In the salt deserts bordering Pakistan, India builds its largest renewable energy project

Workers travels in a vehicle toward the construction site of Adani Green Energy Limited's Renewable Energy Park in the salt desert of Karim Shahi village, near Khavda, Bhuj district near the India-Pakistan border in the western state of Gujarat, India, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP)
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Updated 05 December 2023
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In the salt deserts bordering Pakistan, India builds its largest renewable energy project

  • The Khavda energy park is located near Vighakot village near Kutch district of Gujarat
  • Developers say the park will be so big, once completed, that it would be visible from space

KHAVDA, India: Rising from the bare expanse of the large salt desert that separates India from Pakistan is what will likely be the world’s largest renewable energy project when completed three years from now.

The solar and wind energy project will be so big that it will be visible from space, according to developers of what is called the Khavda renewable energy park, named after the village nearest to the project site.

At the site, thousands of laborers install pillars on which solar panels will be mounted. The pillars rise like perfectly aligned concrete cactuses that stretch as far as the eye can see. Other workers are building foundations for enormous wind turbines to be installed; they also are transporting construction material, building substations and laying wires for miles.

When completed, the project will be about as large as Singapore, spreading out over 726 square kilometers (280 square miles). The Indian government estimates it will cost at least $2.26 billion.

Shifting to renewable energy is a key issue at the ongoing COP28 climate summit. Some leaders have voiced support for a target of tripling renewable energy worldwide in any final agreement while curbing use of coal, oil and natural gas, which spew planet-warming gases into the atmosphere.

What makes this heavy industrial activity peculiar is that it’s taking place in the middle of the Rann of Kutch in western India’s Gujarat state. The Rann is an unforgiving salt desert and marshland at least 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) from the nearest human habitation but just a short army truck ride away from one of the world’s most tense international borders separating the two South Asian nations.

GROUND ZERO OF INDIA’S CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION

When The Associated Press visited the renewable energy park, two days of unseasonal heavy rains had left the ground muddy and water logged since the only escape for water in this rough terrain is evaporation. This made it even harder for the workers to do their job.

Notwithstanding the tough conditions, an estimated 4,000 workers and 500 engineers have been living in makeshift camps for the better part of the past year toiling to get this project up and running.

Once completed, it will supply 30 gigawatts of renewable energy annually, enough to power nearly 18 million Indian homes.

As India aims to install 500 gigawatts of clean energy by the end of the decade and to reach net zero emissions by 2070, this project site will likely contribute significantly to the world’s most populous country’s transition to producing energy from non-carbon spewing sources.

As things stand, India is still mostly powered by fossil fuels, especially coal, which generate more than 70 percent of India’s electricity. Renewable energy currently contributes about 10 percent of India’s electricity needs. The country is also currently the third-largest emitter of planet-warming gases behind China and the United States.

“There are people working here from all over India,” said KSRK Verma, project head for Adani Green Energy Limited, the renewable energy arm of the Adani Group, which the Indian government has contracted to build 20 gigawatts of the project. Verma, with over 35 years of experience building dams across turbulent South Asian rivers and enormous natural gas tanks under the Bay of Bengal, says this is one of the most difficult projects he’s undertaken.

“It’s not at all (an) easy site to work at, there is no habitation, the land is marshy, there are a lot of high winds, rains and this is a high earthquake prone area,” said Vneet Jaain, managing director of Adani Green at its headquarters in the city of Ahmedabad.

Jaain who has overseen multiple ambitious projects for the Adani Group said the first six months were spent just building basic infrastructure. “From April this year is when we started working on the actual project,” he added.

The Adani Group has been in the limelight this year ever since the US-based short-selling Hindenburg Research firm accused the Group and its head, Gautam Adani, of “brazen stock manipulation” and “accounting fraud.” Adani Group has called the allegations baseless.

Jaain of Adani Green says the allegations have had little impact on its ongoing projects including work at the Khavda renewable energy park.

AN EXAMPLE TO EMULATE

“Twenty years ago, India was exactly where a vast expanse of (the) developing world was,” Ajay Mathur, director general of the International Solar Alliance, said of the country’s renewable energy production. The alliance has 120 member countries and promotes renewable energy — primarily solar — across the world.

