TALUQSN (SW) – Amid crippling poverty, illegal and non-standard gold mining in Takhar, which is mostly known as Zarshui, kills and injures workers every now and then.
Mohammad Zahir, the brother of “Bazar”, one of the gold miners who died a while ago due to the collapse of a gold mine in Dasht Qala district of Takhar, says that poverty forced his brother to work in the mine. He added: “My brother had a wife and three children. His was living separate from my father. If he had something to eat, he would never enter the gold mine tunnel and work. Because of his poverty, he worked as a goldsmith in order to earn bread for his children.”
After Bazar’s death, the responsibility of his wife’s and children’s needs fell on his father’s shoulders, and Mohammad Zaher also started working in one of the gold mines in Takhar due to lack of income.
Amir Mohammad, one of the workers in the gold mine in Rostaq district of Takhar, who starts work early in the morning and returns home late at night, says that he is afraid of losing his life every moment when he enters the mine tunnel. But poverty has forced him to give in to this work.
Amir Mohammad adds that he has migrated to Iran several times to work due to lack of money. “One of my brothers was deported from Türkiye and returned. Due to necessity, we have to work even if we lose our lives. I have no choice but to do this to support my family.”
At the same time, Abdul Naser Haqqani, the head of Takhar mines, says that in the past year, letters have been sent to the districts of this province to stop the illegal mining of gold mines. But the residents of Takhar still continue to extract it illegally. He adds that in the last five months, 30 workers in this province have died due to the collapse of gold mines.
The head of Takhar mines told Salam Watandar: “75 to 80 companies that won the contract and obtained licenses from the Ministry of Mines are working professionally and legally in gold mines in Takhar.”
According to the statistics of the local authorities of Takhar, at least 100 workers died due to the unprofessional digging of gold mines in this province last year.
ENDS
