Trapped in Tight Coal Mines

Tahira Khan

Loralai: Muhammad Zubair, a 16-year-old resident of Loralai, is employed in one of the coal mines in Duki, a renowned coal mining region in Balochistan province, Pakistan.

Zubair, once an ambitious school-going boy with lofty aspirations for the future, faced a tragic turn of events when a calamity befell his family on an unfortunate day. The loss of his father’s presence forced him into the laborious realm of coal mining.

“I was used to playing in the streets and nearby football fields when my father was alive,” young Zubair recalls his days of playing in the streets and football grounds. His life took a drastic turn when his father died in a road accident.

This irreparable tragedy compelled him to join his elder brother in working in the coal mines, he revealed in his interview with The Pen PK.

“I struggle to sleep under the burden of heavy labor and persistent body pains that afflict me. Despite a dislocated shoulder, I find myself unable to break free from this grueling work,” Zubair shared, unveiling his ongoing ordeal.

He laments the unfortunate reality that children are engaged in the tunnelling process within coal mines, navigating deep, muddy, and dimly lit wells.

The presence of drilling equipment, explosives, dark environments, poisonous air, and radiation has contributed to heightened levels of anxiety and depression among these young coal miners, according to his observations. “I frequently dreamt of being stuck in those confined spaces, unable to run,” the young labourer further adds.

Dr Nabidad Bugti, Medical Officer at Mach Central Jail, says that mining activity adversely affects both the physical and mental well-being of individuals, particularly posing significant risks to underage children for various reasons.

Firstly, these children engage in work schedules that often take them far away from their homes. Secondly, the inherently stressful nature of mining, coupled with aggressive employers, can lead to the development of different diseases and disabilities.

In terms of physical health, Dr Nabi says, mining can result in various respiratory issues such as asthma, tuberculosis, and silicosis, as well as cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, muscle deformities, and heart attacks. On the mental health front, mining may contribute to conditions such as depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue.

Dr Nabi also confirmed that child coal miners work in small and narrow tunnels called “Kharchath,” which other adult employers could not go through.

He remarked that child miners work deep underground tunnels as wide as their fragile bodies in search of coal. Regrettably, poverty has made these miners drag coal lauds more than their weight or more than what they can do for their families.

They sit in the tunnels for many days, pounding and searching for gravel, creating a suffocating and toxic atmosphere that damages their mental and physical health, Dr Nabidad explained.

Perhaps Zubair is one of those children who are exposed to the psychological trauma of hazardous environments infested with high temperatures, heavy metals, poisonous gases, and suffocation, along with physical injuries.

Zubair’s narrative unfolds in this precarious environment, entwined with the stories of his cousin, Muhammad Idrees, and his elder brother.

“As far as my case is concerned, I work in those mines out of unemployment. I wish I could have gotten enough education and worked in an office,” told Muhammad Idrees, a cousin of Zubair and also working in the same coal mine.

This province has six major coal mines. In all these fields, children could be seen working with coal dust and without protective kits, further generating respiratory and chest infections, according to Idrees.

What is more alarming is that children work both during the excavation and transportation processes, the nine worker added.

In the same vein, Idrees remarked that child labourers involved in mines do not use protective kits during the digging stage.

Maryum Aman, a journalist with a comprehensive work experience on human rights issues, lamented the fact that child miners are far from the public eye and therefore exposed to physical, social, and psychological dangers.

Aman said that these children of dangers are not present in other forms of child labor. Moreover, the surrounding areas of coal mines are usually devoid of schools, and even the facility of potable water is non-existent.

The mining environment leads child workers to develop suffering experiences and health issues. In some cases, serious disabilities appear a year later, Aman added.

Thus, it can be said without that involving children in mining work is the worst kind of child abuse happening in Balochistan, she deplored.

Dr Bugti says that child coal miners are also exposed to drug abuse and violence.

During his visit to the Mach coal mines, he witnessed the unrestricted supply of drugs that the children use to relieve their psychological and physical pains, he highlighted.

The number of child coal miners is small, which makes it hardly worthy of action as compared to other forms of child exploitation. The dangers associated with mining are urging us to take notice of this grave exploitation where unknown lives are lost every year, along with the lives of those exposed to drugs and violence, Dr Bugti mentioned.

Dr Bugti also stated that child coal miners working in Mach belong to the Swat region. He also analysed that people working in the mines are those who have migrated from other parts of the country, especially from KP and former FATA areas.

Owing to the poor healthcare facilities in Mach Civil Hospital, these people have to travel miles to reach the nearest hospital in Quetta to treat the worst physical injuries. The hospital is devoid of medication and doctors to treat severe cases of physical and psychological trauma.

Child labour is the widely accepted norm in the province and can be found in almost every field of the economy. This form of labour is invisible owing to its relation to the informal sector and the non-implementation of child protection laws.

In the 2017 study “Child Labor in Coal Fields of Balochistan: A Case Study of Mach Coal Fields, Balochistan,” highlights that there is a lack of a comprehensive survey that thoroughly investigates the prevalence of child labor in the province.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), child labour encompasses work that deprives children of their ability to enjoy childhood, hinders the development of creativity, and compromises their dignity.

The ILO further asserts that child labour represents a physically, morally, and socially harmful phenomenon in children’s lives, disrupting their education as well. Regrettably, child coal miners endure various forms of social, physical, and moral exploitation, leading to serious psychological problems.

It is noteworthy that Pakistan has committed to eradicating child labour in accordance with its obligations. The country has ratified ILO conventions, including the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

Additionally, Pakistan is dedicated to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically targeting SDG 8.7, which emphasizes the elimination of child labor, trafficking, and modern forms of slavery.

Zubair, who aspired to become a doctor, had to abandon his dreams due to family issues and resort to mining work. Despite the challenges, he remains hopeful that he will have the opportunity to attend college or university shortly if he secures a scholarship. Currently, he is stuck in the hazardous and toxic environment of mining, striving to make ends meet.

In the perilous setting of coal mines, he endures both physical and mental hardships, driven by the belief that the meagre earnings will contribute to his mother’s recovery.

Tahira Khan is a freelance journalist from Loralai, Balochistan. She can be accessed at tahiraadamkhan@gmail.com

All information and facts provided are the sole responsibility of the writer.