ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Wednesday ordered the local administration in Haripur to shut down a cement factory next to a school as it may cause health problems in children and environmental degradation in the neighbourhood.

“The cement factory will remain closed till the school is moved to another location. The factory should be asked to purchase land and establish a new building for the school as part of its corporate social responsibility,” said Jamat-i-Islami MNA Sahibzada Mohammad Yaqub.

Mr Yaqub was heading a sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights which met to discuss the steps taken by the government to control pollution created by some 280 industries such as stone crushing units, poultry farms, hospitals and hotels in Hattar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

Factory dumps waste on one side of school, operates industrial size generators on other side, meeting informed

The committee has met three times before to discuss the issue of the public school in Hattar which is surrounded by a cement factory on three sides.

The meeting was informed that some 18 years ago, the Dewan Cement Factory was permitted to set up its plant next to the government school.

The factory dumps waste on one side of the school and operates its industrial size generators on the other side of one the school’s walls.

The meeting was told that emissions from the cement pollutes the air around the school and causes environmental degradation in the neighbourhood.

“We have only been discussing mitigation and relief measures for the children for a long time. This committee will not tolerate any more delays when children are suffering. The cement factory has to be closed down till the school is moved to another location,” Mr Yaqub said.

A senior official from the KP Environmental Protection Agency said taking mitigation measures was not possible as the factory is located right next door to the school.

“The crushing and dumping site is adjacent to the school, resulting in air and noise pollution for many years now and since last year, we have also recorded complaints. The EPA took action and closed the cement factory,” the official told the committee.

PML-N MNA Farhana Qamar said solid waste and poisonous emissions discharged by the cement factory will cause serious health problems in children later in life.

“No movement of raw material should be allowed and the generators should be switched off,” Ms Qamar said.

The committee directed the education department to coordinate with local administration and secretary industries KP to plan the moving of the school to another location.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2018