here that hunting of houbara bustard was banned on the subcontinent in
1912 by the British Government. However, the jagirs were always open to organized trade and
the rajas and maharajas were inviting the dignitaries to the hunting parties. Pakistan allowed the
same practice to continue but had to yield to International pressure and imposed a permanent ban
on hunting of the bird in 1972. Hunting of houbara bustard by Pakistanis is banned under
wildlife laws, but is permitted for the visitors from Arab States. And that is the source of conflict.
Until the late 1970s, the Arab aristocracy used to go to Iran and Afghanistan for hunting this
bird. After the fall of Shah of Iran and the beginning of war and war like situations in
Afghanistan, Pakistan became the sole destination for the Arab Aristocracy interested in falconry
and houbara hunting.
The facilitators have cashed the interest of the Arab Aristocracy which continues to believe that
the meat of this bird has mythical aphrodisiac qualities. Despite strong opposition by the
Environment Ministry, the facilitators have been successful all the way in using the long handle
of social pollution to regularize the irregularity. They were, for example successful in getting 28
special permits issued by the Federal Government to the rulers, members of ruling families and
other dignitaries of four Gulf States to hunt the internationally protected Houbara bustard during
the 2010-2011 winter seasons. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the UAE and
ruler of Abu Dhabi, has been allotted hunting areas in Sindh Sukkur, Ghotki, Nawabshah and
Sanghar districts.
Because of increased hunting of the bird, especially in its winter habitats, the Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has classified it as an endangered migratory
bird. According to a study conducted by the Environment Research and Wild life Development
Agency (ERWDA), the Asian Houbara could be extinct within 15 to 25 years if unchecked
hunting, illegal trapping and trading of the bird continued at the existing scale. ERWDA
estimated that the natural death rate of the bird was 3.28 percent while death due to hunting
accounted for more than 73 percent. The rate of hunting has reached nearly 20.8 percent,
dangerously exceeding the acceptable 7.2 percent.
The conflict arises due to inability of government to restrain the long handle of social pollution
that is even otherwise engaged in regularizing the irregularities on hunting and making the
conservation methods ineffective. As the winter sets in, a tug of war is initiated between the
hunter-funded lobbies and conservationists. The former group tries to persuade the government
to continue with its houbara bustard policy, while the latter group wants that hunting be banned
at least for a few years so the dwindling population of that threatened bird can resurrect itself.
Due to the large amounts of money involved, the conflict between conservationists and officials
remains unresolved, with the former fighting a losing battle. According to unofficial estimates,
Arab sheikhs spend about ten to twenty million dollars per hunt on houbara bustards. Officials in
the Governing hierarchy argue that the sheikhs contribute to the local infrastructure development,
and also contribute in their own way to help the population in the neighbourhood in betterment
of quality of life. This however, is contradicted by the private airports that are useless for the
local population and beneficial for sheikhs themselves. The mosques are not used by many
people while the charity offered at times is limited to the few hundred in the immediate
neighbourhood. Contrarily there is destruction of the local ecosystem due to the massive killings
of animals, as sheikhs have to support their regular 300-people camps.
The hectic activity of the falconers in the area, and their associated men and materials, are
responsible for disturbing the biological phenomena of the animal wildlife, including hormonal
balance and feeding activities. The period of mating and reproduction of most of the desert
animals coincides with the falconry in the area, and hence these activities result in the production
of malnourished, biologically unbalanced individuals.
The indiscriminate killing of houbara and falcons has resulted in unbalanced ecosystem, with the
massive elimination of houbara resulting in increases in the populations of harmful organisms
lying at lower trophic levels, and decreases in the populations of organisms lying at higher
trophic levels. The elimination of raptorial falcons has probably resulted in increases in the
populations of rodents in Sindh and hence increased damage to agricultural crops or water
channels. The falconry also has the potential of physically destroying the habitat through
crushing of the slow-growing plants, denuding the camping sites through movement of men and
materials, dumping of nondegradable wastes, and woodcutting for camp fires. The movement of
heavy hunting vehicles sometimes causes severe damage to small earthfilled dams that 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 experiencing population decline because of
