HYDERABAD: A number of human right activists, writers and member of civil society visited the hunger strike camp of villagers protesting against projects like Gorano Reservoir causing environmental degradation in arable area of the desert region. They also visited the site of the controversial Gorano wastewater reservoir. Sohail Sangi, Amar Sindhu, Dr Irfana Mallah, Syma Jaffery Dr Muneer Bhurgari, Mitho Mehri, Dodo Chandio, Hassen Musarat Shah, Ameer Mandhro and delegates from Hyderabad, Karachi and other towns met with the protesting villagers. Talking to local journalists at Islamkot and Gorano village, they slammed Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company for its alleged indifferent and cruel attitude towards the villagers living in the area and building the reservoir despite their continued protest for the past 14 months. They alleged that officials of Company instead of addressing the issues of Tharis were adopting bullying tactics and they vowed to support villagers in their ongoing protest on every forum. “The Company’s officials after failing to satisfy saner elements at various forums are spending huge funds to bring journalists and members of civil society by hiring planes for photo sessions,” they alleged. They asked journalists and rights activists to visit the protesters’ camp and controversial site to ascertain facts from both sides. They said that before carrying out the construction of the controversial project no proper studies were conducted. They demanded that those having rights for Thar coal were being treated indifferently. The activists also lashed out at elected members from Thar for their alleged silence over genuine issues of the local people and adding that they asked the Sindh government to take interest in Thar’s future. Beem Raj and other leaders of villagers briefing delegates deplored that despite their continued peaceful protests for past 14 months both the Sindh government and officials from the mining firm were bent upon not diverting the flow of water towards other feasible locations. They deplored that due to the release of toxic water from coalmines their lives have been made miserable. To continue their protest and hoped of getting justice from courts. Meanwhile, they visited house of Peetambar Meheshwari to condole with him over the killing of his two sons last month during a robbery attempt in Mithi Town. They demanded a judicial probe into the killings since according to them Thar police had miserably failed to trace out the killers of Dileep and Chandar. Published in Daily Times, February 11th 2018.