Anzar Ali (name changed) from Kashmir’s industrial hub Khrew aims to make big in life by cracking the UPSC exams. Ali, 27, an engineer by degree, dreams of becoming an IAS officer. He lives close to the cement factories in the area. However, what drives his motivation to serve in administration is his anguish against the same factories.
With a population of around 10,000, Khrew town in southern Kashmir is located 20 km from Srinagar city. Adjacent to it is the Dachigam National Park, home to the endangered Hangul. Considering its rich mineral topography, the foundation of the first cement factory was laid in Khrew in 1979.
At present, six cement factories are operating in the area, producing more than 1000 tons of cement daily. These include government-sponsored JK Cement and privately owned TCI Max, HK Cement, Cemtac, ARCO and ICC Cement. However, for over a decade now, these factories have been accused of emitting hazardous gases that severely impact the health of those living nearby.
Ali sees these factories as Kashmir’s disaster in making. He adds, “If there is a superlative term for disaster, that would fit in our case.”
Health Hazards of Cement Plants: A growing crisis in Khrew
Generally, cement plants are known to be associated with exposure to quartz, cement and dust which can contribute to health conditions like chronic bronchitis, silicosis and interstitial lung diseases.
According to the World Health Organization study, “Khrew cement factories emit about one lakh kg of toxic filth from their chimneys.” These plants also use around 800 trucks for transportation of material that further produces toxic fumes such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides.
According to the locals, if the whole population of Khrew town gets a health check-up, there will be some degree of respiratory infection diagnosed in each one of them.
Saima (22), a local resident, says, “No matter how much the fruits and vegetables produced in this area are cleaned, some level of contamination remains which affects our health adversely.” She claims that no age group or gender is unaffected by these pollutants. She adds that all residents are under some kind of medication.
While talking to various news agencies, doctors at Government Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar have confirmed that the number of patients from areas like Khrew, Pampore and Khanmoh remains considerably higher.
Locals say that those worse affected are the labourers working at the factories, “however for the sake of their livelihood, they bear it until one day when they cannot.” They claim that with the cases of increasing heart attack, the death rate of Khrew remains higher than in the other districts.
According to noted pulmonologists of Valley, even if protective measures are taken in such industries, these fumes leave some level of adverse effects on humans. That, however, depends upon the duration of exposure to these toxins, they add.
“Exposure for a short duration of time causes irritation in nose and throat, cough and in some cases, minor injury to lungs,” states a retired pulmonologist who wishes to be anonymous. He explains how the intake of harmful gases over the years may lead to major respiratory diseases such as hypoxia, fibrosis, chronic lung diseases or cancer in some cases.
Hypoxia is a health condition where the inability of the lungs leads to an absence of enough oxygen in the body. The same, if not cured on time, may lead to death.
Rising Air Pollution: A looming health and environmental crisis
Various local and national researchers have declared that Kashmir is slowly losing its fresh air and clean atmosphere. Air pollution is on the rise, especially in the winter months.
In 2022, Director SKIMS, Dr Parvaiz Koul attributed around 10,000 deaths in J&K to air pollution every year. As per UT’s official data, Kashmir’s Air Quality Index is gradually going into a poor category.
The rapid increase in air pollution has various factors at play such as brick kilns, burning of fuel and wood, and vehicular pollution. However, according to different experts, one common reason for air pollution is the violation of environmental rules by cement factories.
According to the official data available at the Regional Cancer Centre, SKIMS, Soura there has been an alarming surge in the number of cancer cases in Kashmir during the last few years with the maximum prevalence of lung cancer. Verifying the same, another study by five Kashmiri medicos reveals that 10 percent of critically ill patients in Kashmir suffer from lung cancer and experts term it as an “Imminent Disaster.”
Struggles with livelihood and pollution
Almost 8.4 km away from Khrew is the Pampore area, known as the “Saffron Bowl” of Kashmir. But the tag may soon be taken away from it as its fertile land is turning barren due to air pollution.
Jammu & Kashmir is the largest producer of saffron in the country. Saffron cultivation is being persuaded by more than 30,000 families here.
According to cultivators, since 2015, saffron production has seen a rapid downfall. “Not only are they taking away our good health, but they are snatching from us sources of our livelihood too,” protests Saima.
As per the Department of Agriculture, in the past 20 years, land under saffron cultivation has decreased by 60%. It was 5707 hectares in 1996 but now, it is not more than 3000 hectares. While passing by the Pampore town, it was a common sight to watch saffron spread over large fields. However, this autumn one could easily notice the decline in the production.
In the last few years, the practice of growing saffron inside a living room is also interesting farmers. Saima, whose family has been engaged in the occupation for years, says that “even we are gradually switching to indoor cultivation. This concept is more beneficial to those who have no or less land.”
On the other hand, the factory owners and government have never tried to properly solve the crisis of people. People demand to “reduce emissions.” While many promises are made on paper but practically, there is no record of any cement factory being held accountable.
Locals further accuse these factory owners of halting the process of upgrading the primary health centre, Khrew. The reason they believe is to keep people unaware of the poisonous effects of cement factory emissions.
Locals of Khrew complain that what they once thought was an employment-generating opportunity for them has now turned into a bane.
Conflicting claims and lingering neglect
As per the State Pollution Control Board, effective measures are taken by them to reduce air pollution. Aijaz Ahmad, an air quality analyst, objects that cement factories use all necessary pollution-controlling devices like filter bags and electrostatic precipitators and hence pollution is in control.
“In fact, there is an instrument attached to the chimneys of factories which helps in online monitoring of particular matter levels,” he briefs. This monitoring system is directly connected to the Central Pollution Control Board.
Ahmad reveals that although 100% of pollution cannot be controlled but fumes from cement factories are not the lone cause of air pollution in Khrew area. Vehicular pollution, stone crushing and mining are also major contributors to fluctuating air quality index.
In December 2022, the J&K Government also constituted a committee to study the increasing levels of pollution emitted by the cement factories in Khrew and Khonmoh areas.
Meanwhile, Ali, who has actively participated in a number of campaigns, protests and talks held with the government over this issue, grieves that nothing has ever paid off. “Owners of these factories are friends with those in power. Governments come and go but we’re still unheard,” he asserts.
Ali believes that although he can easily get a high-paying job outside Kashmir but becoming a part of the system, according to him, is the “only way to solve this long-ignored issue.” He concludes by saying, “They treat us like animals and still, we’ve been neglected.”