illegal hunting for sport, meat and trade. There is a strong tradition of hunting in Pakistan and the
impact of hunters has increased with the spread of modern weapons and great mobility. Virtually
all-large mammals have declined in number and their range has been reduced. It is being
increasingly felt in Pakistan that operators of the long handle of social pollution will have to be
restrained if its rich biodiversity is to be conserved. For this purpose the governing hierarchy will
have 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 dare go 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 only
way 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 significance
Thatta district as a whole and its surroundings are archaeologically important as it was chosen by
several Emperors and feudal lords as the place of their eternal abode. Consequently, Makli Hills
became the largest cemetery of Pakistan where several marvellous monuments were constructed
depicting outstanding episode of history. Makli Hilll is now an institution for learning and
research. Because of its historical importance and uniqueness in the built heritage of humanity,
this site has been 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 Karachi on 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 shrine has a large grove of date palm trees in its surrounding. The
date palm 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
other Bokharis 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 finding will be immediately reported to the Department of
Archaeology, Sindh.
SOCIOECONOMIC PROFILE OF GDRP ECOSYSTEM
Thatta District is spread over 17,355 km2 or 1.735 million hectare and is located between 2343'
to 2526'N and 6705' to 6845'E in Sindh, Pakistan. The district is bounded on the north by
Dadu district, on the east by Hyderabad and Badin districts, on the south by Rann of Kutch area
and the Arabian Sea and on the west by Karachi District. According to the 1998 census of
Pakistan, it had a population of 1,113,194 of which 11.21% were urban. The population of Thatta
District was estimated in 2008 at 1.469 million with 778 thousand males and 691 thousand
females.
District administration in Thatta district was till recently governed by the local government
system. The District is subdivided 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 Union Councils, 7,200 villages and over 190,000 households with an average
size of 6.5 persons per household. The seven talukas are governed by their respective Taluka
Municipal Administration (TMA), while the 55 UCs of 7 talukas are governed by Union Council
Administration (UCA).
Tehsils and Union Councils of District Thatta
Tehsil
Union Council
Total Ucs
Ghorabari Garho, Khan., Kotri Allah Rakhio, Mahar, Uddasi
5
Jati
Begna, Gul Muhammad Baraa, Jati, Karamalik, Kothi,
6
Murid Khoso
Mirpur Bachal Gugo, Banno, Darro, Darya Khan Suho, Jhoke
8
Bathoro Sharif, Laikpur, M.Bathoro, Mehar Shah
Mirpur Bohara, Choubandi, Dhabeji, Gharo., Ghulamullah, Gujjo,
10
Sakro
Haji Ghirano, Karampur, Mirpur Sakro, Sukhpur
Sajawal Ali Bahar, Bello, Bijora, Jar, Kinjhar, Sujawal
6
Shah
Chuhar Jamali, Doulatpur, Goongani, Jungo Jalbani,
5
Bander Ladiun
Thatta
Chatto Chand, Doomani, Jherruck, Jhimpir, Jungshahi,
Kalakot, Kalri., Makli, Onger, Sonda, Tando Hafiz Shah, 13
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 population ratio, which stands at 11.2:88.8
for District Thatta, this district is among the least-developed areas of Pakistan whose ratio of
rural : urban population according the 1998 census is 35:65. It was stated earlier that adequacy in
providing the benefit of development processes to the grass root level is invariably reflected in
the level of urbanization of the area concerned. Since a share of 30% urban population in the
total suggests a threshold stage of development and of over 45% suggests a take-off stage, the
ratio for District Thatta suggests that 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 its Taluka Mirpur Sakro was declared the most poverty
ridden Taluka in District Thatta.
The underdeveloped status of Thatta District is reflected by the land utilization pattern, type of
dwelling units and availability of infrastructure facilities such as water supply and sanitation,
roads, transportation. As expected the infrastructure facilities that upgrade the quality of life of
the people of the area concerned are all highly deficient. The villages, union council, tehsil and
district centres as a whole bear a rural character and the status of degraded land.
The population of all seven Talukas of Thatta District according to the 1998 Census was 1.113
million. Based on an annual growth rate of 2.26 percent the current population of the district is
estimated to be around 1.301 million. There are three Talukas which are coastal and four which
are non-coastal. The population of the non-coastal Talukas is the densest. Mirpur Bathoro is the
most densely populated Taluka followed by Sujawal and Thatta Talukas. The coastal Talukas
have large geographic areas and much lower population densities.
S. No.
2007
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Name of Taluka No. of UCsPopulation 1998 Census Estimated Population in

