TEHRAN- The head of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) announced that 500 idle small-scale mines have been revived throughout the country during two-year period from June 2019 until June 2021.

Vajihollah Jafari said that this number was the initial target for the proposed plan for reviving the small-scale mines.

The official also stated that 101 small mines have been revived in the country since the beginning of current Iranian calendar year (March 21).

Repeating that 500 small-scale mines have been revived since the start of the mentioned plan (June 2019), the IMIDRO head noted that implementation of this plan is still continuing, while proper clinical practice will create a more favorable environment for reviving of these types of mines, which will ultimately lead to increased employment and production in the mines.

As Jafari has previously announced, 253 idle small-scale mines were revived throughout the country in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

According to him, the plan for reviving idle mines in the previous year was realized by 126 percent.

Saying that the mentioned mines have been reactivated as part of a comprehensive program for reviving idle small mines across the country, Jafari also announced that under the framework of the mentioned program 200 mines are planned to be put back into operation in the current year.

The official noted that the successful implementation of the said program in the previous year was achieved despite the problems created by the outbreak of coronavirus.

Emphasizing that the above goals have been achieved as a result of productive cooperation among the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry, provincial industry organizations, Iran Mines houses, and private sector companies, Jafari noted that since the beginning of the program in March 2019 up to the end of the previous year, 303 mines have been revived.

As reported, under the framework of the mentioned program, 672 idle mines were identified and prioritized in the previous year, and diagnostic procedures were performed on 194 mines to determine the reasons for the halt in their production.

The program, which has been at the forefront of IMIDRO's missions over the past two years, is being pursued in several provinces.

Khodadad Gharibpour, IMIDRO’s former head had mentioned this plan as one of the most significant plans of “Resistance Economy”, saying that IMIDRO is strongly determined to carry out it.

Reviving the small mines not only is a major step for supporting and boosting domestic production, it also plays a significant role in job creation throughout the country, Gharibpour said back in June 2020.

Following this program, so far various small-scale mines including chromite, manganese, hematite, and dolomite, iron ore, copper, and construction stone mines have been surveyed by monitoring and diagnosing the problems of the mines and providing solutions for resolving their issues.

MA/MA