SWABI: People of various areas of Swabi district have demanded that authorities tell the farmers to thresh wheat away from residential areas and cities to protect them from various diseases.

They told Dawn here on Monday that the farmers didn’t care about the health hazards wheat threshing caused to humans.

They said whenever they requested the farmers to do threshing away from populated areas, they plainly refused saying they were doing so on their own lands.

They said wheat threshing not only polluted environment but also caused skin, chest, throat and lung ailments.

Mohammad Aamir of Gohati area said that he had been suffering from throat disease for the last five years, which got worst during the wheat threshing season.

There were reports from some areas that people and farmers clashed over where the wheat threshing should take place.

Raj Wali of Maneri Bala said he had urged a farmer in his neighbourhood to thresh wheat away from the houses, but he retorted by saying that no one could stop him from doing so on his own property.

Iftikhar Ahmad of Topi said even commuters travelling on main Swabi-Mardan road suffered from the dusty conditions as farmers had set the direction of threshers towards the road.

Doctors in district headquarters hospital said that flu, allergy, cough, throat and chest diseases had increased during the threshing season.

Local residents said that it was responsibility of the government to impose ban over threshing near populated areas.

They added that the authorities should frame laws binding farmers to thresh wheat away from residential areas.

OFFICE-BEARERS ELECTED: The district chapter of ANP’s National Youth Organisation on Monday nominated its office-bearers.Mukamil Khan and Hidayatullah Khan were elected president and general secretary, respectively, while Shandana Naeem advocate was elected vice-president of the youth organisation.

The rest of the office-bearers would be nominated by the president and general secretary with the approval of the party leaders.