People of Gorano village remain steadfast in their fight against reservoir

SUKKUR: The people of Gorano village, some 38 kilometers off Islamkot, once again rejected offers and assurances of the coalmining firm's officials to end their protest against the construction of the reservoir at their village.

Meanwhile, the villagers protest against the mega project entered 53rd day on Monday.  Leela Ram, the leader of the protesting villagers, told journalists they would never accept any offer from the officials until the work on the site was stopped.

Ram told the journalists they would never deviate from their demand that the government changed the site of the reservoir spread over 2,700 acres.  He said that toxic water of the mines from Block 1 and 2 of the Thar coalfield would destroy a vast area of their land, forcing them to leave their centuries-old abodes. 

Leela Ram, however, said doors for talks were open.  It may be recalled here that Shamsuddin Shaikh, the chief executive officer of the coalmining company, visited the camp over the weekend where hunger strike was being staged outside the Islamkot Press Club and requested the protesting villagers of Gorano to end their protest “in the national interest”. 

 "We might have made some minor mistakes before carrying out the construction work of the reservoir, but we cannot change it now," Shaikh had told the leaders of the villagers.  He said that he had brought his wife to the protestors’ camp to request the women protestors to end their protest.  

Talking to the local newsmen Shaikh said that the company had been trying its best to address the genuine problems and concerns of the local inhabitants, claiming that Thar's coal was an important feature of CPEC and would usher in a new era of prosperity in Thar. 

The villagers, including women, refused to end their protest.  Later, Shaikh, along with the leaders of the protesters and some journalists, went to Gorano village. The villagers insisted that the firm either changed the site of the reservoir or showed them studies if any conducted by the company regarding environmental degradation by the hazardous reservoir. 

Meanwhile, the activists of various political and social organizations resumed their hunger strike at Kashmir Chowk in Mithi against the construction of the reservoir.  Fakeer Irshad Kumbhar, Ghansham Malhi, GR Junejo and others vowed to continue their protest and warned to enlarge its scope. Leaders of the Thar Voice Forum, Partab Shivani, Shahnawaz Hingorjo, Kapil Dev and Dr Bhishum Kotak, told this reporter that the visit of Shaikh to the camp was a ploy to dupe the villagers. 

They said that the officials of the mining company after miserably failing to defend themselves in the wake of a vigorous protest drive launched by the villagers were now trying to lure them with petty incentives.  They said they would foil all the attempts of the firm to misguide the people.