PUL-I-KHUMRI (SW): Taliban’s control over coal mines in Baghlan province has hindered extraction that has left hundreds of miners jobless.
Shah Mahmud Faiz Zadah, the head for Minerals and Mines department has stated that with the Taliban taking control over Karkar and Dodkash coal mines, the extraction work at these two mines have stopped, and as many as 600 mineworkers have become unemployed.
Faiz Zadah noted that parts of these mines have caught fire. He warned that a huge explosion would occur if the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) did not take immediate action to reclaim Karkar and Dodkash coalmines from the Taliban.
Talking to Salam Watandar, Sakhidad, the representative for coalminers, urged the government to take immediate and decisive action to reclaim Karkar and Dodkash coalmines. It has been a month and half since the mineworkers are unemployed, Sakhidad added.
As many as 520 mineworkers and 72 security guards were employed at these two mines.
Mohammad Haqmal, the spokesperson for Baghlan governor, while acknowledging that the mineworkers are facing troubles, stated that efforts to push the Taliban back are underway. Haqmal noted that the local government and security institutions in Baghlan province are well aware of the trouble the miners are facing. He said that they have also informed the central government to take action in this regard.
This comes while two months ago, the militants abducted as many as 42 mineworkers from Karkar coalmine following a brief closure of extraction work the mine.
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