Teams SF & BACP visited the magnificient Khewra Salt Mines alongwith RBC (Russian Business Channel) Media Team as well as SF’s media partner – The Team Films. A detailed guided tour enabled the Media teams to cover the subject comprehensively.
Khewra Salt mines history dates back to its discovery by Alexander’s troops after the battle with Raja Porus at the banks of River Jhelum around 326 BC, but it started trading in the Mughal Era.
After independence, the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) took over the mine, which still remains the largest source of salt in the country, producing more than 350,000 tons per annum of about 99% pure Sodium Chloride.
The Salt Range extends from near River Jhelum till River Indus at Kalabagh. It is 300 kms long with the width and height varying from 8-30 kms and 2200 – 4990 feet (Koh Sakesar) respectively.
In 1849, the Britishers started extracting the salt on scientific lines. In 1872, a famous British Mining Engineer – Dr H Warth accessed the salt deposits by digging the main mine to excavate salt. The main mine is operational till to date. Currently, there are 17 levels in the Khewra Salt Mines from where salt is being extracted.
Unargueably a wonder of nature, estimates of the reserves of salt in the mine vary from 82 to 600 million tons.
Khewra Salt mines are second largest edible salt deposits in the world with Sodium Chloride content at 99% – edibly the best. The salt appears pink due to presence of Iron. The salt mines in Kalabagh area are have higher percentage of iron, thus more reddish in color.
Myth: Pink Salt labelled as Himalayan Salt is marketed in the world by countries like India and Israel. India has all along been dis-informing the world by virtue of the name Himalayan Salt while buying it from Pakistan, re-packaging/re-branding and selling it as an Indian product. Interestingly, India does not have much of salt deposits and is mainly dependent on Pakistan for its salt requirements.
Reality: Pakistan is the only country in the world that has been endowed by nature with Pink Salt Reserves.
Salt is a precious commodity. And we as Pakistanis need to accord it due respect and recognize its importance as an essential commodity for all countries in international trade.
Teams SF & BACP have made an endeavor to highlight a treasure of Pakistan!
