Lights out for miners in Mastung

On Thursday, October 13, we were reminded yet again of the hazards attached to the coal mining industry in Pakistan. At least five people were killed and several injured due to a gas explosion in a coal mine in Mastung district of Balochistan.

Coal mining is an extremely dangerous industry world over with the risk to the miners' lives being exponentially high. In Pakistan, as in some other countries including China and those in South America, this risky business is made even more dangerous with almost negligible safety standards for the mines and the workers.

Only in March this year, more than 40 miners were killed in a coal mine in Balochistan after a methane gas explosion. As is the standard practice, an inquiry was immediately launched to placate the high emotions at that time.However, despite passage of almost seven months, nothing has been heard about the conclusions of that inquiry.

Now once again there will be a repeat and rinse action with more inquiries, more questioning, and in all probability, more wastage of resources towards a fruitless exercise. Sadly in Pakistan, despite abundant resources available through mining, there hasn't been any attention to utilising its potential. There has been no adaption of modern techniques, which place top most priority on security of the miners and structural stability of the mines. There is a complete lack of support for men risking their lives while entering the mines. As they descend into the unknown, they don't have adequate safety gear available. Nor is there suitable equipment to haul them out of danger in case of an accident.

The traditional mining methods in use are alarmingly outdated. Wooden columns are used as supports which easily give in if there is a shift in the ground above. Most dangerously, there is inadequate ventilation in the shafts which leads to gas build-ups eventually leading to explosions. The reason why we haven't made inroads in improving the safety of the miners starts with inadequate legislation. The Mines Act of 1923 and Balochistan Mining Rules 2002 necessitate that any excavation for coal or other minerals should be done with the latest technology available. The rules also set out parameters for regular inspection of the mines by officials of the mining department.

Yet, as is the case with much good legislation, these rules do not translate off the paper, thus failing to see the light of the day. The mines in Balochistan are virtually death traps for the workers due to these risks. Since the miners belong to the low income bracket, and are in desperate need of money, they agree to work thousands of feet under ground with abysmal safety parameters.

In addition to the incompetence of the mining department, the burden of responsibility in the wake of an accident also falls in a grey area. Most of the mines are owned by the government which are then leased out to contractors on a long-term basis. The contractors illegally sub-let these mines. The sub-contractors do not have any legal binding to ensure safety standards and thus put the lives of poor workers at risk to maximise their profits.

This year has been extraordinarily deadly for Pakistani miners. Yet there still seems little movement to implement corrective and preventive measures for mining safely. The fact that contractors can get away with paying as little as 2000 Rs for a miner's death due to their negligence, and that till date no lease contract has ever been cancelled in the wake of a deadly accident, speaks volume about the seriousness of the mining regulation department.

The quickest way to ensure improvement in mining industry is to introduce heavy penalties for breach of safety protocols. These penalties then must be implemented without any concession. It is imperative that due care is taken to maximise the available potential while developing the mining industry into a lucrative, attractive one. This can only be done if priorities are realigned to develop competent policies, a capable department to oversee their implementation and above all, security and insurance of the men who risk their life in this most arduous task.

Unless the government throws its full weight behind reforming the mining industry, incidents deadlier than the Mastung one will continue to happen.

Published in Business Recorder (23 October 2011).