Punjab: Two held for protest outside Sangrur ethanol factory

Since August, village residents and union members had been protesting outside the Harp Chemicals factory, alleging air and water pollution, and demanding its complete closure

Police have arrested two villagers in connection with the over two-month protest outside an ethanol factory in Sangrur’s Jahangir village.

Confirming the arrests, Dhuri deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gurpreet Singh said five others had also been taken into preventive custody. (HT File)

Since August, village residents and union members had been protesting outside the Harp Chemicals factory, alleging air and water pollution, and demanding its complete closure. As part of the stir, Dhuri-Sherpur road was also blocked for 15 days, resulting in an FIR against the protesters on October 13.

Charges slapped included Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 285 (danger or obstruction in a public way or line of navigation), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 271 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 292 (public nuisance), 223 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), 287 (negligent conduct concerning fire or combustible matter), 351 (3) (aggravated criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the public peace), 308 (2) (extortion), 191 (2) (rioting) and 191 (3) (aggravated rioting), along with Section 3 of the Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Act, 2014.

On Wednesday, police cleared the protest site on high court directions amid allegations of lathicharge, and arrested two protesters, Lakhvir Singh and Gursewak Singh, under the October 13 FIR.

Earlier this month, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) had issued a show-cause notice to the factory over the alleged environmental violations.

According to the notice, the factory was discharging wastewater/leachate outside its premises in the form of wet boiler ash through loaded wet boiler ash tippers in violation of the Water Act, 1974.

It also stated that the industry was violating conditions stipulated in its Environmental Clearance granted to it, particularly with regard to the requirement to maintaining zero liquid discharge.