Marble City, located at the Regional Corporation for Development Highway 15 kilometres away from Karachi Northern Bypass and seven kilometres away from Hub Industrial Trading Estate in Lasbella, was inaugurated two years ago and is now struggling to overcome its problems so that it can provide an avenue for investment and employment in this deprived area.
So far, it has provided employment to 15,000 to 20,000 people directly and 25,000 to 30,000 people indirectly in the area. We had been planning to involve locals in industrialisation to provide them a new way out towards prosperity and self-reliance,said Nisar Ahmed Bezenjo, Director, Marble City. According to him, this is the first time the local people of Balochistan have been involved practically in the industrial process once locals come in to the marble sector, they automatically consider exploring other sectors, too, said Bezenjo.
The project was brought about to facilitate investors exploiting marble and other minerals found in Balochistan. It was inaugurated in mid 2006 by former President General Pervez Musharraf, who pledged to investors to provide all possible facilities to make the project successful. However, it is told that these pledges have not been fulfilled. Development has slowed down, despite an abundance of attractive investment opportunities.
Hafeezullah, Managing Director, Ghantoot Marble, runs an industry in Marble City. He said that most of the labourers in Marble City are from Swabi, North-West Frontier Province, and are truly instrumental in the industrial progress. However, he said, these days the output from the marble industry is low because of low extraction of raw marble from mines and pointed out that due to rain, mud in the mines restricts vehicles. In addition, the housing sector is under severe pressure with the rising cost of construction.
The marble industry, which is directly linked with housing and construction, is also affected with these developments, added Hafeezullah. According to another marble industry owner in Marble City, the absence of basic facilities is another problem. We are not in dire need of natural gas or water through pipelines, but the absence of basic facilities is one of the many problems that should be eased to attract further investment in this industrial area, he said.
Balochistan is full of natural resources, but much of these have not been explored. Most of the raw material is lost in the mining process, and so far, there is no way to cut down the cost. Mines and minerals in Balochistan are the future of Pakistan, Nisar Ahmed Bezenjo firmly stated.
There are over 100 industries in Marble City. At present, about 30 industries are running. The remaining 40 are in their initial stages of construction, and may be operational in a few months. Out of a total of 600 acres of land in Marble City, only 250 acres have been used. The rest will be developed to set up more industries. Currently, there are 350 industrial plots measuring 10,000 square meters each, and 164 commercial plots measuring 100 square meters each.
To expand the city, we have allotted Rs20 million to add more land, explained Bezenjo, who feels that the overall law and order situation in Hub is better than in other parts of country. In Pakistan, the average production of the majority of mines is 10 tons per day, but according to the website of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, mine owners and mining experts do not know the reserves and topography of the mine or chemical or geological analysis of the stone therein.
The mining industry in Pakistan still uses primitive techniques, such as uneven dynamite blasting. The majority of the basic machinery and equipment required, like compressors, drill sets and lifters, is not available. This not only leads to colossal waste, but also to a low production level. The processing industry for dimensional stones in Pakistan developed in the late sixties. In mid seventies, plants were imported from Ital, although these were second-generation machines that were barely good enough to cut slabs and tiles at high speed.
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