NILI (Pajhwok): Though central Daikundi is a newly-established province where formal survey to unearth natural reservoirs could not be carried out, however, local survey indicated copper mine existsin large amountthere.
Daikundi was once a district of Uruzgan province which was given a status of a separate province in 2003.Thegovernment had recently approved establishment of a mine department in the province.
The biggest copper mine is located in Ashterlai district, with local authorities believe the area has a large quantity of copper mines worth billionsof dollars.
According to representatives of Daikundi, the province is rich in mines including copper urging the department concerned to conduct a proper mine survey in the province. It is believed the Ashterlai district has as much copper mines as that of Ainak copper mine in Logar province.
The Ainak copper mine in Logar province is estimated at around six million tons.
Engineer Ibrahim Aadil, former minister of mine who traveled to Daikundi along with a team of foreign and Afghan experts in 2010, informed of existence of copper mine in SurkhQol area of Ashterlaidistrict.
According to him, copper mine has been discovered in Daikondi, expressing optimism that the value of the copper could be 300 billiondollars.
Once properly explored and excavated, he said people could utilize the mine for hundred years and it would help generate one billiondollarsrevenue for government.
The provincial economic department said iron, lead, ruby, marble, alabaster, stucco, coal and other precious stones could be found inMeramor andKijrandistricts and Nili, the provincial capital. However, there is no authentic information about the quantity and types of the mines yet.
aa/rm
