SANGHAR, Feb 9: Members of the district council, at its Wednesday's session, demanded the installation of filter plants in cotton ginning factories in the area.

Qasim Faqir Mahar, Aziz Ghouri, Amanullah Shar and others said that cotton dust emanating from ginning factories badly affected environment and caused respiratory diseases among people, specially children and elderly persons.

They said that the Environmental Protection Agency had repeatedly raised the issue but its cries had fallen on deaf ears of the authorities concerned.

District Naib Nazim Dr Mehmood Ahmed Rajput said that in future, a no objection certificate would be made mandatory for the establishment of cotton ginning factory. However, a resolution in this regard could not be passed due to lack of quorum. The matter will be discussed in next session of the council.

Some council members demanded a ban on cultivation of the BT cotton and criticized black-marketing of fertilizer.