Marble industry: In Khyber Agency, power suspension renders 10,000 jobless

Many in the agency fear the increasing unemployment will add to lawlessness and crime.

PESHAWAR:

The suspension of electricity to about 120 marble factories in Mullagori area of Jamrud sub-division, Khyber Agency has rendered at least 10,000 labourers jobless.

Locals fear the increasing joblessness could provide militants a fresh pool of recruits and drift the unemployed towards radicalism in the region.

Rehman Shah, 32, and father of three, said he and 30 others from his village worked at a marble factory, which has been dormant for the past six months because of no electricity.

“We tried to get into another business, but have had no luck so far,” Rehman said, adding his 12-year-old and nine-year-old sons have been out of school because he can no longer afford an education for them.

He visits Jamrud Bazaar in search of work but observed several others there are also suffering from unemployment. He requested the government resolve their electricity woes so that the marble factories can resume their operations.

The president of the marble factories union, Sultan Muhammad, said Mullagori is known for producing high quality marble. Previously, marble used to be taken to Karachi for cutting and polishing, but since 1985, factories have been set up here, which have increased to 120 over the years. “We started facing electricity problems back in August 2011,” he said.



We have approached officials of the Tribal Electricity Supply Company (Tesco) and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), but the issue is far from over, he added.

“Unemployment rate stands at 70 to 80% in Khyber Agency and it will not be wrong to say that the main cause in the rise of radicalism in the tribal areas is due to adverse economic conditions that have critically affected people’s livelihoods,” Muhammad claimed.

Tesco spokesperson Anwar Marwat said electricity is supplied to these areas from the Shahi Bagh grid station, but because of the heavy load of machines being operated in marble factories, transformers at the grid station cannot bear the burden; they lack the appropriate capacity.

The transformer is being repaired and the power supply will be restored shortly, he added.

Ikramullah Khan is one of the factory owners out of business because of no power.

He said some factories were being supplied electricity after their owners struggled with the authorities, but still face a voltage problem. Ikramullah also fears lawlessness in the area and claims the unemployed will have no choice but to engage in criminal activities.

Jafar Shah, a labourer out of work, said he can no longer afford his daily expenses.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2013.