Thatta
Sujawal
Shah Bundar
Jati
Mirpur Bathoro
Mirpur Sakro
Ghora Bari
13
06
05
06
08
10
05
254,056
127,299
100,565
126,550
150, 598
202,800
105,562
361,820
221,814
158,201
205,968
194,281
296,650
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.
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
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 be located, covers an area of about
2,982 square kilometers (736,541 acres). The taluka is distributed in 10 unions, 92 revenue
villages, 1,526 villages and 32,099 households. The total population according to the 1998
census was 198,852 individuals.
Table: Mirpur Sakro Population
TALUKA
UNION
No. of
COUNCILS Dehs
Mirpur Sakro 10
95
REVENUE
VILLAGE HOUSE POPULATION (1998
VILLAGE
S
HOLDS CENSUS)
S
92
1526
32099 198852
Within the GDRP ecosystem Gharo and Dhabeji are the important towns on National Highway
N5 to Thatta. They are both in taluka Mirpur Sakro. Dhabeji town is located at 24'47" N 67'31"
E, in Union Council Dhabeji of Taluka Mirpur Sakro in District Thatta. It is just past Ghaggar
Phatak on National Highway and is south of the Pakistan Railway line. It has an industrial zone
along the National 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 a unique position as a rural trade centre. It has a slightly larger
population 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 Trends
In 1998 the total in-migrants into the district were estimated at 22,871 or about 2 percent of the
population. Only 26 percent had migrated within the earlier five years and the remaining had
migrated before this period. The major reasons for the shift of population were marriage,
business and transfer of posting/duties. The most significant aspect as far as migration trend in
this district is concerned is the out-migration especially from the coastal areas as a result of
impoverishment of resources which has reduced the employment opportunities and has added to
the problem of living within affordable means.
Sources of Income and Livelihoods
Agriculture and Livestock
Good breed of buffalo and cow are found in Thatta District. Sheep, goat, camel, horse, ass and
mule are also the main livestock of the district. The numbers of large animals far exceeds the
number of smaller animals showing preferences of people for keeping cattle rather than goats or
sheep. Livestock in the district suffers in particular from shortage of high quality feed and fodder
crops as a result of the overall shortage of water. The livestock numbers have been particularly
affected as a result of the decrease in the flow of freshwater in the Indus.
Table XXX: Livestock Population in Thatta District
Type
Cattle
Buffalo
Sheep
Goat
Camel
Horse
Mule
Ass
Domestic Poultry
Source: Livestock census: 1996
Population
Percentage
339,105
314,253
170,031
240,920
11,081
424
183
23,748
510,114
31
29
16
22
1
0
0
2
Not included
Villages have, since historical times relied on multiple sources of income depending upon the
household resource ownership. In the GDRP 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 on a subsistence basis. Scarcity of water has
constrained crop production as a means of livelihood.
Livestock ownership is now the only means to supplement household consumption needs and as
a source of value. Wood cutting enabled households to meet their fuel needs as well as
supplement incomes for 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 possible a 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. Twothirds 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 the population is primarily
employed as cheap unskilled labour force either in Dhabeji or Gharo. Cultivation is not possible
here due to scarcity of water. Livestock herding is the only income generating option; the limited
livestock holdings in the settlements is kept primarily for household use of livestock products.
Skilled labour is scarce, and the categories of skilled labourers are mostly chowkidars, drivers,
welders, plumbers and electricians. Government service is relatively rare but residents of some
villages find low level jobs in the KWSBs Filter Plant, and the industrial units in Dhabeji and
Gharo.
Employment and Incomes
The 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 owners 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 on family members who are not in regular employment.
60% of the villagers earn their living from sources such as shop/kiosk in the village or from
collection of stones or wood.
At least 35% of the population of the two villages survives on Rs 5000 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 20 cows 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.
Indebtedness
Most of the families are indebted in the range of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 yearly. They borrow
