SRINAGAR: Just a few kilometers away from Srinagar is a town that you probably cant see. That is because it is literally enveloped in smoke and dust. Smoke and dust from cement factories, this is a town of Khrew of district Pulwama in south Kashmir under the foot hills of high mountain range where just some miles behind is Dachigam, The National Park .
Once you enter into this town, hardly will you find a thing that is not enveloped by dust, there is pollution everywhere, and with in a flash of time from a gentle look you will automatically turn into a ragged man. And for 20 years, it has been home of not just to the people who live here, but for the cement factories. This giant factory belongs to J K Cements a govt. run factory that has established itself in khrew much to dismay of residents.
Many residents have already evacuated from the area, some are in queue. Rest are the families of poor people who probably have no other alternative to shift from here.
15000 people are directly affected by these giant cement factories ( JK Cements a govt. run enterprise ,Cemtec Cements Pvt. Ltd., Ittifaq Cements Pvt. ltd., Arco Cements Pvt. Ltd. ) because of not using the proper dust control equipments .
Ghulam Mohammad Mir is one of more than 15000 people who claimed that they have had major health problems ever since this factory started working here.
Local residents said, That those who run these factories dont not use proper dust control equipments and that has been the main reason behind such high pollution levels here, this is none other than khrew town, once a land of dense forests and beautiful landscape scenery. Once we step back just few decades ago, the same town was an attractions, of Maharaja Hari Singh used to spend days here to chaste the beauty of town and used to do Shikar in the khrew forest and now there is not any wild animal, because of doing mine blast in order to get stones from the mountains for their cement production.
Doctors of the same area said, That in just this year alone. There has been an alarming rise in the number of respiratory tract infection and asthma cases in khrew. Not only the doctors diagnose that is pointing to the cement factories; scholars also said that extensive research in the areas has shown that the rise in health problems for people here has directly been associated with the factories. The area where the past and the future await to be submerged.
Asrar Ahmed said, These factories has devastated our green forestland, agriculture land which was our livelihood; and deforestation has become the daily routine in the khrew area. It has also affected our education system in our area and many children left their schooling, which are now involved in truck driving, caleeners or unloading. No doubt we are getting employment or had employed in these factories but we have lost our health, because they are not using all the proper equipments which can control the dust or pollution. And also we are worried how an authority gives permission for mine blasting in just few miles away from residential areas.
According to Director Pollution Control Board , Human life means more to us than anything. We will not let anybody to compromise with the health and hygiene of the people, economy comes after this, and we will seize all the cement factories and stone crushers if only they are found as a cause of pollution in anyhow. During the inspection of that area, we have free zed two factories ( JK Cement and Ittifaq pvt. Ltd.) later on JK cement was resumed because on the assurance of minister of industries and commerce and the authorities of Jk cement within short period of time JK cement we will use all proper dust control equipments and ittifaq is under scanner.
We are not scared of anybody who so ever he is and what so ever his position is; pollution control board will take all necessary actions against them, our first priority is health of the local area that are affected by the pollution. We have geared our administration and all the concerned departments and also to the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir about the high level pollution coming out from cement factories in Khrew area, said Director,
Chairman Auqaf Islamia Khrew said, We tried many times to do negotiation with the factory owners, but all in vain. We did protest many times against pollution and demand our rights but adversely always remained under boot. We always convey them use all the proper equipments and implement all the rules and regulations under the industries Act, so that it will not affect our society particularly health sector.
Unfortunately, despite of being these giant cement factories established here, there is only the public health centre where doctors came on their own taste. And in the times of accidental cases we have to shift the patient at S.K.I.M.S or S.M.H.S hospital while struggling his life. Sometimes we did not save his precious life because of having the traffic choes at panthacowk or non availability of ambulance or driver of ambulance and any staff of health unit khrew at that time, and not a single development has done in our locality after the factories established here. The facilities which they should provide for our area under the Industries Act are on zero level, Said Chairman.
Muzamil Hassan said, Not only the giant JK cement factory but also the other three private cement factories and at least 40 to 50 stone crushers, who created the pollution here. And also two cement private cement factories are under construction, means now the khrew area has become hub of factories. I was shocked to see that a large number of pine trees seem to have been systematically lopped in order to made their mining area for their factories.
On the other hand wild life officials say that the area will soon become an ecological sensitive area. At that time these factories cannot function any more in the area, it is to be noted that these factories are in proximity of a thick forest cover which has suffered huge loss in these decades.
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