A goldmine for the poor

FAISALABAD, Sept 10: Hundreds of people have started earning their bread by selling gold particles and remnants they pick out of garbage thrown by the goldsmiths.

The poor feel proud to pick up particles of gold ornaments which, they believe, are a novel way of earning livelihood. Daily transactions worth millions of rupees in the local jewellery markets offer these people an opportunity to earn.

A number of people are seen around the jewellery markets from where they sift gold particles out of the garbage thrown by the goldsmiths. Many are the families involved in this activity, as these collect the gold particles, clean and refine those, and sell those to goldsmiths in the form of gold discs against paltry amounts.

Hundreds of people can be seen engaged in what appears to the common eye a “queer activity” at the banks of canals.

When contacted, several businessmen described the labourers effort a great achievement, as this was equal to saving the national wealth.

The goldsmiths, who claim to deal in the business with great care, told this reporter that some quantity of gold went waste. “The labourers are engaged in a fine business,” they said.

In an interview with this reporter, a poor man engaged in this business called it a blessing in disguise which, he said, had saved his family from starvation.

A young lad said he earned Rs1,500 to Rs2,000 a month through it to feed his six siblings. —Shamsul Islam Naz