FAIZABAD, Afghanistan: Authorities closed about 225 Badakhshan gold mining sites after operations damaged communities, provincial mines chief Abdul Mateen Rahimzai told AFP.
The closures included sites near Shiwa, about 50 kilometres northeast of Faizabad. Rahimzai said floods, mud and mining debris had buried a school, shops and a bridge.
Thousands of workers operate in Shiwa as the Taliban-led administration in Kabul expands mining to raise state revenue. Rahimzai counted between 650 and 700 registered companies in Badakhshan.
The provincial government collected 112 kilograms of gold from the industry during 2025, Rahimzai said. He added that many mines had previously operated without registration or a fee system.
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Residents told AFP that excavation had polluted rivers and damaged farmland. Farmer Muhammad Amin said his local river was no longer safe for drinking or washing.
Amin said dust and the loss of pasture forced him to reduce his goat herd from 40 to 15. He also accused a mining company of failing to restore his leased land.
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The mining surge has created jobs amid high unemployment. Kabul resident Mohammad Agha Khwaja Khail told AFP that he earned 10,000 Afghanis, about US$150, each month loading trucks. AFP documented mining activity in Shiwa on July 28.
