Khak-i-Jabbar residents resent poultry feed plant odour

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some residents of the Muslimabad area of Kabul’s Khak-i-Jabbar district complain they are tired of the odour on a local poultry feed plant, whose officials reject the criticism as misplaced and selective.

This plant in Kunj area produces feed, using wings, intestines and other parts of chicken slaughtered in different parts of Kabul.

Some area residents claim the bad smell emanating from the feed plant had created multiple problems for them.

Abdul Latif, an inhabitant of the locality, told Pajhwok Afghan News people were in trouble because of the nasty smell.

This stink, he claimed, had caused asthma and harmed the respiratory system of residents.

“If a stranger comes to this area, he or she is likely to end up in hospital on the first night,” Latif commented.

Another resident, Haji Mir Wali, confirmed the level of the odour increased drastically at night.

He explained: “The stink spreads at night because plant operators remove air filters to lower the power consumption level.”

They had neither enmity with the plant owners nor wanted employment there, Mir Wali added.

Some other residents held similar views and asked the government to find a solution for the problem.

But an official of the plant, Ahmadullah, told Pajhwok the factory was located three kilometres from the residential area, but some locals grumbled about it without rhyme or reason.

According to him, nearly 14 million afghanis have been spent on the feed- producing plant, where 45 people are employed.

“We have installed filters for preventing air pollution and it emits no odour,” the official insisted.

Ahmadullah said a delegation from the Environment Protection Authority had visited the factory last year and approved the plant’s operation, as it met the requisite standards.

At the same time, Mullah Ghulam Sediq Danish, administrative chief for Khak-i-Jabbar, said they had received complaints from some people against the plant.

Danish said they had shared the petition with EPA, whose delegation visited the area. Since the locality was away from the factory the smell did not affect its inhabitants. The authority thus allowed the factory to function.

The district chief promised they would once again assess the situation together with EPA representatives. They would address if there was any issue, he concluded.

aw/sa/mud

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