money for household consumption from banyas or the landlord on whose land they make a
living, and repay the loan by selling livestock at the time of Eidul Azha.
Enterprise and Industrial Sector
From 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 commutes from 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
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
Salt
industry
There 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 inception of
the salt works, under primitive conditions for seven days a week, at an average salary of Rs. 250350 per day.
Poultry farming
A 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.
Handicrafts
Both 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 importance is rali making which is not only an economic activity but also a
tradition for women in the area. Rali is traditional apparel used as 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 girls 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 Infrastructure
Water supply
According to the 1998 Housing Census, the facility of piped water inside the house was available
to 14 percent of the housing units in 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
around 13 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 Jafar Jokhio Goth and ground water or
supplies by donkey cart is the source for Goth Nabi Bakhsh. The water so supplied is not treated.
Potable Water
Lack of potable water is one of the primary issues of this region. The Union Councils have
provided water supply lines to most villages, but these schemes are largely non-functional.
Groundwater levels are low and prospecting for water is an expensive proposition.
Sanitary waste Disposal: Only about 1/3rd of the residents in the GDRP have a separate
sanitation facility. The residents of units without proper latrine facility use adjacent rural
environs. Majority uses the bushes to answer the call of nature. Only a few households have
latrines as part of their bathing area. In the bushes outdoors the toilet area is demarcated.
Although, womens enclosure is separate but it is not properly concealed.
Solid waste from homes is thrown in a demarcated garbage dumping area in the bushes. There
are three bathoris for the three muhallahs. When the solid waste is in excess it is either lifted
via tractor and taken to the lands and dumped in a big hole for bio-degradation into manure, or it
is burnt. Conversely, this waste might also be sold to contractors from some other villages, which
then have the garbage lifted and removed to cultivable lands where it is used to make manure.
Animal waste is not collected separately; it is thrown in the common garbage den and allowed to
dry. When the quantity of animal waste is substantial, it is lifted and taken to the agricultural
field and dumped in a pit to form manure, or else sold to contractors from other villages which
may have it lifted by tractor trolley and taken to their own lands. Villagers in the Study Area
were found using poultry manure from the poultry farms in the area.
Electricity
Electricity is available to about one-third of the housing units in Thatta District. There is a wide
variation in the availability of electricity in urban and rural areas. It is estimated that about 79
percent in urban areas had access to electricity in contrast to about 21 percent in the entire
District. Kerosene oil is used in over 77 percent of the rural dwellings. More than 80 percent of
the housing units in the district were using wood as cooking fuel. Only 3 percent of the housing
units had access to Sui Gas in the district.
In Goth Jaffa Jokhio Jamadar the villagers use gas lamps and kerosene oil lamps for lighting.
Once a week the gas tanks are filled from Gharo. Batteries are used for charging mobile phones,
playing a radio or a TV. In certain situations a large truck battery is taken to Gharo for two days
of charging and brought back and it lasts for a week in the village for uses just mentioned. People
also use a battery to illuminate the shop with a small tube light at night.
Fuel for energy comes from burning wood in the stoves, for cooking and burning wood in winter
for heating purposes. Diesel is used for motorcycles and kerosene is used for hand held lamps.
The source of wood is the bushes and woodlands around the village from where household
members cut bundles of wood as per requirement. However, at least 50% of the sampled
households bought their stock of wood from wood cutters who sell bundles of wood to the
villagers. Diesel for personally owned vehicles is acquired from Gharo city. A motorcycle needs
Rs.175 worth of petrol to commute between Jaffer Jokhio Goth and Gharo city. The villagers
average cost of fuel is as follows:
Type of Fuel
Wood
Petrol/Diesel
Kerosene oil
Average cost per month

