More than rocks

The Karoonjhar Mountain range in Tharparkar is a source of water for more than 20 villages and home to an array of flora and fauna. Natives to the area also value the herbs that can be found here. However, for some time now, the mountains have been mined excessively for granite. This illegal cutting of the Karoonjhar Mountains has shocked people, who stand to lose much if the range was destroyed.

The government of Sindh is playing with its own culture by allowing different companies to mine here in the name of ‘progress’. People of Tharparkar have already suffered at the hands of the government when it extracted tonnes of coal without making electricity arrangements for the locals. The mountains are also a sign of heritage and tradition for the residents who have been trying endlessly to save these mountains from exploitation. The government should declare the Karoonjhar Mountains a national heritage site and make all possible efforts to protect it.

Kurbeet Singh

Umerkot