Save the environment

The emission of hazardous gases from a tar coal processing plant near Government College for Girls Booni is posing a threat to thousands of people living in the vicinity. One can see a pall of black smoke billowing out of the chimney early in the morning when the sky is crystal clear. The residents of Booni and the so-called social and political activists remain silent spectators, despite the fact that unabated emission will cause a debilitating impact on the clean environment of Chitral. The phenomenon of global warming is threatening the global community with its devastating impact changing the weather pattern, resulting in a phenomenal rise in the sea level and a substantial decrease in the ice sheet. The people residing in the Himalayan and the Hindu Kush belts are surrounded from all sides by gigantic glaciers.

The increase in the global temperature triggers glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) that might wash away all that lie in their way. The installation of gas emitting plants in such regions will exacerbate the GLOF. Although the tar coal processing plant in Booni may have its developmental purposes for the carpeting of roads in Chitral, its worse impact on the environment cannot be overlooked. The roads remain intact when the environment is friendly and congenial. The carpeting of roads with tar coal at the expense of a healthy environment will be a futile exercise. It’s as if one courts a huge disaster in return for a small profit.

Khalid Pervaiz Raza (Chitral)