Coalmine cave-ins cut Bamyan revenue

BAMYAN CITY (PAN): A series of coalmine cave-ins in central Bamyan province over the past two weeks have led to a cut of 14 million afghanis ($282,429) in government’s income, officials said on Monday.

About 54 pits collapsed in the Sang-i-Kulich and Ashpashta coalmines in Kohmard district this month, suspending extraction work and affecting many workers.

Before the snowfall, daily revenue from the mines stood at about $40,347, which had fallen to $14,121, Jawad Omar, the Ministry of Mines spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said coal daily extraction had decreased from 1,950 tonnes to 500 tonnes. Statistics show the government has lost more than 14 million afghanis in revenue over the past two weeks.

Miners from Bamyan, Daikundi and Ghor provinces say they are awaiting resumption of extraction work.

Abdul Hamid, a resident of Meramor district in Daikundi who has been in the profession for the last three years, said the job was his only source of income.

Police spokesman, 1st Lt. Ahmad Ali Yarzada, said extraction work would remain on hold for another week. “As long as engineers do not assure us that the mines are safe, we will not allow anyone to extract coal.”

More than 3000 miners had been rendered jobless, with many migrating to other areas after coal extraction stopped, he said.

Ali Madad, deputy head of the coal enterprise department in the north, blamed incidents of collapse on clumsy extraction.    

mrh/ma/mud