Sindh to frame granite mining policy
Governments are among the buyers of granite from India, one of the world's largest exporters of the rock, using it in offices and to landscape public spaces in cities, the rights group India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) said. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Sindh government has planned to formulate a granite mining policy for the Karoonjhar Range of Tharparkar.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the granite deposits in Karoonjhar are estimated at approximately 26 billion tons.
In a meeting presided over by Sindh Minister for Mines and Minerals, Rural Development and Public Health Engineering Mir Shabbir Ali Bijarani, the formulation of a policy for granite mining in the Karoonjhar Range of Tharparkar was discussed.
During a briefing, it was informed that a huge quantity of granite precious stone was available in Karoonjhar and most of the granite in the region was underground.
Moreover, it was suggested that the landscape and traditional, religious and cultural importance of the area should be secured in the mining policy, no permission for mining in hilly areas and above surface should be granted and natural beauty of the area must be protected.
Mining of the underground granite would be done in a way that could protect and maintain the natural landscape in the area and it would be utilised for the betterment of economy.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2021.
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