The famous Khewra city is for having worlds second largest Salt mine, largest by area wise rock salt mine in the world. Official sources told Business Recorder during the visit to the salt mine here on Thursday that the reserves contain rock salt in the form of halite (98 percent) and is said to be of Pre-Cambrian age. It is estimated that the mine contains more than 82 million metric tons of reserves of rock salt. It has an annual output of around 0.35 million tons of which 60 percent is sold to a soda ash manufacturing factory in Khewra.
The salt is being mined from this location for centuries. However, the British government in 1872 introduced improved mining practices. This factory also pumps out accumulated brine from the mine while Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) also exports salt on order-to-order basis.
Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources is operating the mine. This factory also pumps out accumulated brine from the mine. PMDC also exports salt on order-to-order basis.
The rock salt is extracted by using pillar and room technique and the total length of tunnels is 40 km. The mine has 12 levels, out of which 6 are below the surface and currently 400 miners are working in the mine.
A portion of Khewra salt mine has been converted into tourist spot by PMDC, where in visitors have an opportunity to visit a portion of tunnel, developed in 1914 at level 06. Restaurants, parking, public health facilities, shops, etc have been constructed by PMDC to facilitate the visitors.
More than 250,000 people visit the salt mine each year. During last week of January 2016, PMDC in collaboration of Tehsil Municipal Administration organized a 3-day Salt festival that attracted a large number of visitors and media attention.
PMDC has also constructed a 6 bed Allergically Asthma Resort for people suffering from Allergic Asthma at level 05. Patients who need treatment spend 8-10 hours each day in the resort for 10 days. During night, the patients move to the rest house of PMDC located near the mine.
PMDC owns and operates "Institute of Surveying" the only technical institute is located in the tehsil. It offers one year certificate course in surveying. The pass outs of this institute find good jobs in the Middle Eastern construction sector.
There are around 25-30 rock salt processing units in the tehsil that are categorised as SMEs. Entrepreneurs who have salt mines on lease mostly own the units. The production process begins with manual separation of edible and industrial grade rock salt. Around 70 percent of salt is of industrial and 30 percent of edible grade. At times sorting is also made on the basis of colour for edible salt, of which pink colour salt fetches premium price.
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