About 200 kilometers (124 miles) away in the industrial city of Mundra, also located along the Gujarat state’s coastline, the Adani Group is manufacturing the solar and wind energy parts needed for the project. It’s one of the few locations in India where most solar energy components are made from scratch. Some of the factories are run like laboratories, with protective gear, face masks and head covers required to avoid dust particles that can compromise solar cells.

The nearby wind energy factory aims to produce 300 turbines a year, with each blade stretching nearly 79 meters (86 yards) and weighing 22 metric tons (24 tons). Each wind turbine generator is capable of producing 5.2 megawatts of clean energy. They will be India’s biggest.

As Mathur of the solar alliance said, “India has traveled a long way,” and its largescale renewable energy projects including the Khavda park will be inspiring for other developing countries. “Here is a country that was exactly where they are today and was able to make the change,” he said.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

While acknowledging the importance of transitioning to renewable energy, environmental experts and social activists say India’s decision to allow clean energy projects without any environmental impact assessments is bound to have adverse consequences.

“The salt desert is a unique landscape” that is “rich in flora and fauna,” including flamingos, desert foxes and migratory bird species that fly from Europe and Africa to winter in this region, according to Abi T Vanak, a conservation scientist with the Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. Vanak has overseen multiple environment-related research projects in the Kutch region.

Kutch and other similar regions are classified as “wastelands,” by the Indian government — and Vanak says this is extremely unfortunate. “They are not recognized as valid ecosystems,” he said.

With renewable energy projects exempt from environmental impact assessments, “There is no system in place” to determine the best places for them, according to Sandip Virmani, an environmentalist based in Kutch.

At a little over 45,000 square kilometers (17,374.5 square miles), the Kutch district is as big as Denmark and is India’s largest district. Given this, Virmani said there is enough land in Kutch for various renewable energy projects. But he fears that dairies and other local businesses in the region might be impacted by large-scale projects. “It has to be in the context of not compromising on another economy,” he said.

Meanwhile, longtime residents are still waiting to see how this huge project near their village will affect them.

Hirelal Rajde, 75, who has spent most of his life in Khavda, is mindful of the upcoming energy project as well as the increase in tourism in recent years in this otherwise desolate region. “I think these developments are both good and bad,” said Rajde.

“I think overall though it will benefit more than it will cause problems,” he said. “I tell everyone who lives here to hold onto their land, don’t sell it. In a few years, I tell them they’ll have so much business that they won’t be able to rest even at night.”


Islamabad invites Chinese enterprises to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture sector

Updated 17 July 2025
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Islamabad invites Chinese enterprises to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture sector

  • Agriculture employs nearly 38 percent of Pakistan’s workforce, contributes around 19 percent to GDP
  • China, Pakistan discuss collaborating in research, cotton production, seed development, irrigation efficiency

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain on Thursday invited Chinese enterprises to invest in the country’s agriculture sector, eyeing stronger collaboration with Beijing in irrigation technologies and modern farming techniques.

Pakistan has recently undertaken efforts to promote its agriculture sector, which include establishing a new regulatory body this week to reform the sector and bring domestic food safety standards in line with international requirements.

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economy, employing nearly 38 percent of the workforce and contributing around 19 percent to the country’s GDP. However, the sector has long faced challenges, including outdated practices, poor regulatory oversight, low export competitiveness and barriers in meeting international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards.

Hussain met a high-level Chinese delegation including Jiang Zaidong, the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, on the sidelines of the China-Pakistan Economic and Trade Exchange Conference in Islamabad.

“The Minister also underlined the importance of public-private partnerships and urged Chinese enterprises, including those from XPCC [Xinjian Production and Construction Corps] and China Xinjian Group, to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan’s agriculture and agri-business sectors,” the food security and research ministry said in a statement.

Hussain welcomed proposals for joint ventures, research exchanges and the establishment of demonstration farms and technology centers in Pakistan, the statement added.

The two sides discussed enhancing agricultural cooperation, particularly focusing on research, cotton production, seed development, irrigation efficiency and technological exchange.

The Pakistani minister highlighted the challenges Islamabad has faced in recent years, especially in cotton production, where declining yields and outdated seed varieties have created major setbacks, the ministry said.

“The Minister expressed keen interest in learning from Xinjiang’s remarkable progress in improving agricultural productivity, especially in regions with arid and semi-arid climates, which closely resemble many parts of Pakistan,” the statement said.

Zaidong reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening agricultural cooperation with Pakistan, the food security ministry said.

