HARIPUR: Residents of Suraj Gali village have expressed concern over the unchecked quarrying, exposing both the environment and human lives to risk.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, Mustafa, Iqbal Ahmed, Safdar and others said that despite repeated requests, the authorities concerned failed to shift away the two crushing plants operating in their village for last few years. They said that both the plant owners were influential and carrying out quarrying unchecked.

During the heavy quarrying, the villagers said that the stones and dust flew and fell on the roofs of houses situated in the close proximity of quarrying sites. They said that the flying stones caused by blasting had caused injuries to residents and damaged parts of several houses in the locality.

The residents said that apart from posing constant threat to the human and animals life, the quarrying had exposed the villagers to the noise and air pollution.

The area people demanded relocation of the crushing plants.

MAN BOOKED: The police have booked a man for allegedly molesting two boys in Gheba village.

Sera-i-Saleh police quoted the fathers of the boys (aged 12 and 13) as saying that their sons were playing on the street when Hussain Shah took them to his vacant house where he molested them one after the other and threatened them of dire consequences if they tried to share the ordeal with their families.

The boys reached home crying and informed their parents who took them to the police station.

Medical report confirmed the assault, police said. However, the accused was still at large.

STOLEN GOATS, CASH RECOVERED: The police claimed to have arrested two thieves who had stolen goats and sheep from different parts of the district.

SHO Saddar police identified the thieves as Adil Asif of village Talokar and Waqas Mehmood of Mohallah Amin Abad.

The police recovered six goats and Rs11,000 cash from their possession. The accused were sent to Haripur jail after expiry of their three-day physical remand.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2020