Hub is one of the largest industrial cities in Balochistan. While it faces numerous challenges including crime, unemployment, and electricity shortage amongst more, one of its major issues is the Industrialisation problem. Hub is full of many industries that were built many years ago in order to transform Hub, but its own people have not yet benefitted from those industries and have only been inconvenienced instead.
Generally, industries should be constructed at least 200km away from a city or village. However, in Hub, many industries are close to residential areas including some of the biggest companies. They are also involved in all kinds of pollution be it water, air, land, or noise. The companies also drain the city of its water resources, and the people are left high and dry without water for farming or even drinking. Trapped in poverty, they cannot afford water delivered by truck and have to walk miles in search of it. People living in Karachi are working here but the people who live near these industries are unemployed.
Many industries in Hub have their own shifts, which consequently causes traffic jams on a daily basis. Traffic is no longer a rarity that happens on weekends, it occurs every day now. Adding to that, these industries release many dangerous gases, especially at nighttime. If you visit their area at night, you will very evidently have trouble breathing. The people living there face respiratory problems and have no choice but to wear masks whenever they leave their homes.
Apart from health risks, the industries are also involved in a ‘contract system’ which is detrimental to employees. The contract system turns labours in slaves, forcing them to work for more than 8 hours a day without even receiving half of the minimum wage. They work for 12 hours straight with no medical care, no permanent job and no rights. If they take a single day off, their salary is deducted. When they grow old and weak, they are thrown away like useless tools – no pension, no reward for their years of hard work. Is this justice? Is this humanity?
Factories keep running. Owners keep getting richer. But the workers? They continue to break under the weight of exploitation. When these industries were first established, people were largely uneducated. They were promised jobs which only a few received while the majority have been left struggling for employment. Today, people are well educated and aware. It is time to take serious action against these silent killers. The authorities must step up and support us in this fight.
Ali KB
Hub
