MITHI: The affected individuals of the Gorano wastewater reservoir have filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad, seeking remedial measures. Advocate Leelaram Meghwar, who filed the petition on behalf of ten other notables from nearby villages, addressed a news conference at the Islamkot Press Club on Friday. He expressed hope for justice from the country’s apex court.
Advocate Leelaram deplored the release of wastewater into the contentious wastewater reservoir, which has caused environmental hazards in their extensive area. He alleged that officials of the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, as well as high-ranking individuals within the Sindh government, have not fulfilled their commitments made before releasing wastewater from the coal mines in Block 2 of Thar Coalfields.
“Our fertile lands have been severely affected due to the release of toxic water from the mines. All available sources of drinking water have become poisonous in Gorano and the surrounding areas,” he claimed. He further asserted that the toxic water has led to environmental hazards for thousands of residents in various villages around the mining firms’ controversial project to dispose of wastewater through pipelines.
“The ecology, environment, and demography of the vast region outside the limits of Thar Coalfields are being significantly damaged with each passing day. However, officials from both the mining company and the Sindh government are nowhere to be found for addressing the villagers’ claims and commitments,” he added.
He informed that they filed a fresh petition after their previous one was rejected by the Sindh High Court on technical grounds. Advocate Leelaram reiterated their determination to continue the legal battle against the miners and the relevant officials of the Sindh government. He claimed that they had turned the region into a living hell for the residents, their livestock, and the wildlife.