Rs. 750
Rs. 3000
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 Transport
Thatta District is linked by road with other districts. National Highway from Karachi to
Peshawar passes through Thatta for a length of 200 kilometres. All major towns of the district are
connected with metalled roads of 1,585 kilometres length. The district is also connected by the
main railway line from Karachi to Peshawar. The principal railway stations are Jangshahi,
Dhabeji and Jhimpir. The district is also equipped with digital and non-digital telecommunication
system besides postage and telegraph.
Cost of travelling to and from the villages in GDRP area by different means of transport is very
high and is often cause for delays and untimely deaths in medical emergencies. The cost of
transportation to and from Goth Jafar Jokhio Jamadar creates an impediment in visiting the
doctor in case of illnesses. A family in the Goth owns a Suzuki and charges a rent for taking
villagers to and from Gharo. It is also used for transportation of goods to the 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, borrow money from somebody in the
village.
Irrigation and Drainage Systems

The 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 to have
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 Thatta
District
NGOs
1. National Rural Support Program (NRSP),
2. Aga Khan Planning and Building Services
3. IUCN
4. WWF
5. Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) 6.
Thatta
HANDS
7. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum
8. Adventure Foundation of Pakistan
9. Indus Earth
10. SCOPE
Education
Education 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 extent of 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, Dhabeji and Gharo that offers
services to nearby Dehs. Female literacy rate 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 at
less than 10 percent of the total labour force. Thus the local residents are ill-equipped for jobs in
industry and manufacturing.
Literacy Rate and Education Facilities
There 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 is almost 20%. Most persons can speak
Urdu, the National language and most of them can read the Holy Quran. Things have started to
change with the emergence of new leadership which has started setting up mosques and
madressas in the area of influence.
Health
Health facilities are inadequate and sub-standard in quality in the GDRP ecosystem and people
have to travel to Thatta District Hospital 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 these centres are understaffed and understocked.
Serious ailments have to be treated at Thatta, Quaidabad or Karachi. Many of the diseases
occurring in the area are water borne, and the lack of sanitation facilities and reliable water
supply schemes has contributed 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
amongst women and children. Snake bite is not as common as it used to be a few years back. 28
percent cases of snake bite were reported from Goth Jaffar Jokhio. After the rainy season, the
entire village falls ill with high grade fever, vomiting, flu and cough symptoms. Many adults and
children pass away during this period.
Infant deaths have occurred more frequently and mostly in home birth or during the journey to
Gharo. Transportation of an emergency case to Gharo hospital may get delayed due to nonavailability of conveyance or due to the uneven and rough terrain that has to be crossed.
Transportation cost for taking a delivery case to Gharo is Rs.1500 per trip (approximately) and
the Hospital charges Rs.5000 plus medicine.
Nutrition & Diet
The people consume a varied diet, consisting largely of vegetables and lentils. They often go to
their lands to get fresh vegetables for self-consumption and cooking. The Hari allows this as 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 to go to work eat a breakfast
mostly comprising tea and paratha, and a full meal at dinner time and the women and children
have a proper meal at lunch and dinner time. For afternoon meals at work in Gharo, men take 2
chappatis each, from home and buy the saalan (gravy) from Gharo City. As fillers or stimulants
the men consume pan, tea and gutka.
For making tea, goat milk is used. Each household has 1 or more goats to fulfill its milk
requirements. Some also use cow milk depending upon the social strata the house belongs to. At
lunch and dinner they frequently consume vegetables and lentils and occasionally they eat
chicken, red meat, and fish. Mostly they eat wheat bread/roti and seldom do they have rice. The
villagers also consume meat once a week and may consume meat more frequently when they cut
one of their livestock animals.
Gender Bias
The women are responsible for cutting wood for the stoves, filling water from the pipes, cooking,
cleaning and washing clothes. In each household the women have the duties divided among
themselves. It is observed that the women perform very tedious and strenuous tasks and thus
appear to age faster than men.
Women are the primary bearers of the burden of household chores. But responsibility of grocery
shopping is that of the males since it has to be done from Gharo city. Males also lend a helping
hand in cutting wood for the stove. Children of age also assist the adults in household chores
such as water filling, sweeping and dusting, milking animals and gathering eggs.
The women are interested in selling their handcrafted quilts on commercial basis and men
support the idea. The males would like to open a kiosk; farming if they had the means, and in
learning masonry.
Most of the villagers are so frustrated by the restricted employment opportunities in the nearby
urban areas that they are willing to learn new skills to create opportunities for self employment
or even find employment under contractors in the private sector.
Human Settlements in & around Project Area
The Study Area has only two human settlements both located about 2.5 km on the south and
north: 1) Gharo Pumping Station and its residential Colony, and 2) an unsurveyed hamlet, Yousuf
Khaskheli by name. There was another hamlet near the Yousuf Khaskheli Goth but the same has
been abandoned only recently. Other major villages in the GDRP ecosystem include the
following:
Table XXX: Estimated population found in microenvironment of the project area
Households Estimated Source of
Hospita
Living Area/Village
School
Electricity
l
Total Pukka Population Income
60Employmen
Filter Plant Colony (2.5 km)

