Need Stressed To Unearth AJK's Treasure Trove For People's Socioeconomic Uplift My M Farooq Khan

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Aug, 2018 ) :The Azad Jammu and Kashmir mostly dependent on tourism and labour force is blessed with huge mineral and gems treasure worth billions of rupees which was required to be excavated on modern lines to uplift the socioeconomic status of approximately 4 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 posses but unfortunately no due investment ever been made by the concerned quarters to utilize this wealth for human wellbeing", said Saeed Akhtar, Director Geological Survey of Pakistan AJK.

He said besides this, there are proven reserves of billions of tons of industrial stones like graphite, Mica, Quartz, Bentonite, Limonite and Marble stof high quality in different areas.

By unearthing these reservoirs, government can earn billions of rupees revenue besides creating thousands of jobs through establishment of allied industry like cutting, polishing of gem stones, cement industry and graphite based industries, Akhtar 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 world but more resources were required for their mass exploration and bring them in the international market.

Akhtar said old and obsolete way of exploiting these resources by using dynamites was affecting their quality besides their loss and only modern and sophisticated techniques were a solution to excavate this treasure with full potential and quality assurance.

Mining of Ruby was currently underway at two sites namely Chitta Katha and Nungi Mali in upper Neelum valley by Azad Kashmir Mineral Industrial Development Corporation (AKMIDC. A private firm, he said , was also involved but both were yielding nothing productive due to outdated equipment and obsolete techniques to bring out this buried reasure.

"Besides gem stones their exist huge reserves of industrial stones like Graphite, Mica and Quartz which are used in making sophisticated equipments, electric plugs, iron and lenses of telescopes." Akhtar informed.

The third major mineral potential of the region is building stones (marble and Granite) used as finishing tiles in the buildings, still to be uncovered for region's betterment.

"The cost of quality construction is too high in AJK because majority of the construction material is transported from far flung areas of Pakistan and if this industry is revolutionized it could bring a significant change in the soci-economic wellbeing of the people here, "he remarked.

Saeed also suggested AJK government to establish a cement factory to utilize trillions of natural reserves associated with the cement industry available at Kamsar near Muzaffarabad.

"Geological Survey of Pakistan's (GSP) assistance in this regard, if sought, could be of paramount importance", Akhtar suggested AJK government.

AKMIDC has just one mine and one exploration site, where miners dig to assess the potential of the ruby. But the region has proven reserves of more than 50 million grams of rubies, and inferred resources of nearly 60 million grams, said Khawaja Owais Ahmad, a senior geologist working in the organization.

The AJK government does not have sufficient financial resources to buy new machinery or to build more mines, Chaudhary Zahid Hussain, Managing Director of the Azad Kashmir Mine and Industry Development corporation [AKMIDC] regretted, Hussain feared the corporation was shrinking due to dearth of economic resources and only 45 employees were on its strength for a gignatic task.

"Our job is to explore and discover not to exploit the mineral resources after the enforcement of new Mineral policy," Khawaja Owais an official of the organization said.

He said the biggest hurdle to bring this wealth to the market was poor road infrastucture and the improvement of which must be prime focus of the government.

He also regretted that there was no regulatory body in Azad Jammu and Kashmir after the devolution of powers from Federal to local authorities to attract private investment in this sector despite a huge potential.

"Exploration Promotion Department should be established within the government for auction of the minerals besides setting up a regulatory authority to attract private investment in this sector," Hussain proposed.

"We have discovered a new site at Khoirata in Kotli district having millions of tons deposits of Pozolana stone (natural cement) from where, the government can earn 4 to 5 billion rupees profit through auction of the site," Owais Khawaja, senior geologist of AKMIDC.

More other sites like Khandi Gali, Donga Nar and Janwali have been proposed for digging where precious and semi precious stones were found while traces of gold have also been found at Bujan Wali in Grace union council of Neelum Valley, Khawaja claimed.

Apart from gem stones, industrial and marble stones, oil and gas reservoirs have also been reported from Bhimber district and Dudyal area of Kotli district which were confirmed by Marri Gas company, Oil & gas development company (OGDCL) and Pakistan Petroleum limited.

Indicating towards poor road infrastructure in far-flung areas where these sites are located, Khawaja said by improving only 25 kilometer road in Shounter in upper Neelum Valley,millions of tons snow white marble as good as of Ziarat in Balochistan can be extracted and the cost of the road could be recovered within five years. Khawaja claimed.