In blatant violation of rules governing environmental protection in Jammu and Kashmir, over 600 stone crusher units in the JK are breaching the measures mandatory to minimize the pollution levels. While these highly air polluting units are flouting the norms with impunity since past many years, the environmental watchdog, Pollution Control Board (PCB), is watching like a mute spectator. The dust emanating from the crushers has been causing renal failure, throat ailments and other infections in areas situated in the vicinity of the crushers. The dust has also adversely affected the cattle and the crops. According to the official records, of 688 registered stone crusher units across the JK 411 operate in Kashmir region. Being a red category industry, the pollution control norms for the stone crushers are being violated with impunity. As per SPCB norms, there should be three rows of trees encircling the stone crusher for reducing the impact of dust emission. But not a single tree has been planted at most of such units anywhere in the state especially in Jammu region. It has been reliably learnt that the concerned authorities including the educational, animal and sheep husbandry, PCB, PHE, agriculture, horticulture, forest, private schools and BDO have not issued any NOC to these units. However, in some cases fake NOCs have been managed as most of the crusher owners have strong links. They not only run their units illegally but most of them do not pay the electricity tariff as well. The authorities have to wake up and ensure that the norms are observed in totality. The stone crushers, as mentioned above, have caused serious ailments to the people living in the vicinity of the crushers. Human life should be the primary concern of the government. There is no denying the fact that stone crushers are needed but allowing them to violate the norms at the cost of human life cannot be justified by any means. Besides laying down norms, the SPCB has to come out and do the needful in the field. If it is also a rehabilitation centre for favourites, then it is not needed at all. The JK simply cannot afford a useless body. Let the government order a probe to ascertain how crushers are operating without getting NOCs from the concerned quarters. The civil society too has to play its role and take up the issue at various quarters.