“He appreciated Pakistan’s proactive approach and openness to collaboration and highlighted the potential for long-term partnership in food security, technology transfer, and rural development,” the statement added.

Pakistan has undertaken a reform drive to enhance its economic sectors via the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The SIFC is a civil-military hybrid body formed in 2023 to fast-track foreign investment and economic reform in strategic sectors, including agriculture, mining, IT and defense production.

Pakistan aims to attract international investment in its key economic sectors to ward off a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has drained its resources and embroiled the country in a balance of payments crisis.


No visit by Trump to Pakistan ‘scheduled at this time’ — White House official

Updated 17 July 2025
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No visit by Trump to Pakistan ‘scheduled at this time’ — White House official

  • Trump confirmed to visit UK from Sept. 17–19 for state events hosted by King Charles
  • Speculation of Trump’s Pakistan stop emerged after reports on local TV channels

ISLAMABAD: No visit to Pakistan by US President Donald Trump has been scheduled, a White House official confirmed on Thursday, contradicting media reports in Pakistan that claimed he would arrive in the country in mid-September.

At least two Pakistani media outlets had reported that Trump was expected to visit Islamabad around September 18. The reports fueled speculation about a possible South Asia tour that could include a rare presidential trip to Pakistan.

However, Trump is already scheduled to travel to the United Kingdom from September 17 to 19, where he is expected to meet members of the royal family and participate in events hosted by Buckingham Palace, according to a previously issued statement from the palace.

Separately, Indian media have reported that Trump may also stop in New Delhi in September, though exact dates have not been confirmed by the White House.

In response to an Arab News query regarding a potential Pakistan visit, the White House said on background:

“A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time.”

Geo and ARY news channels had said earlier on Thursday that Trump was expected to visit Pakistan in September. But both later withdrew their reports.

If Trump does end up visiting Pakistan, it would be his first to Pakistan as president and the first by a US president since George W. Bush’s trip to Islamabad in 2006.

US-Pakistan relations saw a major boost when Trump hosted Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House last month in an unprecedented lunch meeting.


Pakistan signs rail project pact with Afghanistan, Uzbekistan in push for regional connectivity

Updated 17 July 2025
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Pakistan signs rail project pact with Afghanistan, Uzbekistan in push for regional connectivity

  • Agreement will launch joint feasibility study for UAP railway link connecting Central Asia to Pakistani ports
  • Pact seen as one of the first tangible outcomes of renewed engagement between Islamabad and Kabul

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday signed a framework agreement to conduct a joint feasibility study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project in Kabul, in a major push for regional connectivity with Central Asia.

The UAP Railway Project aims to establish a vital trade and transit corridor linking Uzbekistan with Pakistan via Afghanistan, offering the Central Asian republics direct access to Pakistani seaports. The rail link is expected to significantly boost regional connectivity, facilitate trade and contribute to long-term economic integration and political stability in the broader region.

For Pakistan, which seeks to position itself as a regional connectivity hub, the UAP railway is also strategically important in strengthening economic ties with Central Asia and securing stable transit through Afghanistan, a country whose internal security dynamics continue to impact broader regional development goals.

“I congratulate the people & governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan on the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link under the Uzbek–Afghan–Pak (UAP) Railway Corridor,” Dar wrote on social media platform X.

Dar described the signing of the agreement as a “major milestone” for advancing regional connectivity and economic integration, pointing out that the project would connect Central Asian countries to Pakistani seaports through Afghanistan.

He thanked the foreign minister of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan for their support in ensuring the timely signing of the framework agreement.

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed an agreement in 2017 to extend a railroad connecting the two countries that would eventually give Uzbekistan a direct link to seaports. Landlocked Uzbekistan’s access to marine shipping is very limited.

DAR MEETS AFGHAN LEADERS

Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, met his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi at the sidelines of the framework agreement signing to discuss bilateral cooperation and security.

He also met Afghan Prime Minister Muhammad Hassan Akhund to discuss trade, security and other matters between the two countries.

“The two leaders exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including peace and security, trade and transit cooperation and regional connectivity,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in an earlier statement.

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar meets Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund in Kabul on July 17, 2025, on the sidelines of the signing of the Uzbek-Afghan-Pak railway agreement. (Handout/MOFA)

Talks between the two countries’ officials took place amid a tentative thaw in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, which have been strained in recent years due to a surge in militancy in Pakistan that Islamabad blames on Afghan-based insurgent groups. Kabul denies the allegations.

