Contamination of groundwater: ‘Sanjha Morcha’ protest outside Zira ethanol plant on for two years

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, July 28

Braving the weather vagaries for the past two years, members of the ‘Sanjha Morcha’ have been protesting outside the ethanol plant run by Malbros International Private Limited at Mansurwala village in Zira for contaminating groundwater.

The protesters along with hundreds of people belonging to nearby villages gathered at a gurdwara in Mahiawala Kalan and decided to write open letters to all MPs of Punjab so that this matter could be raised in Parliament during the monsoon session.

Roman Brar, a member of the ‘Sanjha Morcha’, said they would not relent till the time their demands were met. “We are waiting for the final hearing by the NGT on August 9, following which we will decide our next move,” said Fateh Dhillon, another member of the morcha.

On January 17, 2023, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had announced the closure of this ethanol plant on his social media account. However, the protesters refused to lift the dharna and asked for written orders, which are still awaited.

The protesters have also been demanding compensation for the families who lost their kin due to ailments allegedly caused by the contaminated groundwater and penalty against the plant administration, besides setting up of a multi-specialty hospital in the area.

“The government should also announce a special package for the people belonging to nearby villages where the groundwater has been contaminated,” said Brar.

On July 16, a team of the Enforcement Directorate had conducted raids at seven locations belonging to former SAD MLA Deep Malhotra, including at this ethanol plant, and reportedly recovered Rs 78.15 lakh.