🚨 "Our Home is in Danger": Thar Climate March Kicks Off, Demands Halt to Coal Expansion
Chehra WebDesk
KALOI, – The Thar Climate March, organized by the Thar Citizen Forum (TCF), began its journey in Kaloi on Monday with a powerful rally that saw over 200 participants—including students, women, and activists—take to the streets to demand urgent environmental protection and climate justice for the desert region.
The march, which moved from Kaloi Hospital to the Press Club, featured passionate slogans, poetry, and music, all centered on the growing concerns over environmental damage in Thar.
Coal Mining Blamed for Ecological Crisis
A core message delivered by the speakers was that coal mining and coal-based power generation are the primary drivers of ecological stress in Thar, threatening the very foundations of the local environment and economy.
Speakers highlighted the devastating and wide-ranging impacts of these operations:
* Water Resources: Severe damage to Thar’s groundwater-dependent ecological system.
* Pollution: Rising air, soil, and water pollution across the region.
* Habitat Loss: Destruction of natural habitats, grazing lands, and vital tree cover.
* Livelihoods: A sharp decline in local livelihoods, agriculture, and community health.
Beyond the major projects, leaders also warned against other destructive activities—such as brick kilns, coal-crushing sites, wood-burning industries, and rampant tree cutting—that are collectively intensifying climate pressures.
Call for Climate Justice and Clean Energy
At the Press Club, community leaders issued a strong set of demands to the government, calling for immediate intervention to safeguard Thar.
* Climate Justice: Demands were made for immediate climate justice and stricter regulation of harmful industries.
* Protection: Urgent measures were called for to protect water, land, biodiversity, and the natural ecological balance of Thar.
* Clean Shift: The government was urged to shift its focus away from expanding environmentally polluting energy projects and toward alternative clean energy options.
The day concluded on a hopeful note, with a welcome tableau performed by local schoolchildren symbolizing the younger generation's aspiration for a clean and green future. The evening featured cultural events like traditional Belohrho wrestling and musical performances, reinforcing community solidarity around the environmental cause.
