Staff Reporter
The garrison city of Rawalpindi with an overwhelming population of more than 1.8 million masses was facing serious environmental risk due to plastic manufacturing units set up in residential areas that had been left unchecked by the Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) and the district administration.
“The plastic manufacturing units release hazardous emissions and nerve testing noise pollution making the ambience unable to breath and survive when the plant goes functional,” said Taha Malik a resident of Mohallah Raja Sultan talking to media.
He informed that his family and neighbours have been directly affected by an alleged plastic shoe recycling plant. “The plant is working in the middle of the society at the back of Government Post Graduate College Asghar Mall Rawalpindi. It has been operated in the morning and afternoon timings within a secret pattern.
The doors are being locked outside to pretend it as an abandoned property where the machinery starts crushing the plastic shoes,” he added.
The unit, he said is a potential source of breeding dengue larvae which has not been inspected by the authorities.
He said, “The emissions of the plants are so pungent and suffocating that elderly, children and youngsters alike get problem in breathing. The crushing sound of the plant had made us sick as it has become unbearable to sit within the noise and ambient pollution together. It had made us mentally sick alongwith health complications.”
Subhan, another resident of the same vicinity said the plastic manufacturing unit has been operating for a long time where another unit of same category was also operating on the main street.
