PESHAWAR: The government of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has approved the establishment of a model coal mine at Dara Adamkhel, a rugged town in Khyber district, said a top official of the mineral department on Saturday.
The project will also involve the construction of service roads to the mining area and training of workers to ensure “risk-free and scientific extraction” of coal.
Mineworkers head for work in Orakzai tribal district on July 31, 2019. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) approves the establishment of model coalmine at Dara Adam Khel, a rugged town in the newly-merged Khyber district, leading to the construction of service roads to mining areas, training of mining workers to ensure risk-free and scientific extraction, a top official said. (Photo courtesy KP mineral department)
“We have included the new mines and minerals policy in the Annual Development Program (ADP) which will be approved by the KP assembly in the next four to six months,” Secretary Mineral Development Nazar Hussain Shah told Arab News. “That is also the time when we will initiate work on the establishment of the model coalmine in Dara Adamkhel.”
He added that the provincial administration would also take another initiative, worth Rs. 500 million, to develop and build a major cluster of roads to ensure easy access between the mine and mineral markets.
Shah recalled that KP’s Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had approved the development of the model coal mine on Friday, instructing everyone to take precautionary measures in the mines to avoid incidents that were taking workers’ lives.
According to the deputy director mineral concession, Shahadat Khan, about seven to eight miners died annually, mostly because they lack knowledge of mineral extraction and take little precautionary measures.
A senior official (right) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) mineral department poses for a photo with a mine worker in Orakzai tribal district on July 30, 2019. (Photo courtesy KP mineral department)
“We have 474 mines in different parts of the province where 5,000 poorly trained and ill-equipped workers extract minerals,” he added.
Sharing the details of Friday’s meeting, Shah informed that the chief minister had also expressed satisfaction over measures to control illegal mining in the province.
“The establishment of the model coalmine will serve as a training institute,” Shah continued. “It will lead to the extraction of minerals in a sophisticated way, maintain international standards and train workers to use modern equipment while performing their job.”
The chief minister, he said, had directed to adopt effective measures to maximize revenue from the mining sector and create greater incentives to entice national and international investors.
Shah recalled that the province had generated a revenue of Rs. 2.1 billion from mining activity last year, adding that the administration was optimistic to secure Rs. 4 billion during this fiscal year.
He also added that preferential treatment and maximum incentives would be offered to miners and local and multinational investors.
“Modern technology will be introduced to produce material in finished rather than raw shape. This will also benefit the national economy,” Shah said.
