The National Development Corporation (NDC) has announced that in the near future, over a thousand jobs will be created in the Balkhab coal sector.

According to officials at NDC, 21 coal seams have recently been identified in the Balkhab area.

The officials also said that two billion Afghanis have been allocated for constructing roads that connect the Balkhab mines and for providing other facilities in this district.

Farid Azim, the head of the Balkhab coal sector in Sar-e Pol, told a TOLOnews reporter: "We have considered certain standards needed for underground extraction, such as safety measures. We have identified 21 coal seams throughout the Balkhab area, which will be extracted in the near future, adhering to mining principles, and can employ over a thousand local residents."

NDC Officials also say that since they took over responsibility for the Balkhab coal mines, illegal extraction by locals has been prevented.

Local officials in Sar-e Pol have said that currently, Afghan coal, especially from Balkhab, is being sold to Pakistan, and efforts to market this mineral in Central Asian countries are ongoing.

Mohammad Yaqoob Abdul Rahman Aqa, the governor of Sar-e-Pul, stated: "The coal mine is a national asset and a capital of Afghanistan. More work should be done on it to prevent exploitation by corrupt individuals."

The Balkhab district, with its rugged mountains and winding valleys, is located 140 kilometers from the center of Sar-e Pol province and contains abundant, high-quality coal deposits.

Several residents of the Balkhab district are asking the officials in the Islamic Emirate to take care of their challenges in the area of providing land, construction of roads, and health.

Sultan Raza, a resident of Balkhab district, said: "We request the Islamic Emirate standardize our roads and also build clinics and schools."

According to preliminary surveys, 1.5 billion tons of coal have been identified in the Balkhab district of Sar-e Pol province, and its extraction will play a crucial role in the country's economic growth and job creation.

Officials have said that the open-pit mining operations in Balkhab district are currently ongoing, with daily extraction reaching over a thousand tons.