MUZAFFARABAD – Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) mostly dependent on tourism andlabour is blessed with huge natural treasures worth billions of rupees andif exploited on modern lines could change the socioeconomic status ofapproximately four million inhabitants of the region.
“The significant deposits of matchless quality of gem stones like ruby,sapphire, green tourmaline, aquamarine and zircon only this region possesbut unfortunately no due investment ever been made by the quartersconcerned to utilize this wealth for human well-being,” Director Geologicalof Survey of Pakistan AJK Saeed Akhtar said.
He said besides this, there are proven reserves of billions of tons ofindustrial stones like graphite, Mica, Quartz, Bentonite, Limonite andMarble Stof high quality in different areas.By unearthing these reservoirs, the government can earn billions of rupeesrevenue besides creating thousands of jobs through establishment of alliedindustry like cutting, polishing of gem stones, cement industry andgraphite based industries, he claimed.
Gem stones found in upper Neelum Valley and rarely in Leepa Valley as well,ruby (aquamarine)are comparatively more precious than the diamond being used in the worldbut more resources are required for their mass exploration and bring themin the international market.Akhtar said old and obsolete way of exploiting these resources by usingdynamites is affecting their quality besides their loss and only modern andsophisticated techniques are a solution to excavate this treasure with fullpotential and quality assurance.
Mining of Ruby is currently underway at two sites namely Chitta Katha andNungi Mali in upper Neelum Valley by Azad Kashmir Mineral IndustrialDevelopment Corporation (AKMIDC). A private firm, he said , is alsoinvolved but both are yielding nothing productive due to outdated equipmentand obsolete techniques to bring out this buried treasure.
“Besides gem stones their exist huge reserves of industrial stones likeGraphite, Mica and Quartz which are used in making sophisticatedequipments, electric plugs, iron and lenses of telescopes.” he informed.
The third major mineral potential of the region is building stones (marbleand Granite) used as finishing tiles in the buildings, still to beuncovered for region’s betterment.“The cost of quality construction is too high in AJK because majority ofthe construction material is transported from far flung areas of Pakistanand if this industry is revolutionized it can bring a significant change inthe socioeconomic well-being of the people here,” he remarked.
Akhtar also suggested AJK government to establish a cement factory toutilize trillions of natural reserves associated with the cement industryavailable at Kamsar near Muzaffarabad.“Geological Survey of Pakistan’s assistance in this regard, if sought,could be of paramount importance”, he suggested AJK government.The AJK government does not have sufficient financial resources to buy newmachinery or to build more mines, AKMIDC Managing Director Chaudhary ZahidHussain regretted.
He feared the corporation is shrinking due to dearth of economic resourcesand only 45 employees are on its strength for a gigantic task.“Exploration Promotion Department should be established within thegovernment for auction of the minerals besides setting up a regulatoryauthority to attract private investment in this sector,” Hussain proposed.
The AKMIDC has just one mine and one exploration site, where miners dig toassess the potential of the ruby. But the region has proven reserves ofmore than 50 million grams of rubies, and inferred resources of nearly 60million grams, a senior Geologist Khawaja Owais Ahmad, an official of theorganization, said.“Our job is to explore and discover not to exploit the mineral resourcesafter the enforcement of new mineral policy,” he said.He said the biggest hurdle to bring this wealth to the market is poor roadinfrastructure and the improvement of which must be prime focus of thegovernment.
He also regretted that there is no regulatory body in AJK after thedevolution of powers from federal to local authorities to attract privateinvestment in this sector despite a huge potential.
“We have discovered a new site at Khoirata in Kotli district havingmillions of tons deposits of Pozolana stone (natural cement) from where,the government can earn four to five billion rupees profit through auctionof the site,” Khawaja said.More other sites like Khandi Gali, Donga Nar and Janwali have been proposedfor digging where precious and semi precious stones are found while tracesof gold have also been found at Bujan Wali in Grace union council of NeelumValley, he claimed.
Apart from gem stones, industrial and marble stones, oil and gas reservoirshave also been reported from Bhimber district and Dudyal area of Kotlidistrict which are confirmed by Marri Gas company, Oil and Gas DevelopmentCompany Limited and Pakistan Petroleum limited.
Indicating towards poor road infrastructure in far-flung areas where thesesites are located, Khawaja said by improving only 25 kilometer road inShounter in upper Neelum Valley, millions of tons snow white marble as goodas of Ziarat in Balochistan can be extracted and the cost of the road couldbe recovered within five years. – APP