ISLAMABAD: The establishment of modern industrial units can help Pakistan to manufacture different useful and costly items from silica sand instead of exporting it as a raw material at a cheap rate.
An official told WealthPK that Pakistan was not getting proper economic benefits from the substantial reserves of silica sand. “Industrial sand, white sand, quartz or silica sand is an important mineral used in different sectors, especially glass industry,” he added.
However, Pakistan exports white sand as a raw material to other countries owing to the non-existence of modern industrial estates and imports it again at a higher rate from them in the shape of different items manufactured from it. Pakistan imported glass and glassware of different varieties worth $95.294 million in the current fiscal period and exported similar items worth $30.664 million during the same year.
Silica sand is used in different sectors including the construction industry, hybrid guide plates, solar power glazing for vehicles, glasses, paint, rubber, test tubes, computer screens, fiberglass insulation, abrasives, oil extraction, water filtration, white cement, preparation of epoxy, chemical industry, casting industry and dentistry. It is also used as a filler in the manufacturing of different items.
Pakistan has huge reserves of white sand in different areas including Dandot, Jhelum, Makarwal, Hazara, Jang Shahi, Mianwali, Lakki Marwat, Mansehra, Dera Ismail Khan and several other localities in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
“Sandy silica rocks and sand cover a large area in Pakistan. Its reported deposits in the country are more than 557 million tonnes. Only a silica sand quarry in Punjab under the supervision of Punjab Mineral Development Corporation near Chapri village has four different mining sites. It consists of 901.603 acres with about 18.253 million tonnes of deposits,” said Taj Muhammad, Assistant Manager of Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation.
The high melting point, toughness and inert chemical nature of silica sand make it a more desirable material than other regular sands having less than 0.6% iron oxide and less than 95% of silicon dioxide (SiO2). “About 95% to 98% of white sand in the country meets international criteria. There is a dire need to bring an overall paradigm shift in the mining sector of the country to benefit from the reserves of minerals,” he said.
Gemmologist Imran Babar said that silica was found in abundance in crystalline and non-crystalline forms in Pakistan. He added that quartz was the most common form of crystalline silica found in granite, sand, gravel, clay, granite, kieselguhr, earth, etc.
He said that the sector would get a remarkable boost if the government only supported the industrialists to install proper equipment for mineral processing and value addition. He said that it would resolve the issue of unemployment in the country to a great extent.
“Now, our precious minerals are exported in raw form and after their processing, we buy them at a higher rate. There is a dire need to establish modern industrial units to manufacture useful items from silica. It will help to create job opportunities, leading to an increase in gross development product and foreign exchange,” he told WealthPK
-INP
