THE effort to protect the Margalla Hills, decared a national park in 1980, from the rapacious onslaught of illegal quarrying has been continuing for several decades. Yet each time the practice is stopped, the well-connected quarry owners manage to circumvent regulations and continue to denude the hills. As reported in this paper on Thursday, illegal quarrying has resumed in the area a year after the federal government banned it. Due to devolution, the Punjab government is now responsible for protecting the hills. Yet it has shown laxity. Across the province there are reportedly over 120 ongoing illegal stonecrushing operations and excessive quarrying has created a major health risk for the people, besides upsetting the region`s environmental balance.
The level of air pollution in the area is frightening.
According to the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, the total suspended particulate matter in the area has at times reached 20,000 cubic metres when the accept-able limit is 500. The quarrying has also caused streams and waterways to dry up and has endangered Taxila`s archaeological sites.
The government needs to ensure that its own departments are respecting environmental regulations. Currently, several government bodies allow contractors to extract material only from the Margallas. Alternative sites have been proposed for stone-crushing. These should be utilised so that what is lef t of the Margalla Hills can be saved, while it should be ensured these sites are located far from populated areas. Meanwhile, the demand for construction material is high because people build homes that are much larger than what they actually need having a huge house is, of course, considered a status symbol.
Perhaps the state can impose a tax on houses built beyond a certain size.
This may bring down the demand for building material and ultimately halt the further destruction of the Margallas and other natural treasures.
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