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Photo Feature
Living Stone
A photofeature by Khaled Hasan
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| Amidst the beauty of the tea gardens and scenic spots in Jaflong, Sylhet are as many as 250 towering stone-crushing machines, working day and night to process rocks and stones brought down from India by the flow of the Piyain River. An average of 2,000 to 3,000 truckfuls of stones are crushed here daily for the construction industry. |
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| Apart from creating huge dust clouds, pollution from the stone-crushing industry is expected to severely affect surrounding arable land as well as the area's biodiversity. Also under threat is the health of the 2,000 men, women and children engaged in the backbreaking work of stone labourers. Many children working here have suffered hearing problems due to the high-pitched sound emitted by the machines.
At the current high rates of erosion due to uncontrolled stone collection, it is predicted that the closest Khasia villages will be destroyed within the next five years. So far, the government has yet to take any initiative to prevent the inevitable environmental crisis in Jaflong. |
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