Water shortage in Dhoke Juma, Dhoke Kalhore and other localities of Cantonment Board Rawalpindi is creating inconvenience and problems for the residents of these areas.
Talking to APP, the residents of the area complained against the water shortage. Chaudhary Muhammad Ashfaq, Syed Salam Hashmi, Mirza Sarwar Baig, Malik Muhammad Zaheer Awan, Muhammad Saghier and others said water had not been supplied to the area for the last few days whereas the department of water supply was playing a role of a silent spectator.
The residents said they were compelled to purchase water tankers at exorbitant rates due to water shortage. They urged the authorities concerned to take notice of the situation and adopt solid steps for regular water supply to them.
Lead exposure can increase violent crimes: US researchers have found that high levels of lead contamination in urban areas can increase the rates of aggressive and violent behaviours among civilians.
Lead exposure through diet can cause severe poisoning and vital organ damages and breathing lead dust may cause growth problems in children, Iranian Press TV reported.
In a recent investigation, researchers of Tulane University in New Orleans found a possible association between childhood exposures to the lead dust emitted from older vehicles and aggressive behaviour later in life.
Howard W. Mielke, Sammy Zahran and their colleagues compared the amount of lead released in six major US cities between 1950 and 1985, including Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New Orleans and San Diego. The data revealed that the rate of aggravated assault increased among children who were born and grew up in those cities.
According to the finding, the overall current rate of aggravated assault increased by about one-half of a percentage point for every one percent increase in tonnages of environmental lead that was released more than two decades earlier.
“Up to 90 percent of the variation in aggravated assault across the cities is explained by the amount of lead dust released 22 years earlier,” Mielke said.
Although the study just found an association and not a cause and effect relation between lead and violence, the authors suggest that reducing pollution can reduce the toll for next generations. “Our findings along with others predict that prevention of children’s lead exposure from lead dust now will realise numerous societal benefits two decades into the future, including lower rates of aggravated assault.”
Rawalpindi city being made neat, clean: Dr Mazhar: Rawalpindi is being made a model city as a comprehensive campaign to clean all union councils of the city is going on in full swing.
Solid Waste Management District Officer Dr Mazhar Azeem told APP that a comprehensive campaign was launched to make the city pollution-free. He said cleanliness campaign was underway in 46 union councils of Rawalpindi city and eight of Potohar Town. He said all-out efforts are being made to make Rawalpindi a model city. He urged the citizens to come forward and play their role for the beautification and decoration of the city.
Dr Mazhar Azeem, expressing his satisfaction over the performance of the department concerned, said about 4,300 tonnes of garbage from 54 union councils of Rawal and Potohar towns during cleanliness campaign had been removed so far.
He said 700 tonnes of debris of demolished buildings was also lifted from main roads and streets. The department sacked four sanitary workers and started an inquiry against seven employees for remaining absent from duty.
He said MNAs and MPAs of Rawalpindi city were also visiting different city areas to check progress of the cleanliness drive.
A special weeklong cleanliness drive was started on April 26 in Rawalpindi city areas on the directives of Rawalpindi Commissioner Imdad Ullah Bosal.
The drive is directly being supervised by District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar. The second phase of the sanitation campaign is in progress and one union council each in four provincial constituencies of Rawalpindi city is being cleaned everyday while the garbage collected daily is also lifted on the same day.
He said all-out efforts would be made to make the drive a success while the standard of cleanliness would also be maintained in future.
