CONSIDERING that countless coal miners never return from what can aptly be termed as black holes in the earth, the rescue of the three who did is nothing short of a miracle. It took four teams of the provincial mining department five days to extricate the miners who were trapped 400m below the surface of the earth in a mine in Balochistan’s Harnai district. The accumulation of methane gas in the mine had led to an explosion on March 22, closing off the only exit for the six people working there. Three of the men were rescued within 24 hours while the rest remained trapped. Sadly, such accidents have become a regular occurrence in the coal-mining industry, with more than 70pc of mines being operated illegally by private contractors, who are least concerned about safety features, such as emergency exits, for the miners. According to news reports, a similar accident had claimed several lives in 2019, for which the mine owner was tried in court. However, he was acquitted and apparently resumed his operations.

In this case, the provincial mining department’s truly heroic efforts to save the miners must be lauded. But what is the government doing to regulate the mining sector and hold negligent mine owners accountable, especially for the lives lost under their watch? Just a fortnight or so ago, three coal miners died in the same fashion in Quetta’s Sorange coalfield. According to officials of the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation, more than 440 miners have perished in Balochistan alone over the past few years. The HRCP, too, last year expressed serious concerns about the inhumane conditions prevalent in coal mines in Balochistan and the continued exploitation of the hapless workers. In this regard, Sindh’s decision to provide complete health coverage for men working in coal mines in Lakhra and Jhimpir is encouraging and an example for other provinces to follow. The Balochistan authorities especially should punish irresponsible mine owners and regularise and modernise the mining sector to make it safer for the workers.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2022