60
500
2
1
t
80
Yousuf Khaskheli (2.5 km) 15
60
Siddique Jokhio (2.4 km)
13-14 1
100
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 18

&
1
Haji Hamza Zangiyani
(9km)
Asghar Mirbahr (10 km)
2
Sumar Shoro (12 km)
20-25 2
120
20
180
Agriculture
Livestock,
Labor*
Agriculture
Livestock,
Labor*
Agriculture
Livestock,
Labor*
Agriculture
Livestock,
Labor*
Agriculture
Livestock,
Labor*
Livestock,
Labor*
Labor*
Livestock,
x
x
x
x
X
X
Labor*
*Labor represents: quarrying, wood cutting, stone crushing, sand/gravel collection/transportation, odd jobs
Castes, Lineages and Tribes

The 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 subcontinent
especially 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, Panjabi and 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. Almost all Muslim population belongs
to the Sunni sect. According to the government figures 96.72% of the population is Muslim
(Thatta DCR, 1998, p. 26). There is a small Hindu minority comprising 2.7% of the district
population. Owing to the strong sufi tradition in Sindh, people in the Study area have strong
affiliation to sufism and piri/muridi. Females are more faithful towards dargahs compared to
men. This fact manifests their insecurity in local social setup. They also have a strong belief on
spiritual healing and hence rely on Dum, Darood, and Taveez for disease cure, black magic, and
help in their family lives.
Men are usually followers of pirs. Prominent pirs followed in the area include Saeen Amanullah
Shah, Saeen Baqir Ali Shah Jeelani, and Saeen Peeran Dinno Shah (lives in Uthal, Balochistan).
Social Environment
Land Degradation & Poverty Nexus
The development projects including the irrigation system in and around GDRP ecosystem have
caused widespread degradation of the ecosystem to support the quest for urban development and
not so much to share the richness in urban areas with the growing population.
Aridity in the ecosystem compounded by deflation by wind as a common natural process
in the GDRP ecosystem has deflated the surface of the soils by several centimeters.
The much too common gravel covered surfaces occurring throughout the stony wastes of
the area are evidence of high contemporary rates of wind erosion.
The elevated mounds of fine sand that occur around shrubs on the plains provide
evidence that it has been deflated by wind blown sand during the life of the plants and
aggravated the process of desertification thus contributing to environmental crises, such
as loss of flora, fauna, biodiversity and productivity of the ecosystems.
Sand and gravel that is another resource of this resource poor region has been transported
to fulfill the demand of the construction industry in the urban areas. Several spurs/ridges/
outcrops near Gharo have since been leveled off; large ditches have been dug up thus
causing irreversible damage to the ecosystem of the microenvironment and inducing
impoverishment of the system in the mean time.
In general, the quest for enhanced productivity in urban centres has intensified exploitation and
has carried disturbance by man into less productive and more fragile lands.
Over exploitation of the meagre resources has given rise to degradation of soil, water and
vegetation. These three elements of the natural ecosystem serve as the natural foundation for
human existence. In the fragile ecosystem at GDRP, the loss of biological productivity through
impoverishment of plant, animal, soil and water resources has become irreversible, and has
gradually and now almost permanently reduced its capacity to support human life.
Impoverishment of resources leading to environmental degradation is both a cause and a
consequence of rural poverty. Therefore, impoverishment of resources in the GDRP Ecosystem
has led to deforestation and desertification which in turn has compounded poverty manifold. The
vicious circle is now complete since poverty is likely to perpetuate as there is no vegetation left
for further deforestation and desertification.
Poverty
Level of poverty is increasing because of frequent droughts occurring in this arid zone of Sindh;
this has reduced the vegetative cover over vast areas. Impoverishment of resources is worrisome
for the people in this land that is facing deprivation in many respects. The trend of uprooting
shrubs, cutting trees with their roots for fuel wood and making charcoal, over grazing due to over
stocking, and sand /gravel removal from the river beds, has increased several fold. The
unfortunate part of this misery is that it cannot be restrained. If the current trend continues, the
already exhausted rangelands will not be in a position to support the existing level of livestock
population of this arid region. The economic impact of such a situation has had direct effect on
the population here and is likely to increase the level of poverty amongst the herders of the
GDRP ecosystem. The herders have already switched to wood cutting and to fishing on the
shoreline some 10 km from the area. As stated earlier, poverty per se is not a problem because
the people have learnt to live with poverty.
Such continuous and uninterrupted degradation of natural resources is pushing the ever growing
population for its livelihood to migration to urban centres, which are not prepared to absorb it.
And that is the root cause of conflicts in the GDRP ecosystem.
The migration of the rural population to the urban areas has amassed the urban areas with social
problems by increasing slums around the cities. This situation has created law and order
problems in the cities. Because of increasing poverty and lack of basic amenities the most
vulnerable sections of population like the children and women are being affected and will be
badly affected in the next few years, when the rapid rate of impoverishment of resources will
reach its limit and push a substantial segment of population below the poverty line.
Although formal area poverty profile has not been prepared for Lower Sindh including Thatta,
secondary data generated by the project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) showed that
54% are among the poorest category and 79% may be characterized as poor. In a 2004 national
survey Pakistans poorest district was Thatta.
Family income of Rs 5 to11 thousand, arrived at during focused group discussion, already
suggests that almost 75% of the families live below the poverty line. All members of the family
have to contribute to sustain their subsistence living. Poverty has mostly 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 Projects
All respondents i.e. males as well as females expect the following 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 Ecosystem
Study Area comprising the GDRP Ecosystem has the industrial estates of Dhabeji and Gharo
located within 10 Km from the site. The villages do not have skilled labour of the sort that is
needed for industrial units. However, the skilled labourers of the category comprising drivers,
mechanics, welders, plumbers and electricians, if available may be offered employment in the
construction and operation phase of production units.

