World production of dimension stone comprising of marble, granite, slate, limestone and sandstone is about 70 million tons. India’s share in it is 25 per cent.

It exports around two million tons of dimension stones and ranks amongst the top five countries in marble export. Others are Italy, China, Spain and Greece.

Pakistan’s share in dimension stone market is a meager $5 million in world trade turnover of $6,500 million. Pakistan now produces about 0.5 million tons of dimension stones annually but mostly in the shape of undersized and odd shaped boulders. Although the quantity of export has increased in recent years, the value of export has not substantially increased. Table-1

Pakistan’s dimension stone deposit is over 1000 million tons. It has at least 100 shades/colours of marble. Onyx, a rare marble in the world, is abundant in Chagai district of Balochistan. Dark green onyx in commercial quantity is found only in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Brazil. The Afghan onyx deposit is located in area adjacent to Chagai district of Balochistan. Afghan onyx can be marketed only through Pakistan otherwise Afghanistan will have to construct roads through desert, which is expensive, uneconomical and difficult.

Marble similar to wood found in Balochistan and locally known as Burmateak is also very rare in the world. Onyx is found only in Balochistan but marble is found in the northern NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan. It is mostly exported in raw shape. Smaller sized onyx boulders are used for handicrafts.

The American Society of Testing and Material (ASTM) has defined marble as a crystalline rock containing one or more of the following minerals: calcite, dolomite, or serpentine and capable of taking a polish. It should be free of spells, cracks, open seams, pits, or other defects that would impair its strength, durability or appearance.

Dimension limestone has been defined by the ASTM as stone that is sawed, cut, split, or otherwise finished or shaped.

There had been an extensive use of sandstone and unpolished limestone in Pakistan before the advent of cement mortar. Some of our historical buildings are made of sandstone and limestone. It is regrettable that coloured sandstone and limestone are no more utilized as building stones in Pakistan now when sawing facilities are available and coloured limestone and sandstone can be sawed to the required sizes. There is extensive potential of use of sawed blocks and slabs of sandstone and limestone in local and export market.

God has awarded Pakistan not only with large deposits but also with some of the best quality marble, onyx, dimension limestone and granite deposits. But the stone industry has failed to exploit the real potential. Inspite of the size of marble and granite deposits and diversity of colours, Pakistan has lowest ranking in world market of marble.

Non-conformity with international benchmarks: Dimension stones in Pakistan are mostly produced as odd shaped boulders. Explosives are extensively used. Wastage ranges between 30-70 per cent. Stones weighing more than 2 tons are termed as block in Pakistan, while in world scenario stones weighing less than 6 tons are boulders. Blocks in international market are generally 10 tons and over in weight. The shape of stone produced in Pakistan is very irregular and odd, while international markets require stones in rectangular shape. Look at the rise in prices, which results from increase in size of marble blocks and rectangular shape. Table-2

Prices of raw Pakistani blocks (weighing 3 to 5 tons) in Karachi. Table-3

Non-availability of testing facilities: There is no testing facility available in Pakistan. People dealing with marble are unaware of terminology like abrasion resistance, water absorption, modulus of rupture and compressive strength of marble.

Primitive outdated mining method has taken its toll. The method comprises of drilling holes in the bed-rocks that are filled with explosives to blast the rock. This results not only in a high percentage of waste, but also in smaller stone size which substantially reduces the price. The mining method could not be improved in Pakistan because of the absence of basic infrastructures as roads, electricity, and water at the mining sites mostly located in remote areas.

Political consideration: Tribal people, who were awarded mining leases purely on political consideration, own majority of the mines in NWFP. It is impossible for the investors in the private sector even if they could succeed in getting a mining lease to carry out the quarrying work for fear of safety.

Let us look at the rise in prices of finished tiles that result from increase in size, precision and quality of finishing: Table-4

Marble market of Pakistan has the bad reputation of delays between orders and delivery, unreliable supply and low quality. The stakeholders in marble industry are:

The government: Loosing its income and wasting its deposit of marble and other dimension stones.

The mine owners: Just surviving with the marginal income.

The processors: Not getting stone in good quality and in proper shape. They are further spoiling the stones with poor quality gang saws.

The marketers: No knowledge of the origin of deposit and the quality criteria as required in international market.

The miners: Just surviving with the lowest income and with primitive mining techniques.

The mining engineers: Not yet been allowed to play their role in improving the mining techniques.

Suggestions: The government should form a committee of experts from among stakeholders. This committee should survey all the existing marble and granite mines and processing units to identify common needs, problems generally faced by entrepreneurs, assistance required by them in various fields like technology, consultancy, marketing, human resource development, etc.

Marble parks should be developed at suitable locations with electricity, water and handling facilities. The government should establish infrastructures like roads, electricity, and water supply at major mining sites, and develop a pool of mining equipments to be rented to the desiring mine owners.

The committee of experts should form the guidelines for the miners and processors, organize a skill and technology up-gradation programme for the benefit of mines managers and prepare and distribute guidebooks for proper mining.

A detailed survey of the artisans and a meeting with these artisans is required to be held to discuss methods for upgrading the skills of artisans and improving their productivity. The government should also establish basic quality testing facility at the marble parks.

The provincial directorate of mineral development awards mining leases of marble and granite without ensuring that allottees have the financial capacity of exploiting the deposit on scientific grounds. The directorate accepts the financial strength of the allottees as they are submitted to the authorities. It never ensures that the technical capability of the allottees is enough for scientific extraction of marble.

The directorate should guide the allottees in mining of marble in sizes acceptable to the international market. The royalty on marble may be reduced till such period that production of stones picks up. The mine owners should invest on mining equipments with the ultimate motives of producing stones according to the requirement of international market. They should employ qualified mining engineers for the exploitation of stones.

The Export Promotion Bureau should provide complete knowledge to marble/granite mine-owners/processors regarding international market requirement of shape and quality of dimension stones, and organize study tour of industrialists to Italy and other developed countries dealing with dimension stones.

Marble processors in Pakistan should import and install modern gang saws, which can cut marble with precision and increased productivity. The day all stakeholders start playing their desired roles, Pakistan’s marble industry would start demonstrating its true potential as major revenue generator for the national exchequer.