Residents of Khonmoh, Sangri and Chak villages residing around the industrial estates on Thursday held a protest demonstration at Press Enclave here against the cement factories operating in the area. Protestors were blaming these factories for the ‘rising pollution levels’ in the area.
The protestors, including school children, were holding placards reading, “Our lives are in danger due to pollution”, “Can’t have development at the cost of human lives.”
Addressing media, Tauseef Ahmad Wani, a local of the area, said skin allergies, respiratory disorders are mostly common among people in the area due to pollution from cement factories.
Wani said despite presence of three large scale cement factories there, government has went ahead and permitted new cement factories to operate from the area.
“Pollution Control Board and some people with vested interests in the government are allowing these new factories which will choke us. According to PCB the air pollution level of Khonmoh and surrounding areas is already in red zone but still they are allowing new factories,” Wani said.
ZahidNazir, another Khonmoh inhabitant said despite high levels of pollution in Khumnoh, PCB is still allowing setting up of stone crushers, macdamisation plants and cement factories.
“We appeal CM Mebooba Mufti that people of the area should be given a right to live. We urge the government to save our lives. They should realise how we are suffering health wise,” Nazir said.
Most of the protesting locals said the existing three cement factories are not maintaining the pollution levels and ‘violating laws’.