Lives of miners at risk as government turns a blind eye to safety violations

Despite regular training conducted by the mineral dept, safety rules are rarely enforced.


Muhammad Sadaqat February 05, 2012

ABBOTABAD:


Lives of hundreds of mine workers is at risk as the mineral department and contractors have failed to ensure mandatory occupational safety in mines in Abbottabad district, The Express Tribune observed on Sunday.


According to an estimate, over 5000 workers are engaged in extracting minerals like gypsum, talc, chromite, coal and phosphate from mines in Hazara division. But almost all the mines lack safety measures which are mandated by labour laws.

Mine owners are supposed to provide safety equipment like gloves, hats, goggles and uniform to every miner before they enter a mine, said Zahoorul Haq, a labour leader. Miners are required to enter coalmines with oxygen masks. “Labour laws do not permit owners to engage workers without ensuring occupational safety.

However, owing to lack of proper safety measures mine-related accidents are common in phosphate mines. Last year, six casualties were reported in the district. The death of 11 miners in Batkinala Tarnawai village last week was proof of violation of law by officials and lease owners.

Nine workers and two contractors were having lunch on the mouth of an illegally developed phosphate mine, when a heavy mass of rock collapsed on them. Their bodies, recovered after an effort of 50 hours, were beyond recognition.

Villagers and police said the mine was developed unscientifically which caused the accident. There are only 10 to 15 legally developed phosphate mines in the Tarnawai range while over 50 were made illegally in connivance with mineral department officials who demand Rs500 per ton.

Contractors pay Rs3000 to the police for each truckload at check posts for allowing us to take minerals to our warehouses for transportation to Haripur, said a miner.

For legalising illegally excavated rock phosphate, private lease owners of other mines issue a receipt of royalty for Rs300 and then the rock is taken to Haripur, where fertilizer factories purchase raw material for Rs2500 to Rs3500 per ton.

Sources said 1235 acres given on lease by the mineral department and 80% contractors are involved in illegal excavation. Illegal mines are not inspected by officials. 50 truckloads of rock phosphate is transported from the mines every day and each truck carries 20 tons, out of which 70% of the consignment is illegal, said Sher Bandi Khan, president Mine Workers’ Association.

The mineral department routinely trains mine workers but safety measures are rarely applied. Under the law, a mines inspector is supposed to visit mines every month to check whether safety rules are being applied and if mines were developed in the prescribed way, said an informed source requesting anonymity.

The mines were discovered by a British company in 1974 and were under the control of Sarhad Development Authority till 2002. The mineral department auctions the leases annually. A 3600% increase in lease charges by the government has encouraged illegal excavation, said Khan. Illegal excavation is causing a loss of millions to the national exchequer and exposing hundreds of mine workers to danger. He said that the minister was awarding contracts to favourites while applications of dozens of contractors were pending since 2007.

When approached for comments, Inspector Mines Irfanullah rejected the allegation that officials of his department were involved in supporting illegal extraction. He accused the police of non-cooperation and said over 10 criminal cases of assault on his staff by illegal excavators were pending with the police. “Whenever they tried to stop illegally mining phosphate, they were attacked.

After District Coordination Officer Abbottabad banned illegal mining in the limits of Abbottabad district last Sunday, several vehicles carrying phosphate and gypsum were impounded by the police.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.

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