Rock production in full swing

State-run Madhyapara Granite Mining Company Ltd (MGMCL) in Parbatipur upazila resumed its three-shift production as per original project proposal (PP) on Tuesday,  after over two years.

The mine, which started functioning in 2006, produced around 3,100 tonnes in the last 24 hours, according to MGMCL officials.

According to the original PP, the mine was to produce 5,500 tonnes of hard rock operating three shifts every day, but Namnam, a North Korean company, could not achieve the target till 2013 after taking over the mine in 2006.

Later in September 2013, Petrobangla, the parent organisation of MGMCL, signed a six-year contract with Belarus- based Germania Trest Consortium (GTC) for rock production and maintenance of the mine.

As per contract, GTC was to produce nine million tonnes of rocks in six years.

After taking over the mine in February 2014, GTC produced around 4,000 tonnes of rock every day in three shifts till September 2015.

But, GTC suspended the mine's activities in the same month due to shortage of machinery.

Since then, production remained suspended till September 2017 despite high demand for the rock due to its quality.

The suspension rendered around 600 local miners jobless. Besides, the foreign workers were also sent back to their countries.

However, the mine's activities started in September last year with the arrival of required machinery from different countries but the production did not start in full swing.

MGMCL Managing Director SM Nurul Awrangjeb  termed the increasing production as their biggest achievement. “We are now capable of reaching 5,500 tonnes of daily production target,” he said.