Naseebullah Khan
Balochistan is home to billions of Tons of Coal deposits, where thousands of Tons are extracted daily which provides a huge revenue not only to the government but also to the private contractors. The revenue and extraction are because of the miners who endanger their lives and go thousands of feet below the earth. Despite such a hard struggle, these miners neither get reasonable wages nor safety equipment as per the international standards. In 2020, in the province, 160 miners lost their lives in the graveyards of Coal. The province is still dependent on medieval types of extraction and communication. There is no system of advanced communication for a miner to alarm the people about a danger rather the old system of alarm bell is in use where a miner pulls a small wire which informs the people on the surface of the earth. Apart from this, the province is short of advanced technology and machinery for the extraction of Coal. In the 21st century, there is no concept and use of CMR technology, longwall Coal technology, etc. The ancient rotten system of extraction is prevalent. Most incidents took place when miners go deep to thousands of feet where the presence of Coal is limited. They face a huge shortage of oxygen with an increase in Methane and Carbon Dioxide Gas (White Gas). There is no criterion for checking the level of these piousness gasses. The lack of digital detectors of gasses is a question mark on the ability of the government and the contractors. Most of the mines lack standardized Hawai for ventilation and an exit way in case of emergency. Apart from this, I visited many Coal mines where the entrance is just about 3 by 3 feet where the miners have to enter by lying down. Whilst the standard entrance should be 7 by 6 feet. How a licence is allotted to the Contractors without fulfillment of the safety measures?The miners’ act 1923 along with the payment wages act 1936 are admirable documents concerning the mining industry provided that it is implemented in true spirit. These acts have defined the power and function of the chief mining inspector, the mining inspector, the inspection of the mines, the wages, the ventilation, etc. In the midst of short of manpower, how can it be implemented as in the province there are registered 3000 Coal mines whereas less than 10 mines inspectors are performing their duties. The question is as to why until now the authorities in the federal government have not ratified international labor organization convention C176 on safety and health in mines yet? Does it not reflect that we are far from establishing the international standards of mines safety? The Coal mines in the province provide jobs to 30000 to 40000 Coal miners along with the generation of billions of rupees. The more, safety measures are adopted, the more the lives of the miners will be saved. The more new technology is adopted the more progress will be. The need of the hour is the true implementation of the miners act 1923 along with the payment wages act 1936 and the ratification of international labor organization convention C176 on safety and health in mines.
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