By Bashart
KABUL (Pajhwok): Located 30 kilometres to the west of Kabul province, it is reported that the central Maidan Wardak has around 53 known sites of natural resources.
These sites have been identified with the help of locals followed by surveys by the geological department, reports said.
1. Chromites mines:
The Narkh district of Maidan Wardak has large scale chromites mines, which are located in Badam Surkh Baidak, Narkh Loy-e-Abdari and Depak.
In addition, the titmour reservoirs exist in Maidan Shahr, Haft Aseb in Sayyed Aabad, Nurayu in Behsud, Tangi Chalpigam and the Dost Qul are other chromites reserves in other parts of the province.
2. Marble mines:
In addition, the province is rich in marbles reservoirs. The marble mines are located in the Qul Sulaiman, Kharoto, Dosti Qul Behsud Hisa-i-Awal, Kamran Khail, Mangal Khail, Abdara, Speen Warsak and Dasht areas.
3. Alabaster mines:
The Alabaster mines exist in the eastern part of the province specifically in Samoch and Surkh Abad areas of Behsud Hes-e-Dom’s district.
4. The Shah Maqsood stones’ mines:
The Shah Maqsood precious stones mines are said to be located in areas on Maidan-Bamyan highway in Behsud Hisa-e-Awal.
Official survey of the mine could not be conducted so far to unearth the volume of natural reservoirs.
5. Abrak mine:
The Takani area in Jalrez district has large scale mines of Abrak. The Abrak stones’ mine is said to be existed in the northwestern part of the province close to Maidan Bamyan highway.
6. Ruby mines:
The ruby mine is situated in Shah Kabul area on the outskirts of Maidan Shahar, the provincial capital.
The mine is known burn ruby of Shah Kabul but its volume could not be identified so far.
7- Turquoise mine:
The turquoise mine is situated in Andar area of Narkh district to the west of Maidan Shahar on Kabul-Kandahar Highway.
However, the volume of the reservoirs could not be ascertained officially so far.
8- Emerald mine:
The emerald mine is located in Badam mountainous area of Narkh district on Kabul-Kandahar Highway.
The volume of the emerald neither identified nor tested in terms of its quality. The Badam region is a long mountainous range in the district.
9- Stucco mines:
The stucco mine is said to be situated in Folad-e-Bala and Folad-e-Payeen areas of Dyamir Dad localities and other parts of Behsud Hisa-e-Awal and Hisa-e-Doim districts.
10- Luminous stones:
The Kamran Khail area of Sayyed Abad district to the south of Maidan Shahar has large scale resources of luminous stones. However, the volume of the natural reservoir is yet to be identified.
It merits mention that the Sayyed Abad district is situated on the Kabul-Kandahar Highway.
11- Construction stones mine:
The mines of stones used for construction purposes could be found on the outskirts of Maidan Shahar.
Local groups’ use the stones in Maidan Wardak for construction purposes but they also export the stones without government authorization to other parts of the country where it is used for construction purposes.
The stones of Maidan Wardak have tested and found of highest quality and preferred to use in construction of buildings elsewhere in the country.
12- Iron mines:
The iron mines is said to be existed in the Darash mountain of Behsud His-e-Doyam district of the province.
In addition, the Mangsak locality of the province also has large scale iron reservoirs.
13- Copper mines:
The copper mine is situated in the Mangsak area of Maidan Wardak. However, the exact site of the mine in the locality is yet to be identified. Detailed information is not available on the mine.
14- Alkali mine:
A large scale mine of alkali exists in Titmour area of Narkh, Dar Pakmatit locality of Behsud His-e-Awal and Elaq area of Hisa-e-Doyam of the district.
However, a total volume of the reservoirs is yet to be identified.
15- Coal mines:
Coal reservoirs are abundant in Kamarkak area of Behsud His-e-Doyam district located to the east of Maidan Shahar.
16- Quartz mines:
The quartz mine is situated in Biksmand area of Chak district situated to the south of the provincial capital.
As usual, due to technical expertise, security and financial constraints barred efforts to know about the volume of the coal reservoirs there.
17- Lime mine:
The far-flung areas of Diamer Dad district of the province is rich in lime mine. In addition, natural resources of pegmatite, plumbum and precious and semi precious stones are found in areas of Behsud His-e-Awal and Hisa-e-Doyam districts.
However, more information on these mines is available in the 2013 executive report of Maidan Wardak province. Earlier, the report has been published by the governor office.
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