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| Pollution takes heavy toll on human health | | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 19: The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has failed to enforce the pollution control laws to control pollution emanating from industries in Jammu and Kashmir which is taking a heavy toll on human health in the state.
The department is entrusted with the responsibility to regulate and implement pollution control laws. Even as the government has been saying that it is serious to put curbs on pollution, the PCB officials seem to be in a deep slumber in controlling the pollution level in the state.
The residents of industrial areas have been flaying the PCB for its failure in regulating the pollution control laws.
"The pollution is emanating from industries and has taken a heavy toll on human health due to industrial pollution," residents of Kathua said.
They said they had been inhaling poor-quality air and the situation was likely to worsen in the coming years, keeping in view the expansion of industries.
"There has been a rise in respiratory diseases, breathlessness, burning sensation of throat, eyes and nose as well as headache," they said.
It has already been mentioned in various reports that the suspended particulate matter (SPM) and respiratory suspended particulate matter (RSPM) have witnessed a steep rise in the Jammu region's industrial areas especially in the winter capital and Kathua during the past two decades.
"There is a cement manufacturing unit, a rolling mill and a polypropylene bag unit, but their managements have not installed the required pollution control devices," the residents claimed.
They said they had brought the issue to the notice of PCB authorities many a times but no action was taken.
Residents of Zewan complained that rampant pollution-noise and air pollution due to the stone crushers, which were operating in the area, had made their lives hell. They demanded their immediate closure.
As per PCB rules, officials said the existing stone crushers had to run from a distance of half a km and new units from a distance of one kilometre. These units have to install pollution restricts.
However, residents said they had time and again appealed the concerned authorities to close stone crushers or ask their owners to install pollution control devices of prescribed standards, but to no avail.
"These units are operating with the permission of the PCB officials even as they pose a risk to our lives," they alleged.
They said pollution caused by the stone crushers had affected their health and even their children were suffering from chronic bronchitis.
Residents of Khrew in Pampore area of south Kashmir said the illegal mining had created havoc in the area and added to their woes. "During mining, dust and chemicals are released in the air causing massive air pollution.
This is one of the reasons which is responsible for deteriorating health conditions of workers and local residents," they said, alleging that there existed a nexus between some PCB officials and unit holders.
Similarly, the pesticide units of Industrial Growt Centre (IGC), Samba, were affecting their lives and PCB officials were helping them to operate illegally without installing pollution control devices, locals alleged. |
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