PRESS RELEASE
Position Statement: SECMC Block II Responsible Business Practices
Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) strongly dismisses allegations made in recent news articles and social media posts against the Company, including that its operations are harming local drinking water sources. The allegations are baseless.
SECMC follows all regulations prescribed by Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and voluntarily adopted global environmental standards, including those of International Finance Corporation – a subsidiary of World Bank.
Prior to commencing operations, SECMC received all relevant NOCs from SEPA after SEPA engaged global firms & held public hearings to ensure the Projects’ compliance. SEPA also appointed an Independent Environment Monitoring Consultant (IEMC) which has been sharing monthly reports with them since Project inception, including water quality assessments.
Mine dewatering is standard practice. In this case, unprocessed natural groundwater extracted from the third aquifer leaves the site boundary, is transported, and then released directly into the Gorano reservoir, hence there is no possibility of contamination and/or toxicity.
The Gorano Pond is declared a unique wetland for environmental conservation by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and promotes many sources of wildlife in the region, even allowing for fish farming.
SECMC conducts regular testing of Gorano pond through an IEMC and has consistently received results within acceptable ranges. Results from a recent report by Gel Private Limited, an independent testing lab, are below:
|
Parameters |
Unit |
Standard Values |
Actual Results |
||
|
SEQS |
WHO |
Gorano Inlet |
Gorano Pond |
||
|
Arsenic |
mg/l |
≤0.05 |
0.01 |
<0.005 |
<0.005 |
|
Chromium |
mg/l |
≤0.05 |
0.05 |
0.026 |
0.038 |
|
Selenium |
mg/l |
0.01 |
0.01 |
<0.005 |
<0.005 |
|
Mercury |
mg/l |
≤0.001 |
0.001 |
≤0.001 |
≤0.001 |
|
Lead |
mg/l |
<0.05 |
0.01 |
≤0.005 |
≤0.005 |
SECMC strongly believes in uplifting local communities and follows the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) framework for social good. Among its numerous initiatives is installation and regular OEM-recommended maintenance of 17 Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants in Thar Block II and surrounding areas, including Gorano, which provide an estimated 8,000,000 gallons of clean drinking water monthly, in line with SEQ standards, that can serve approx. 100,000+ individual’s drinking water requirement. The water is also tested quarterly by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratories Complex Karachi (PCSIR) and has consistently been found to be within prescribed safe limits.”
SECMC is an exemplary public-private partnership between Government of Sindh and private sector companies. Thar Coal projects are widely recognized as imperative for Pakistan’s economic & energy security and saving its precious forex while bringing prosperity to the region and Country.