By: Kamran Khamiso Khowaja
THATTA: : Illegally installed stone-crushing plants in different areas of Thatta have made life miserable, leaving adverse effects on the environment and agricultural sector of the area.
The number of stone-crushing plants is increasing in different areas of district Thatta and the authorities concerned have failed to take measures for the respite of residents of the area who are afflicted with different respiratory diseases owing to round-the-clock emission of dust and smoke from the plants. Ghulamullah, KD Mori, Dargah Lal Pir, and Onger are the areas of the district affected more by the smoke and dust emitting out from the crushing plants.
Residents of troubled areas have expressed grave concerns over the increasing number of stone-crushing plants and said that it would further pollute the atmosphere.
Ghulam Ali Jakhro, resident of a nearby village where the crushing plants are operating said that; Blasts and noise of machinery had made their life miserable. He further said that blasts made for the extraction of stones had developed cracks in the walls of their houses.
“We completely rely on agriculture as the source of earning but the process of cultivation in the area has been abominably affected in these state of affairs” said Luqman Ahmed.
Rashid Ahmed a local grower alleged that the officials of the concerned department were hand and gloves with the owners of stone-crushing plants hence they were doing their job with complete impunity.
The residents of these areas demanded ban-on stone crushing to lessen their miseries.