Takhar: Environmental pollution sparks public concerns

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Residents of northern Takhar province are concerned about increasing environmental pollution.

They link the growing pollution to the failure to enforce urban culture and the lack of air filters in hotels and public baths.

Eng. Abdullah, a resident of Taloqan, believed inhabitants of the provincial capital were unfamiliar with the urban culture.

He regretted many people tended to throw garbage wherever they wanted. Public baths, having no air filters to get rid of smoke, burnt coal, he noted.

Hotels owners did not follow cleanliness rules, a practice that contributed to pollution, lamented Abdullah, who asked provincial officials to address the issue.

Hujatullah Kheradmand, another resident of Taloqan, everyone would follow if hotel owners followed hygiene rules and controlled the smoke emitted by baths.

Kheradmand emphasised upon the government to pay due attention to dealing with the problem.

But Mohammad Amir, a hotel owner, commented: “If public health official close down hotels that don’t adhere to hygiene rules, we will try to ensure cleanliness in accordance with their instructions.”

By ensuring cleanliness, hotels could attract more customers, he added.

Environment Protection Director Dr. Zubair Naeemi told Pajhwok Afghan News their monitoring teams were inspecting parts of Taloqan daily.

At least 70 percent of public baths had installed air filters in their chimneys amid attempts to force all such facilities to complete the process and thereby address people’s concerns, he claimed.

Health officials have put in place an incinerator in the provincial capital to protect the city and its residents from the risks associated with environmental pollution.

aw/mud

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