Govt to reconsider ethanol factory, construction stops

• They intensified their protest and blocked highway, stating the ethanol factory will damage their lush green fields
• Dilawarpur mandal turns into a battlefield
• Many arrested in the morning
• Angry villagers throw stones at police vehicles

Nirmal: An ethanol factory has set fire to a green village. It has been causing sleeplessness in the eyes of the people of villages for a year. It has forced the people of the villages who have living peacefully to stage protests on roads. They have been protesting for a year against the establishment of a factory that will spew poison in the middle of green fields. However, there is no record of any response from either the leaders or the government. In the end, the agitation that has been going on for two days has led to tension.

The villagers have been protesting for a year to stop the ethanol factory being built amidst the green fields between Dilawarpur and Gundampelli villages. The dharna programme has been going on for a year in the Dilawarpur mandal center. The agitation has intensified for two days after the leaders and officials tried the villagers but to no avail. The protest has been going on the Bhainsa-Nirmal national highway since Tuesday. Due to this, vehicles on both sides were stopped. The police diverted the vehicles. They cooked and had meals on the highway. The farmers did not calm down even after the officials tried to pacify them. Nirmal RDO Ratna Kalyani tried to pacify the farmers, but she had to face strong opposition from the farmers. At one stage, the farmers attacked the RDO vehicle.

Ethanol controversy

People of both villages have been protesting for a year against the construction of an ethanol factory between Gundampelli villages in Dilawarpur mandal of Nirmal district. They have expressed their protest in front of the collector’s office several times and submitted petitions. Although the district Collector’s officials arranged a meeting with the farmers, the farmers did not stop their agitation as they did not get a proper answer. As the agitation intensified for two days, the Nirmal district Collector brought the matter to the notice of the government.

Tension in Dilawarpur

Tensions prevailed in the Dilawarpur mandal on Wednesday. At one stage, a heated argument broke out between the police and the people. A large number of police personnel were deployed and security arrangements were made under the leadership of District SP Janaki Sharmila. The police took this decision after the farmers’ agitation against the construction of an ethanol factory turned violent for two days. Farmers and people have been protesting in front of the Dilawarpur police station since Wednesday morning, protesting the arrest of the farmers and people who had taken up the agitation. The police were also seen arresting and detaining journalists who had gone for news coverage.

The people sat in a state of agitation demanding the unconditional release of those arrested and saying that they would not stop their agitation until they were released. Women protested with pesticide cans. The ethanol factory issue, which has become a bit of a headache for the authorities and the police.

Several arrested..

Police arrested several youths in Dilawarpur on Wednesday morning. Angry villagers confronted the police. They tried to stop them. It is learnt that police vehicles were attacked with stones to release the arrested people. Following this, the police were seen leaving the spot in their vehicles. The police shifted the arrested people to Sone, Nirmal and other police stations.

District Collector issues orders to stop factory work...

District Collector Abhilasha Abhinav held discussions with villagers regarding the ethanol factory in Dilawarpur mandal of Nirmal district. He said that the incident has been reported to the government and brought to the notice of the Chief Minister. The District Collector has issued orders to stop the factory work.

Govt reconsiders ethanol factory

The State government has responded to the ethanol factory controversy. It has decided to reconsider the permission given by the previous government. Moreover, the government intends to take a decision immediately. Meanwhile, the government has decided to reconsider the decision of the villagers of Dilawarpur in Nirmal district to block the ethanol factory, as it will damage their crops and the environment. It remains to be seen what decision the government will take on this.