Postal highway blocked in protest against dust pollution

By Dhirendra Prasad Sah,Rajbiraj, May 21: Locals in Rajbiraj have blocked a section of the Postal Highway in protest against severe dust pollution, which they say has been causing serious health problems for years.

The road blockade began on Wednesday morning along the stretch from Hanuman Temple in Rajbiraj-1 to the Chanaura-Padariya area.

According to local resident Niranjan Jha, residents shut down traffic demanding proper dust control measures, regular water sprinkling and improvement of the under-construction road section.

He said the excessive dust has led to growing respiratory problems, allergies and other health issues among children, elderly people and the general public. “Despite repeated requests to the concerned authorities, no concrete steps were taken to solve the problem, forcing us to launch the protest,” he said.

Protesters also expressed dissatisfaction towards acting mayor of Rajbiraj Municipality, Ishrat Parveen, provincial assembly member Mahesh Yadav and federal parliamentarian Ramji Yadav, accusing them and other authorities of failing to address local problems seriously.

The protesters said they had been left with no option but to stage demonstrations, claiming that problems are not resolved without public pressure.

They also criticised the new government for not paying enough attention to the basic concerns of ordinary citizens.

Vehicular movement in the area has been completely disrupted due to the blockade. Local authorities and protesters are reportedly holding discussions in an attempt to resolve the issue.