Daily Times

LAKKI MARWAT: So far 40 people of Pezu Town have died while more than 140 have been suffering from various diseases caused by the environmental pollution of Lucky Cement Limited (LCL) but the government has allegedly turned blind eye to the miseries of the affectees. Talking to Daily Times at Darra Pezu, the family members and relatives of the victims said the Lucky Cement Factory, being a large establishment in South Asia, was installed in the 90’s and started its operation in 1996 in the valley of Sheikhbadin Mountain in Darra Pezu Town of Lakki Marwat district.

“We provided job opportunities, which would not only be provided to the jobless youths but also developed the area, but with the passage of time all such dreams went up in smoke,” Ihsanullah Khan said. They said that the management had not yet paid the price of the land acquired for the installation of the factory in the 90’s and added that some of them moved to local courts for seeking justice.

Masood Khan, resident of Pezu Town, revealed that his 12-year-old brother, Muhammad Usman, suffering from cancer died 18 months ago.

He added that his mother is a tuberculosis patient while his one and half-year-old son, Uzair, and seven and half-year-old daughter, Umaima, also suffer from blood cancer. He said that his uncle, Hidayatullah, who suffered from blood cancer, died in December 2014.

Another victim, Gulzar, 76, said that he had been suffering from tuberculosis for the last eight years and his treatment was also still continued, adding that his 22-year-old niece, Safia, died of cancer. Wiping his tears, he said that his 25-year-old nephew, Gultayaz, also died of cancer and now his 18-year-old niece, Shakeela, was suffering from tuberculosis. Ihsanullah said that his six-year-old son, Muhammad Amir,
was suffering from blood cancer.

They complained that so far 40 people in Pezu town have died due to environmental pollution caused by the factory while more than 140 were suffering from various fatal diseases, including cancer, blood cancer, asthma, kidney-related problems, skin problems, lung-related problems, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

They said that the management had done nothing to control environmental pollution and successive governments did not pay attention towards the problems either.

“Let me ask the management of the factory whether they have paid any compensation to the families of those who died of the environmental pollution caused by the factory?” asked Pir Ameer Shah.

Despite several attempts, the General Manager Muhammad Shabbir and Deputy General Manager Anwar Tariq were unavailable for comment.