Ludhiana: Protest against Akhara village gas factory, shutdown sought

Residents of Akhara village once again took to streets, demanding the permanent closure of the gas factory operational in their village since April 30 last year

Residents of Akhara village once again took to streets, demanding the permanent closure of the gas factory operational in their village since April 30 last year. A large number of villagers, including women and elderly, marched through the village with flags of farmers’ unions, braving the biting cold. The protest culminated in a sit-in at the factory gates on the Akhara-Hathur road.

Residents of Akhara village during the protest on Monday. (HT Photo)

Addressing the demonstrators, Jagtar Singh Dehradakha, district president of Bharti Kisan Union-Ekta Dakonda, condemned the district administration and the police for their “attempts to resume factory operations”. He asserted that these efforts would not succeed under any circumstances. Singh praised the unity displayed by the residents, who, over the last eight months, have transformed the village’s reputation from one marked by “factionalism” to a shining example of harmony and collective resolve.

“This remarkable unity led the village to boycott the Lok Sabha elections and unanimously resolve disputes during the panchayat elections. It is this unity that guarantees the permanent closure of the cancer gas factory,” Singh said.

“A sangharsh committee formed by the villagers has submitted scientific evidence to the government proving that such factories are detrimental to public health and the environment, causing cancer. Despite four meetings wherein these points were presented, the government has failed to provide counter-evidence or studies to refute these claims,” he said.

Gurtej Singh Tej, village unit president and leader of the sangharsh committee, said the entire village stood united against the factory. “The residents are ready to make any sacrifice to halt its construction and operation,” he declared.

Inderjit Singh Dhaliwal, district secretary of the Bharti Kisan Union-Ekta Dakonda, announced that a significant number of Akhara residents would join the farmers’ mahapanchayat in Moga’s Dana Mandi on January 9, organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha. During the event, the issue of the gas factories in Ludhiana would be raised as a priority and projected as a state-wide concern. The village committee will also participate in an anti-gas factory rally in Bhundri village on January 10.

Notably, an expert committee, appointed by the Punjab government to address concerns of protesting farmers opposing the compressed biogas (CBG) projects in the state, has already stated that these environmentally friendly initiatives have no direct connection to cancer.

In September 2024, the committee, comprising experts from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), IIT-Ropar, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana, concluded that CBG plants were not carcinogenic if operated within the prescribed norms.