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CLIMATE CHANGE ENVIRONMENTAL

DEGRADATION & POVERTY NEXUS IN

ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL BASELINE OF

Part 1: Dhabeji Gharo Rann Pethani Ecosystem

The Microenvironment of Study Area

Environmental Profile of Ghaggar-Dhabeji-Gharo Ecosystem

Figure 2: Desertified arid land of Dhabeji

Fig.03. Seismic risk map of Karachi-Hyderabad Divisions,

responsible for the production of earthquake of considerably high magnitude of up to 7.6 M on

Type/ Location of Cyclone

Tropical Cyclone/ Northeast Arabian Sea

Cyclonic Storm /East Central Arabian Sea

Cyclonic Storm /Southeast Arabian Sea

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /East Central

Tropical Cyclone /East Central Adjoining

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm /Northwesterly of

Table: Mean Monthly Maximum Temperature oC

Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department

Table: Mean Monthly Minimum Temperature oC

Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department

Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department

National Highway N5 at Gharo on August 11, 2011

Table: Ambient Air Quality at Outskirts of Karachi East

Standards and Guidelines for Air Quality Parameters

150 (53 ppb)

150 (73 ppb)

SO2 Units: ppm (g/m3)

NOx Units: ppm

**Exposed to Heavy Traffic

Major species of concern

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

Table XXX: Most common birds found in the macro environment

Eurasian Roller Coracias garrulus

Table XXX: Most common birds found in the macro environment

Table XXX: Most common birds found in the macro environment

Common Quail Coturnix coturnix

Table XXX: Most common birds found in the macro environment

Table XXX: Most common birds found in the macro environment

Spotted Owlet Athene brama

Table XXX: Most common birds found in the macro environment

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Muroor/Nando Kath-Kulho (not spotted); Sindh Woodpecker (Dendrocopos assimilis) Sindhi

Charcoal kiln with the acacia shrub growing all around

Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar) and Convention on the Conservation of

Name of Taluka No. of UCsPopulation 1998 Census Estimated Population in

Disasters of Social Pollution, Research & Development Publications, Karachi, 1998

Figure: Heath Facilities in MirpurSakhro

Government jobs in the Water Board and the Railway.

M/s Al-Asif Sugar Mills Gharo

M/s Al-Noor Textile Mills Dhabeji

M/s Al-Abbas Gases Dhabeji

M/s Azmat Textile Mills Dhabeji

M/s Indus Jute Mills Dhabeji

M/s Ahmed Spinning Mills Dhabeji

M/s Jeo Links Dhabeji

M/s Arafat Rice Mills Dhabeji

M/s O.K Oil Mills Dhabeji

M/s Abasian International Dhabeji

M/s Anwar Textile Mills Dhabeji

M/s Abdul Haq Flour Mills Dhabeji

M/s Garieb Sons Gharo

M/s Central Cotton Ltd Dhabeji