Stone crushing operations endangering Margallas
This article was written by Muhammad Majid Bashir and Faryal Ayub
The stone crushing operations in Taxila have resulted in every major monument being affected by the shockwaves emitted during the blasting and quarrying of rock
Pakistan has been blessed with abundant natural and cultural beauty, where the evolution of some of the world’s leading civilisations can be traced. From the five thousand year old Indus Valley Civilisation to the more recent Buddhist settlement, the land of Pakistan has witnessed numerous civilisations flourish. It is therefore very unfortunate that the government has neglected its duty in protecting and preserving our cultural heritage and landscape. The scenic beauty of Pakistan can attract million of tourists every year.
The stone crushing activity prevalent near and around the Taxila region has lately become an alarming issue and needs to be dealt with urgently. Taxila, tracing its history back to the Gandhara Civilisation, is a cultural heritage site protected under federal law since 1982. Likewise, owing to its rich and diverse culture, it has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Hence, to keep us intact with the Gandhara Civilisation, protection and preservation of the site is imperative as international commitment as well. The region was once believed to be a hub of Buddhism, bearing evidence of urban evolution and hosting some of the most remarkable archaeological sites such as Saraikala, Bhir, Sirkap, and Sirsukh. The new Islamabad airport fortunately compliments this area, and can open the corridor for cultural tourism in the region.
The stone crushing operations in Taxila have resulted in every major monument being affected by the shockwaves emitted during the blasting and quarrying of rock. Taxila Museum has also suffered immense shockwaves, causing precious artifacts to fall off shelves and shatter into pieces. Presently there are over a hundred stone crushers working close to the ruins of Taxila who were issued leases in the 1980s. Keeping in view the grim situation, the Environmental Protection Agency requested the provincial government to suspend the issuing and renewing of licenses. By continuing the activity on expired licenses, the stone crushing owners are contravening the PEPA. Accordingly, the owners of stone-crushing plants are commencing their projects without approval of EPA. If the project is deemed environmentally safe, EPA issues a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the owners. However, due to lack of proper administration, stone crushers are often found to proceed without an NOC.
Although there are several laws protecting cultural heritage sites, crushers continue to work without valid licenses. The Constitution (18th Amendment) Act 2010 bestows the provincial governments with full administrative and financial authority over all heritage sites located in their respective provinces. All these places are protected antiquity under the Antiquities Act 1975, it is prohibited to destruct or damage any protected antiquity and those who continue with their operations may find themselves on the other side of the law. The federal government may also, under the law, prohibit or restrict the movement of heavy vehicles for the purpose of protecting immovable antiquities. By proceeding in contravention of these provisions and endangering the cultural heritage of Taxila, the stone crushers are in effect disregarding the Constitution, which provides for the protection and preservation of culture.
The crushing plants generate high amounts of dust, giving rise to substantial quantity of fine fugitive dust emissions. This can cause severe health problems such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, skin infections, lung diseases, and various other infections. Therefore, the crushers must adopt suppression methods to reduce and control the release of excessive dust.
The dust also adversely affects visibility, reduces growth of vegetation and deteriorates the ecosystem, biodiversity, and landscape of the region. With the total amount of particulates in the atmosphere increasing, particulates may absorb incoming solar radiation, causing an increase in the atmospheric and land surface temperature. It has also resulted in a large number of animals being affected, with the danger of some species going extinct and the workers and local habitant’s health is also at stake.
The dust also adversely affects visibility, reduces growth of vegetation and deteriorates the ecosystem, biodiversity, and landscape of the region
All developed countries have made strict legislation to protect and preserved their heritage for the purpose of study and research to their future generation. Tourism is considered one of the main sources of income as well. Millions of tourists go to USA, UK, Europe, Africa and Far East to visit world renowned places. Pakistan has to protect these historical places from these mafias not only for tourists but also for our own children. The government of Pakistan has ratified many international conventions and treaties for the protection of these historical places and cultural heritage. The world community and UN specialised agencies have reserved huge amounts of money for repair and maintenance of these places. So Pakistan is under international legal obligation to protect and preserve the sanctity of these places, its adjacent areas and environment. It would be a matter of shame if our children ask us about the ruins of historical places instead of visiting them physically.