Efforts to repair the fractured ties between Islamabad and Kabul gained momentum during a China-hosted trilateral dialogue in Beijing in May between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.

Islamabad and Kabul agreed in principle to send ambassadors to each other’s countries as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had announced after the summit.

The upcoming signing of the UAP railway pact, a long-discussed infrastructure project championed by all three governments, is also being seen as one of the first tangible outcomes of renewed engagement between Islamabad and Kabul.


Pakistan, EU renew GSP+ commitment, discuss counterterror cooperation, Middle East peace efforts

Updated 17 July 2025
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Pakistan, EU renew GSP+ commitment, discuss counterterror cooperation, Middle East peace efforts

  • Pakistan, EU officials hold 10th Political Dialogue in Brussels to discuss bilateral, regional issues
  • Both sides call for resumption of ceasefire in Gaza, improvement in humanitarian situation there 

ISLAMABAD: Senior officials from Islamabad and the European Union on Thursday resolved to continue their engagement under the Generalized Scheme of Preference Plus (GSP+) framework, discussing counterterror collaboration and peace efforts in Gaza, Pakistan’s foreign office said. 

Europe’s GSP+ scheme grants beneficiary countries’ exports duty-free access to the European market in exchange for voluntarily agreeing to implement 27 international core conventions, including those on human and civil rights. In October 2023, the EU unanimously voted to extend GSP+ status until 2027 for developing countries, including Pakistan.

Olof Skoog, the deputy secretary general of the European External Action Service and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch led the delegations from both sides, as they held the 10th Political Dialogue in Brussels on Thursday. 

“The two sides reiterated their resolve to continue close engagement under the GSP+ framework,” Pakistan’s foreign office said.

“They acknowledged the meaningful cooperation on various aspects of migration, aiming to hold the third Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Dialogue later in 2025.”

The statement said both sides also discussed views on regional and global issues, stressing the importance of multifaceted cooperation on security matters, including counterterrorism and counter-narcotics.

Both delegations condemned all forms of “terrorism,” the foreign office said. 

Brussels and Islamabad discussed the Ukraine conflict and the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan as well, pushing for dialogue. 

“Both sides agreed on the need for efforts based on dialogue and diplomacy in order to solve contentious issues and underscored the importance of upholding international law and the sanctity of international agreements/treaties,” it added. 

The two sides also exchanged views on the evolving situation in the Middle East, where Israel has killed over 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza in military operations since October 2023. 

“They agreed on the urgent need to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the statement said.

“Both sides called for the resumption of a ceasefire, and expressed support for initiatives that contribute to a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in Palestine in accordance with the two-state solution.”

Islamabad considers EU a vital trading partner. Pakistan has become the largest beneficiary of the GSP+ trade scheme in recent years, with its businesses increasing their exports to the EU market by 108 percent since the trade scheme was launched in 2014.


Pakistan expresses solidarity as fire at Iraq shopping center kills over 60

Updated 17 July 2025
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Pakistan expresses solidarity as fire at Iraq shopping center kills over 60

  • Iraqi officials say several remain missing after huge fire broke out at Iraq’s Kut city on Wednesday night
  • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prays for speedy recovery of injured, offers condolences to victims’ families

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed solidarity with the people and government of Iraq after a fire erupted at a shopping center in Kut city, killing more than 60 people while others remained missing.

Iraqi officials say at least 61 people have been killed and several remain missing after a huge fire broke out at a hypermarket in eastern Iraq’s Kut city on Wednesday night.

Videos on social media showed flames engulfing a five-story building in Kut overnight, where firefighters were trying to contain the fire. The mall, which had opened only a week earlier, also contained a restaurant and supermarket.

“Deeply saddened by the tragic fire in Al-Kut, Iraq, that has caused tragic loss of lives of innocent people,” the Pakistani premier wrote on social media platform X.

“My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. May the injured recover swiftly. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people of Iraq in this hour of grief.”

Iraq’s federal cabinet on Thursday announced three days of mourning over the loss of lives. The government has also launched an investigation into the incident, saying that results will be released within 48 hours.

Unregulated buildings have caused tragic fires in Iraq in the past. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in Nasiriyah killed over 60.

Subsequent investigations showed the building was fueled by a highly flammable, low-cost type of “sandwich panel” cladding illegal in Iraq.