Maria Imran 
The KP marble factories crackdown was initiated after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency took action against marble and chip units that did not comply, and the units were dumping industrial waste and slurry into clean water sources such as the Kabul River instead of using settling ponds.
KP Marble Factories Crackdown Targets River Pollution
The move protects water that communities, farms and cities rely on. Clean rivers are a basic public need, and visible enforcement signals that environmental rules apply to every industrial operator.
Units Sealed Across Peshawar, Mohmand and Khyber
Authorities sealed seven factories across Peshawar, Mohmand and Khyber districts, along with 11 chip units on Warsak Road in Peshawar. The units were cited for violating Environmental Protection Orders and operating without filtration plants.
The action rests on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Act, 2014, and the provincial Badalta, Nikharta aur Mazboot Khyber Pakhtunkhwa programme. It also follows Peshawar High Court directives on river pollution, which shows the courts and the executive moving in the same direction.
Wider Inspections and the Policy Path
The agency has scaled up inspections through its regional offices and issued notices to hundreds of industrial plants, steel mills and crushing units. The approach shows that pollution control is being treated as a province-wide priority.
Sealing is the first step, and lasting improvement depends on units installing proper settling ponds and filtration plants before reopening. Regular testing of river water, clear public reporting and support for small operators to meet standards would help protect the Kabul River while keeping a valuable industry and its jobs in business.
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