It’s back to square one at Zira plant

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, December 30

After several rounds of parleys and umpteen U-turns, the situation is back to square one at Mansurwala village as protesters have again decided not to join the fact-finding panels despite an official notification regarding formation of the committees by the DC’s office today.

Each time, things start moving forward to ascertain the facts about the charges of alleged contamination of groundwater, death of cattle and spread of diseases, besides declining soil fertility, reportedly due to the pollution caused by an ethanol plant at Mansurwala in Zira, the protesters come up with a new set of demands.

Village bans sale of liquor

• Panchayat of Mansurdeva village has banned sale of liquor and habit-forming substances from January 1
• Anybody found involved in the sale of liquor, cigarette and tobacco will be fined Rs 10,000, said the sarpanch

Yesterday, members of the ‘Sanjha Morcha’ had agreed to cooperate with the panels. Even joint lists for various committees had been prepared.

It was decided that members of the health analysis committee would set up their camps in the nearby villages and the Civil Surgeon had set up three teams for the same.

However, when a check-up camp was set up at Ratol Rohi village, a section of villagers claimed that neither doctors were mentioning their names on the prescription slip nor it was stamped.

Will inform court

The court will be apprised of the situation. The panels constituted by the government are doing their work. Now, Sanjha Morcha should also cooperate with the committees.”— Sagar Setia, ADC (G)

“How can we trust such a document, which has no authenticity?” said one of the villagers. Following this, the medical team left the venue to avoid any untoward situation.

In another incident, Jiwanjyot Kaur, recommended member of the Environment Issues and Public Hearing Committee, said the government nominated members had not brought any equipment to check the release of water into the ground.

The morcha alleged the ethanol plant management was trying to destroy the evidence and the district administration was hand in glove.

Kapil Dev, a public action committee member, said, “The plant owners are trying to fiddle with tubewells, which were exposed by villagers on social media. The police have not registered any complaint against the factory owners so far.”

The Sanjha Morcha has written to the CM, demanding that the ethanol plant owners should be booked under Section 302 of the IPC following the death of Rajvir Singh, who resided near the unit.

“The government should take cognisance of the interview, which Rajvir had given a few days ago before his death, and consider it as his dying declaration. The plant owners should be booked,” demanded members of the morcha, adding that they had no faith in the committees, constituted by the CM.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, chief, BKU (Rajewal), along with his supporters joined the dharna today. He said several NOCs had been issued to industrial units, which destroyed the environment.

Meanwhile, former DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon also joined the protesters today.

ADC (G) Sagar Setia said, “The Water Contamination and Cattle Committees started their work today at the secondary-level. However, the teams of the Health Department faced protest at Ratol Rohi village.”