Katas Raj Temple case: CJ chides cement factories for spoiling entire ecosystem

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) on Wednesday held cement factories responsible for harming the entire environmental system by the act of sucking underground water of Katas Raj temple through drill bores.

Headed by the Chief Justice, a supreme court bench was hearing a suo moto case pertaining to the unlawful water utilization of Katas Raj Temple pond.

“Without paying any heed to laws, these cement factories sucked the underground water,” the top judge remarked while expressing concern that religious festivities of Hindu community are nearing and the pond has dried up.

On which the Additional Advocate General responded that global experts were working to resolve the issue.

“Previously, the streams used to fill up the pond, now the cement factories have torpedoed the whole ecosystem,” Justice Nisar lambasted. This is a criminal offense and action must be taken against it, he added.

Moreover, two locals of the area informed the bench that cement factories owe two billion rupees of duty which they are concealing from the bench.

During prior hearings of the case, a representative of the cement factory told the judges that some 80 thousand gallons of water is consumed by one cement plant.

In a nutshell, factories suck water through drill bores, which results in severe drop in the level of subsoil water, causing hardships to the local residents.