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| Factory operating with impunity despite serious health impact on locals |
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Karachi
A factory that manufactures chipboard has put at serious risk the future of thousands of children residing in Sharafi Goth and Bermi Colony. The locals, especially schoolgoing children, are suffering from several fatal diseases, including asthma, tuberculosis (TB), chest infections, eye infections and other respiratory problems, owing to the the dust emitted from the factory. They have been left with no help from authorities concerned.
During a survey of Sharafi Goth, scores of people expressed anger over the ignorance of the authorities. They complained that, despite several campaigns and protests, they were not given any justice. “Every single family in this locality is suffering from serious respiratory problems due to the dust emitted from the factory,” said a representative of the Goth. “Scores of schoolgoing children have been suffering from throat cancer while many others have become patients of asthma and TB.”
He claimed that residents had asked the police for help, but the Sharafi Goth police were “bribed by the owner [of the factory] and their voices were suppressed.”“Before the local government system was put in place, an officer from our area took action against the factory and it was closed,” he said. “It was reopened a month later, however, and the problems started again.”
The representative further said that their delegation was also offered money by the factory owner but they refused since it was a question of their children’s health. “Almost every child in our Goth has been affected and the future of these children is finished. Many of them have serious eye infections, while quite a few have completely lost their eyesight,” he said.
The issue was reportedly taken to the environment minister as well but no action was taken against the factory owner. “The owner of the factory belongs to the Memon Community. This is why we contacted the Memon Federation president as well,” he said. “He assured us that he would solve our problem but nothing happened.”
Residents of the area claimed that the owner was a “rich and influential” person, and used both money and influence to suppress the issue. “Even the police, bribed by the owner, harass our people if we speak out against them,” residents said.
The factory, located in the Landhi Industrial Area, has been in operation for the past 10 years or so. No one from either the civic or the provincial administration has been able to challenge the owner, however, and the fact that he has not considered the safety of the people in the nearby area has not been questioned.
Experts say that a chipboard factory should technically not be allowed to operate near a residential area, because it is “very dangerous” to human life. Secondly, if the factory was permitted, the plant should have been constructed in such a way that dust emissions should not be made into the open air. Such a factory, experts said, should emit dust into an underground tank, and even this should be properly covered. The tank should be cleaned twice a week by closing all factory operations, they said.
Dr Asif of the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), JPMC, has been treating children affected by the Sunlight Factory. “I have advised the parents of the affected children to find some other locality far away from this factory, because the place is not habitable as long as that factory is operating,” he said, adding that, during the last 10 years or so, he has treated thousands of children from the area. Many of them have developed asthma, TB and serious chest infections.
Officials from the Landhi Town administration also said that they had issued several notices to the owner of the factory but to no avail. It is impossible to run a factory in violation of environmental laws without having influence or bribing authorities concerned, officials said, adding that so much dust was emitted from the factory that if one passes through a nearby graveyard, one can see the piles of sawdust (Burada) accumulated on the graves.
Due to this factory, the residents of Nek Muhammad Goth, Baran Goth, Pir Bux Goth and Jalal Murad Goth (the four Goths falling in Sharafi Goth) and Bermi Colony have been exposed to serious health hazards for years now. Things get worse when the wind starts blowing towards these areas in winter. Residents have to wrap thick cloth over their faces to protect themselves from sawdust while passing through the street next to the factory.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
