Sadaf Shabir
Srinagar: In the picturesque Kashmir Valley, nestled just 20 kilometres from the bustling city centre of Srinagar, lies Khrew—a once-idyllic town now mired in a toxic haze. What was once renowned for its lush saffron fields has transformed into a community grappling with the devastating impact of industrial pollution.
At the heart of Khrew’s plight are its six cement factories, touted for local employment but silently poisoning the air and its inhabitants. According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Khrew bears the grim distinction of the highest death rate in the district, with respiratory ailments and related complications claiming lives at an alarming rate.
“Pollution has taken over this entire area. We are witnessing the lowest snowfall and rainfall ever, leading to health hazards like suffocation, asthma, and lung failure,” laments Mohammad Shafi, a resident of Khrew.
Shafi’s words echo the sentiments of a community ravaged by declining environmental conditions. Saffron farmers, like Syed Mohammad Shafi, a retired government school principal now tending his saffron farm in Pampore, face reduced crop yields due to cement dust, despite their fields being distant from the industrial epicenter.
“One can imagine the situation in fields closer to these industries,” remarks Shafi, emphasizing the deteriorating air quality driven by greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite the presence of six cement factories in the area, the people of Khrew, Wuyan, etc., were not provided with employment opportunities,
“The situation here is dire—we can’t even use water due to pollution, and everyone is afflicted with chest diseases. Hospitals are out of reach. Despite six factories operating in our village, corporate social responsibility is absent. They could have built a hospital or provided employment, but we’re left only with suffering.” said Ghulam Mohammad senior resident of area.
Cement dust released by the nearby factories primarily contains nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which get accumulated on the flowers, impacting the growth, quality and quantity of saffron. The list also includes other waste products like bottom ash, crushed concrete fines, filter residue, paper ash and lignite fly ash, that impact the overall cultivation process and end product. The harmful gases and other by-products are produced in large quantities, making the dust basic with a pH of 12-13, affecting vegetative and reproductive growth.
Large volumes of cement dust also results in decreased chlorophyll, clogged stomata in leaves, interrupted light absorption and gas diffusion, inducing early leaf fall and resulting in stunted growth.
Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, director of the Department of Agriculture Production & Farmers Welfare, Kashmir, highlights additional challenges. “Factors like land diversion for housing and industry, erratic rainfall patterns due to climate change, and increased mechanization in farming have all contributed to declining saffron production,” explains Iqbal, stressing the critical link between saffron farming and the region’s climate.
The community’s outcry is loud and clear. Residents of Khrew and neighboring areas demand action, urging authorities to address the industrial pollution that threatens not only their health but also their traditional way of life.
Amid Kashmir’s verdant landscapes, Khrew’s struggle serves as a stark reminder of the toll exacted by industrial progress and environmental neglect. As the region contends with climate change and encroaching urbanization, the battle for clean air and sustainable growth in Khrew embodies a broader, urgent dilemma faced by communities worldwide.
Dr. Naveed Nazir, senior pulmonologist and head of Srinagar’s chest disease hospital, highlights the concerning trend: “We are seeing a significant influx of patients from Khrew, Wuyan, and nearby industrial zones suffering from COPD, asthma, and TB. Daily exposure to dust and toxins is undoubtedly contributing to these cases.”
Based on the findings and assessments conducted in Khrew, Jammu and Kashmir, it is evident that the area is facing critical pollution due to industrial activities, particularly from cement factories. The Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) score highlights the severity of dust pollution and fugitive emissions in the region. As a response, regulatory bodies like the J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) have imposed a moratorium on establishing new air-polluting units since 2021.
Additionally, a joint team from the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recently inspected the area to assess compliance with environmental norms. Following this inspection, the CPCB has issued directives to the J&KPCC to take corrective actions against specific cement units found to be deficient in meeting pollution control standards. This underscores the imperative for strict enforcement of regulations to mitigate the adverse environmental impact of industrial operations in Khrew and similar areas.
