FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): The provincial mines and petroleum department has said the western Farah province is rich in natural reserves with special reference mines but they are not extracted in a proper or official way.
Eng. Juma Khan Joya, provincial mines department head, told Pajhwok Afghan News the survey--- conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with collaboration of USAID in 2007--- helped discovered several mines reserves in the province.
The mines of copper, iron, silver, salt, uranium, crude oil, coal, chromite, silicon, stucco, cement and other exists in Farah, he added.
1- Copper:
The copper mines exist in Marco, Cha-e-Aros, Ghori Sadaf, Kho Merza Arab, Sarkoro and Guloghai areas of Anardara district. However, the existing status and amount of copper in the mines is yet to be identified.
2- Iron:
The Itish Khan Mountain in Pusht Kho district has large scale iron reserves discovered by Iranian engineers back in 1996.
In addition, different other areas have iron mines such as Karaiz, Dorbas and Road Dozd of Gulistan district.
Abdul Hamid Hamid, deputy head of provincial council, told Pajhwok Afghan News various mines could be found in areas of Purchaman district of the province.
3- Plumbum:
The plumbum mines could be found in Sya Kota area of Anardara district and different areas of Balaboluk district. However, provincial mines department does not substantial information about the mines’ sites.
4- Silver:
The silver mines is said to be existed in Sya area of Anardara districts but there are no authentic information to substantiate the idea.
5- Salt:
A mine of sedimentary salt is exited in Juwin district of the province. Salt is being smuggled by locals for the last several decades, the provincial mines department said.
Similarly, natural reserves of salt could be found in in Dag Tundi area of Pusht Koh district which was discovered four decades ago.
The extraction work of the mine is halted because the market is monopolized by the import of salt from Iran and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the mines department claimed existence of several mines in the province; however, their exact location would be pointed out yet.
Miscellaneous mines:
Multiple mines of natural resources could be found but proper survey is needed to identify its location.
The Tungsten mines and Tin are existed in Baseer and Kalkur areas of Balabluk district.
In addition, large scale mercury mines could be found in Zarmardan area of Balabluk district and Chashang area of Gulistan district.
Moreover, Duaba and Mushkan areas of Purchaman district have large scale mines of mercury as well. Tourmaline mines could be found while that of Alqali is existed in Sya Kota area of Anardara district.
Tourmaline is a kind of substance used in electric tools which is rare; however, it could be found Farah.
Uranium:
According to the information of provincial mines department, uranium could be found in the areas of Balabluk and Purchaman areas.
Stucco:
Large scale mines of stucco could be found on the outskirts of Farah city, the provincial capital.
Views of locals:
Residents said there is widespread existence of multiple mines in the province but the provincial mines department has no knowledge about their locations.
Abdur Rashid, Lakzai, a tribal elder in Juwin district told Pajhwok Afghan News large scale mines of granite are existed in Atishkhana mountain of Pusht Kho district.
Sources said the existence of oil in areas of volcanic mountain in the middle area of Push Kho and Juwin districts  
Abdul Shakoor, a resident of Push Road district, said mines of anti-rust substance are existed in the area. The substance was earlier extracted by influential illegally, he added.
Abdul Hamid Hamidi, deputy head of provincial council, said Purchaman is a mountainous district and rich in several mines of natural resources.
Abdul Jalil Juwinda, a writer and resident of Pust Koh district, told Pajhwok Afghan News four salt mines are located in Rabat area of the district.
The salt mines stretched on 50 to 100 acres of area, he informed.