KOHAT: The elders of Shakardarra town here have demanded more staff for the local police station and increased patrolling in the area to arrest criminals and drug sellers. They also demanded introduction of traffic warden system to solve the problem of traffic jams in the area.

They were speaking at an open kutchery on Tuesday, which was addressed by district police officer Wahid Mehmood.

On this occasion, the DPO sought public cooperation to curb crime by identifying criminals and drug sellers. He appealed to the elders and ulema to help the police in addressing the menace of drug peddling and firing in the air.

Elders also demand traffic warden system in the area

Meanwhile, the district administration on Tuesday set a 12-hour deadline for SNGPL to improve gas pressure in the city area.

The business community leaders called on AC Abdur Rehman in his office and informed him about low gas pressure to their tandoors, bakeries, etc. Bazaar action committee secretary general Mohammad Abid Khan said that commercial users had been paying their bills regularly, but due to low gas pressure their production was affected.

The AC asked the SNGPL officials to submit a report after 12 hours whether they had solved the problem or not.

KCC UNIT CLOSED: Officials of the Environmental Protection Agency and local administration on Tuesday closed the colouring unit of Kohat Cement Company (KCC) for causing pollution in the nearby towns.

Chief analogist of EPA Mohammad Irshad and analogist Dr Khaista Gul visited KCC following public complaints and found that no precautionary measures had been taken to control pollution. The EPA and district administration had asked the KCC management to install filtration bag at the unit to control pollution, but after passage of months it had not been done.

Additional assistant commissioner Tahir Ali told mediapersons that the pollution emitted by the unit was causing chest diseases among the people. He said the unit would remain closed until the management installed the filtration bag and final checking of the air for pollutants was done by EPA.

The local elders have demanded that the grey and white cement units should also be checked.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2018