Bathan, Naginder villagers facing pollution threat

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 21: The inhabitants of village Bathan, Naginder in Khrew area tehsil Pampore have expressed grave concern over the increasing pollution in the area due to mushrooming of cement factories.
In an appeal to Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah these villagers have sought his immediate intervention in the matter saying that mushrooming of cement plants has added to the pollution and village Bathan has been most affected with it.
The residents of the area said that increasing pollution has created health hazards in the area and many people have become the patients of asthama and lung diseases. Besides the crops and fruit yielding trees and other plants have also been affected and the production has decreased to a great extent.
The residents said that though they have taken up the issue with the concerned authorities number of times but to no avail as no steps were taken by the concerned authorities. Even the pollution Control Board is also sleeping over the issue.
They said it is not known that on one hand the Government is creating the employment avenues and on the other hand it is making lives of people miserable. The people of entire area are in great distress, they added.
They demanded that immediate steps be taken to save the population of the area as well as ecology as mushrooming of the cement plants in the area are going to spell a doom there.