FAISALABAD: Stone crushing units of Sargodha are eliminating the hills on Faisalabad-Sargodha Road taking advantage of a rapid growth of the construction sector.

The crushing sector of Sargodha is said to be one of the largest industries in the country and scores of people have been attached with it for years.

Crushed stones are being provided daily from Sargodha to Lahore, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Multan, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sahiwal and other cities of the country.

Residents of Sargodha are unhappy with the fast removal of hills which add natural beauty to the area. Sargodha University’s former head of Social Work Department Dr Gheyasuddin Siddiqui said the regular stone crushing was creating environmental issues which were not only changing the life pattern but also badly affecting the health of the people.

“Ruining the natural beauty only for strengthening the construction sector is not a wise step. The government has to devise a strategy to preserve the hills and environment of Sargodha,” he suggested.

Teacher Malik Ashraf said the Kirana mountainous range in Sargodha provided a natural beauty for native and the tourists. He said hazardous emission of dust during the stone crushing was creating environmental issues for motorists and dwellers of the area.

He said all, from the district government to the tehsil municipal administration, were well aware of the visible elimination of hills, but the officials were turning a blind eye to the aspect only to amass wealth and protect the construction industry.

“Governments across the globe are spending huge money to make hilly places attractive for the visitors, but things in Sargodha are altogether inversed.

By eliminating hills the government will get only a few millions, but we will lose the gift of nature,” he added.

Minster for Mines and Minerals Chaudhry Sher Ali said the people would face serious problems to construct their houses if the government imposed a ban on leasing the hills and stone crushing.

Regarding welfare projects for workers, the minister said a hospital and a school had been set up for the children of labourers with funds of millions of rupees in Sargodha.

Habib Ahmed, a stone crushing factory owner, said the hills in Sargodha would be wiped out in five to eight years. “We have started searching other areas like Taxila, Rohi and Dera Ghazi Khan for the purpose,” he said.

He said more than 5,000 workers were serving in about 400 factories in Sargodha and their salaries ranged from Rs12,000 to Rs18,000.

Some of the workers were daily wagers and were getting Rs200 to Rs300 per day, he said.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2016