Officials from the Northern Coal State Company in Baghlan Province say that between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes of coal are extracted every month from both state-owned and privately-operated mines across northern Afghanistan.
According to Abdullah Hamid, head of the company, there are 61 registered state mines and 1,028 private mines in the northern provinces under its oversight. Extraction at these sites continues at normal capacity, with coal sold legally to domestic factories as well as to traders.
Hamid added that from state-owned mines alone, between 500 and 1,000 tonnes are extracted daily using technical methods.
Around 200,000 people are employed in state and private mines in these provinces.
