KARAK: Representatives of Mithakhel village council (VC) of Karak district have demanded of the deputy commissioner to remove gypsum, asphalt and stone crushing units from the populated area, as these posed serious health hazards to the locals.

This demand was made during a meeting presided over by Mithakhel VC nazim Ijazul Qamar here on Wednesday. A large number of local people also attended the meeting.

The meeting noted that these units set up in the populated area were emitting dust and hazardous gases, making lives of people miserable.

They claimed the dust and poisonous gases had polluted the drinking water due to which respiratory ailments and tuberculoses were on the rise among the people.

They noted that people had made several complaints to the quarters concerned to shift the factories away from the residential area, but to no avail.

The participants said setting up such factories inside the populated area was unlawful and regretted that the owners of factories were playing with the lives of people for making profits.

They asked the owners of factories to shif t their units to a deserted place voluntarily, otherwise, they would launch a protest movement to force them to do so.

The meeting also formed a committee tasked with apprising the district administration about the hazardous effects of the f actories. Correspondent