Islamabad: For sake of Margalla Hills: Stone crushers get 10 days to stop operations

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan Monday told the National Assembly that the stone crushers operating in the federal capital had been given 10 days to stop operations for damaging the natural beauty of the city.

“The local administration has been directed to stop the functioning of the stone crushers in the Margallas within 10 days. As for the crushing units operating in the jurisdiction of Punjab province, the concerns of the members would be conveyed to the government concerned,” said the minister while replying to a calling attention notice.

He said as many as 213 stone crushing units were operating in the area and only 16 of them fell in Islamabad, while the rest fell in the Punjab and NWFP provinces.

Babar said only two of 16 units were legalized including FECTO Cement and Margalla Stone Crushing Company, the latter supplying crush to Pakistan Railways. However, he said all the licenses had been terminated and owners asked to wind up operations. He said the Capital Development Authority and the ministry concerned had been directed to stop the operation of stone crushing in the Margalla hills.

Awan said presently no stay order was in place against the government’s move to close these units adding that the area fell in the federal capital, the Punjab and NWFP and the problem may be resolved in consultation with all the provinces.

To a question, he said so far no committee had been formed for an out of box solution; however, the capital administration had been directed to ensure end to operation stone crusher machines while the provincial governments would be conveyed the concern of the members.

He assured the house that no one would be given lease or extension in future adding that some illegal slums were also under construction in the National Park area and a strategy was being devised to get rid of the menace. app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_1