Tharparkar is an area in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Its headquarters is Mithi. It is the largest district in Sindh and has the highest proportion of Hindus of any district in the country. Despite its high Hindu population, Tharparkar has the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) score of any district in Sindh.
Tharparkar is a chronically poor area
The people of Tharparkar, Pakistan, are suffering from chronic poverty. Their farming methods rely on rain to produce food, and when there is drought, the population suffers famine. Most Thar households only store one type of grain throughout the year, so they are devoid of many essential vitamins and minerals. As a result, 80 percent of women are anemic and children born in Tharparkar are underweight or low birth-weight.
The Tharparkar district covers about 22,000 square kilometers, and it has a population of 1.2 million. Most people live in villages spread across the area. Water is a major issue in Tharparkar, and residents spend at least two to three hours each day collecting water. The water from the sparse wells is dirty and often salty. This causes chronic illnesses in many local residents. Fortunately, crisis aid is working to provide safe water to these people.
The district has a very high water scarcity rate, which is a major source of health problems and economic hardship. Women and children must walk long distances each day to fetch water, which limits their opportunities for paid employment or further education. Water scarcity has even increased malnutrition, which is threatening the lives of hundreds of children in Tharparkar every year. A recent national nutrition survey found that 22% of children in Tharparkar are malnourished.
It has a visible presence of Hindu communities
The border district between India and Pakistan has maintained a visible presence of Hindu communities despite two major wars. While other borderlands of Pakistan have become predominantly Muslim, Tharparkar has been able to maintain a Hindu presence. Hindu communities here include the Pushkarnas and Sodhas, transnational castes from different parts of India.
The Hindu community in Tharparkar is comprised of over 600,000 people, the highest number of Hindus in Pakistan. The Hindu community has traditionally played a prominent role in local elections. Although she is standing in a constituency dominated by feudal lords and agriculturists, Sunita is defiant and has refused to submit to political pressure.
The district is largely a rural area without basic facilities. It contains over 2600 villages and covers over 22,000 square kilometers. Despite this, the people in Tharparkar have maintained a strong sense of identity. Many companies involved in coal mining have direct dealings with feudal families.
The area has a history of exploitation and marginalization. Because of its challenging geography and poor economic conditions, the area was neglected for many years. Due to this, it yielded far less revenue than other parts of India.
It has a lack of road network
The lack of road network and the poor quality of infrastructure is a problem in the Tharparkar district. The people in this district face various health challenges, including waterborne diseases, lack of health facilities, and poor infrastructure. The most prevalent problem is that of access to clean water. The water in the area is salty and contaminated with harmful minerals, causing various diseases. The people in this region also face a high rate of heart diseases, hypertension, and gut infections.
The poor road network in Tharparkar has led to the development of a media industry. This industry is generating jobs in the district’s taluka headquarters. The media sector also creates a space for citizens to express their views and voice their opposition to government policies. In addition, the media industry provides news about Thar to international and Pakistani channels. This has led to the emergence of many young Thari journalists and reporters.
The lack of road network and harsh terrain have made it difficult for the people of Thar to access healthcare services. The district is still in need of an improved road network.
It has a large number of dug-wells as its only source of water
Water scarcity is a major issue in Tharparkar, a rural district of Pakistan. The district has around 1.2 million people living in around 2,000 villages. A large number of those living there depend on hand-dug wells as their only source of water. People in Tharparkar walk hours to fetch water from the wells.
Most dug-wells in the Tharparkar district are up to 60-70 metres deep, making the water extremely brackish and harmful to the health of residents. Rain water is collected from these wells, but rain falls very rarely, and rain seldom lasts more than two or three months. The Thar region experiences a long dry season, usually starting from December and lasting through May. This causes a mass migration of residents to more distant barrage areas, but they return when the rains come.
The lack of rainfall has a negative impact on livestock in the region. In 2014, the dry season caused 88 percent of households in the area to have no income. In the same year, 300,000 livestock died of diseases. The few that survived were weak and in poor health. As a result, the government ran livestock vaccination programs in 68 villages.
It has a population of 1.2 million
The drought situation in Tharparkar, a rural district in northern Pakistan, is a major cause of concern for the people living there. It has caused more than 190 children to die and more than 22,000 to be hospitalized. It is the fourth year that the district has been hit by severe drought. In addition to the lack of water, the people in Tharparkar lack access to health care facilities and food. Moreover, women in the district face many challenges, including malnutrition.
The region has an arid climate and a lack of road network. Residents in Tharparkar often face difficulties accessing healthcare facilities due to the severe weather conditions and difficult terrain. The government has launched a program to provide healthcare to those in the area. The initiative is a welcome step to help the people of Thar.
According to the World Bank, the district is home to more than 6 million livestock. The agro-pastoral economy is essential to the Thar people. Livestock provides a significant portion of the district’s income and contributes to the finances of each household. However, livestock also pose a major health concern, as they carry various diseases that affect humans. Newborn babies, for example, are especially susceptible to animal diseases.
It has a large number of gaomakhi and inchlas aasthans
The people of Thar live in joint families. The men and women divide the responsibilities of the household according to their age. The men plough the land, graze the animals and weave cloth. The women help men with household chores such as fetching water from the well and cleaning the house. They also make threads, embroideries and knitted items. All money earned by a family member is considered the family’s common property.
Tharparkar is named after two Sindhi words, Thar and Parkar. Thar in Sindhi means “desert land”, while Parkar means “crossing over”. Earlier, this region was divided into two separate districts, Thar and Parkar. The climate is hot and dry in Tharparkar, with temperatures averaging 41 degrees Celsius during the day and nine degrees Celsius at night. Depending on the time of year, this region also experiences significant monsoon rains.
It has a few folklore traditions
In Tharparkar, the people have several art and crafts traditions, including pottery, puppets, wood items, metal wares, textiles, and painting. These handicrafts are very important for the people, as they are necessary for their daily lives. Moreover, they constitute the mainstay of the thar economy.
In 1971, the Indian army attacked the city, primarily in an attempt to pressure Pakistan. The attack ended in the Simla pact, which saw the release of POWs and the return of occupied land. After the war, many Tharparkar residents returned to their homes.
Many people in Thar participate in traditional chakar and dandan rounds. Both of these dances involve up to ten people who dance to the beat of a dhol player. While performing the dance, men hold axes or silk handkerchiefs in one hand while singing traditional songs. Men also perform solo male dances, known as mitco. Mitco is performed at the wedding of a son and is also an art form.
The Thar residents receive their water from a deep-dug well. While digging wells is dangerous, it provides sweet water to their homes. The local population is growing, and housing units are rising. In the 1980 census, there were 241,326 small housing units, with an average of three people per room.
