– Narayan Prasad Ghimire
Kathmandu, June 17: At a time when the government has stressed the study and exploration of minerals, which the recent budget too has incorporated as an annual priority programme, lack of sufficient number of mining engineers in the country has hit hard the explorations.
No university education on mining engineering, lack of adequate mining engineers, poor coordination between the academia and government efforts, exodus of geologists, and little attention to practical aspects of academic learning were regarded the prominent reasons behind the shortage of human resources relating to the exploration and excavation of minerals.
Deputy Director General of the Department of Mines and Geology, Dr Somnath Sapkota, shared that there were only three mining engineers at the Department. Then, how the mineral exploration could be advanced, he wondered. He stressed that it was not the lack of policy but lack of human resources especially the mining engineers for the mineral exploration. “Only geologists can not suffice for entire exploration and excavation of the assets beneath the Earth surface. Mining engineers have the technical knowhow that help materialize the digging up of the minerals,” he argued.
Dr Sapkota was making these points vocal at a programme organized jointly by the Ministry of Industry, Department of Mines and Geology, and the Central Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University, on ‘Need of Human Resources at Department of Geology and Mines, and TU’s Curriculum on Geology’ in the capital city on Thursday.
The Department is reportedly facing huge pressure, as the government has prioritized the study and searching of the minerals in different parts of the country, including Nawalparasi district. Recently, a government team had discovered that there was a huge deposit of iron ore at Dhaubadhi VDC of Nawalparasi.
However, TU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Tirtha Khaniya said time has come for us to ascertain whether we lack proper policy on mineral or the human resources for exploration. “TU is ready to produce the human resources needed for exploration and excavation of the minerals, so geological survey and demarcation is first needed for it.”
Similarly, Minister for Industry Som Prasad Pandey said university teachers’ suggestion was essential while formulating polices on minerals. “Only politicians are the not policy makers, university teachers’ knowledge is equally important on it,” he added.
The Minister further said although petroleum was believed to have been discovered in Dailekh 300 years back, thorough study and exploration was essential on it.
Rector Professor Dr Sudha Tripathi pointed out the need of coordination and cooperation between the Ministry and the TU to advance mineral exploration and excavation. Chief of the Department of the Geology, Professor Dr Lalu Prasad Poudel made a presentation on the TU curriculum on geology. RSS
२५ कार्तिक २०८३, बुधबार
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