Fire incident at Beacon macadamisationplant in Ganderbal,locals demand relocation of plant

Ganderbal, June 01: A sudden fire broke out at the Beacon macadamization plant located in Fraw Gund, central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, on Saturday, causing significant damage.
According to details, the fire erupted unexpectedly at the plant, prompting immediate action from the fire services and Gund Police,Locals, who quickly arrived at the scene and managed to extinguish the blaze.
Local residents, however, have voiced longstanding concerns regarding the plant’s location. They have repeatedly requested that Beacon relocate the plant due to health hazards posed by the smoke emitted during macadamization processes.
Ajaz Ahmad, a local resident, expressed that while the community does not oppose the macadamization plant itself, Beacon must implement measures to safeguard local health. “We are not against the Macadamization plant, but Beacon should take necessary steps for the health safety of locals,” Ahmad stated.
He further said that the smoke from the plant causes significant respiratory issues, particularly affecting children and the elderly. “Whenever smoke comes from the Beacon plant, the locals residing in and around the plant face many concerns, especially children and oldies face respiratory problems,” he added.
The issue extends to a nearby government-run school, situated just a few meters from the plant, where students also experience health problems due to the smoke.
Residents are now appealing to higher authorities of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Ganderbal district administration to relocate the macadamization plant to mitigate these health risks.