Three stone-crushing factories were blocked in Khanpur.
The district administration seals three stone-crushing plants in Khanpur for operating without the necessary No Objection Certificate from the Environment Protection Agency. The move follows public complaints and highlights concerns regarding environmental impact and legal compliance
Three stone-crushing plants in the Khanpur area were sealed by the district administration for operating without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), as per official sources on Wednesday.
Faraz Qureshi, Assistant Commissioner of Khanpur, stated that the action was taken in response to public complaints received by the deputy commissioner during an open kitchen last week, along with reports from the EPA's Abbottabad office.
Following these complaints and directives from the additional secretary of the home department, Qureshi, alongside the assistant director of mines and minerals, Haripur, and EPA officials, conducted a surprise visit to several areas in Khanpur tehsil where stone-crushing plants were operational.
During the scrutiny of documents about the crushing plants, it was found that three plants were operating without the necessary NOC from the EPA. Consequently, these plants were sealed.
According to EPA records, Khanpur tehsil hosts a total of 28 stone-crushing plants, out of which only eight possess the EPA's construction NOC, and merely six have operational NOCs.
It is worth mentioning that the establishment and operation of stone-crushing plants near populated areas and the Khanpur reservoir have raised concerns among environmentalists and locals. Some complainants have also taken legal action.
