THARPARKAR  -  Six years after its initiation, the ambitious coal-to-gas Tharcoal under gasification project in Tharparkar remains incomplete. Worse yet, machinery worth millions has started disappearing.

The federal government launched the underground gasification project at Tharcoal Block 5 in 2010 with the aim to burn coal underground and converts it into gas for electricity generation.

Despite a whopping budget of 2.5 billion rupees poured into the project, it was shut down in 2018 due to its failure, as confirmed by officials from the Sindh Coal Authority. Now, the abandoned site not only houses deteriorating machinery but also faces theft, with broken walls and missing fences making it an easy target.

The police have taken action, registering a case against 20 individuals suspected of theft and launching an investigation. While the Sindh government remains undecided on the project’s future, securing the existing machinery could pave the way for its potential revival.