September 23, 2024
By Dauran Baloch
DUKI
Duki, a mineral-rich region in Balochistan, is home to one of Asia’s largest coal reserves. Every year, 18,000 tonnes of coal are extracted from this area. Despite the region’s immense natural wealth, workers here face deadly risks daily. In the past year alone, 18 workers have tragically lost their lives due to various accidents.
Sabir Shah, Inspector Mines, told Voicepk.net that dozens of accidents occur every year, primarily due to negligence on part of mine managers, contractors, and workers, who fail to adhere to the safety protocols (SOPs) provided by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) – “Accidents are also caused by the release of gases like methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide inside the coalmines, leading to the immediate death of workers due to toxic gas exposure”.
Over the past 12 months, there have been 12 accidents, including roof collapses and methane gas incidents, he says. “These accidents have claimed the lives of 18 individuals, while eight injured workers were rescued safely.”
He further adds that the coal sector in Duki generates annual revenue of Rs1.5 billion, but despite this substantial sum, workers are neither provided with safety training nor essential equipment. As a result, “their difficulties continue to escalate, and accidents occur with increasing frequency”.
Zahid, a coalminer from Shangla working in Swat, told Voicepk.net that the conditions inside the coalmines are extremely perilous – “We lose our loved ones to coal mine collapses every other day. The root cause of these accidents is the lack of safety equipment. We work using only cloth caps and small hand-held torches, which are insufficient for our protection.”
Besides, he said, many workers are untrained, which, combined with the government’s negligence in safety protocols, results in fatal accidents.
Sometimes, he feels like quitting this job, but “financial constraints in running my household force me to keep going.”
Duki’s active coalmines produce 5,000 tonnes of coal daily, sold at a rate of Rs32,000 per tonne. Despite this, workers’ safety is ignored. The Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) provides neither ambulances nor adequate first aid.
Allah Noor Nasir, senior journalist, said that workers from both within the country and Afghanistan come to work in Duki’s coalmines. “Though billions in tax revenue is collected from Duki, no ambulance service or hospital has been established for the injured workers to receive proper medical care.”
He added that he has personally witnessed the bodies of deceased workers being transported on the roofs of wagons and pickup trucks.”
Amber Khan, President of the National Workers Federation, told Voicepk.net that one cause of accidents in coalmining is the breaking of ropes, which makes it difficult for workers to survive falls from thousands of feet. “PMDC and mine contractors should ensure the daily inspection of ropes, safety equipment, and tools, and workers should be provided with standard safety gear. Effective implementation of the ILO’s Act 1923 and Convention 176 is necessary to prevent accidents.”
The labourers working in Duki’s coalmines deserve immediate and effective action from the government to ensure their safety – to continue their mining operations in a safe and dignified manner.