Impact of cement factories in saffron cultivation Pulwama district of Kashmir

Investigations on the impact of cement factories on saffron farming in Kashmir valley, carried out through group discussions among 30 respondents of three saffron growing villages, Khrew, Khanmoh, and Wuyan, revealed that the pollution caused by cement factories immensely affected its corm, stigma and petals resulted into sharp decline in saffron production, productivity, marketing and the industry in particular. The study suggested strict enforcement of environmental policies and procedures by the government pollution management agencies of the area.