INTRODUCTION

The Department of Mines & Mineral Development was created in Sindh on 22.08.2001 in pursuance of the National Mineral Policy, 1995. The objective as envisaged in the National Mineral Policy, 1995 is to establish an enabling institutional framework which could cater for and facilitate foreign & domestic investment in the field of mineral development. The Department of M&MD has also taken all necessary steps for further establishing its field offices viz the Directorate of M&MD, Inspectorate of Mines and the Sindh Coal Authority.

   The province of Sindh has large quantities of minerals. In all there are 24 minerals which are being mined at present. Among these province has large quantities of coal and granite reserves. The granite area which was inaccessible has now been connected with Karachi by a network of roads and other facilities like Rest House etc. It is also proposed that a Granite Park will be established at Nagarparkar. Karunjhar range of mountains in Nagarparkar has huge reserves of granite and other rock types of extractable thickness which has the potential to compete the international market.  It spreads over vast area and its estimated reserves are around 10 billion tons.The Directorate of Mines & Mineral Development, Sindh is sponsoring a scheme for study through consultant “Feasibility Study of Granite Deposits in Tharparkar, Sindh’’. Previously leases were granted in haphazard manner without any policy. The department has now constituted a policy for judicious and transparent award of leases in this area. It will be ensured that 03 large granite factories are set up by year 2030 in this remote area. This will not only generate large employment opportunities for poor and downtrodden masses of this far flung area but will also get world class granite for local consumption and export with the result that poverty ratio will be decreased and increase in growth rate of government revenue will take major part for economic development of the province.

  Sindh has large coal reserves of the country. It is estimated around 185 billion tons of coal in Lakhra, East of Indus and Thar. At present percentage of coal in energy is negligible (not even 3%). The department is in the process of assessment and exploitation studies of these coal reserves and intends to set up Power Houses / Projects running on this coal. Department intends to have 30% energy produce on coal by year 2030