Zira factory’s closure: Upbeat Punjab farmers gear up for legal battle
Protesters ‘warmly welcome’ CM Mann’s announcement but want distillery shut permanently; to meet tomorrow to chalk out strategy
Two hours before chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced the closure of the liquor factory at Zira in Ferozepur district, a three-member panel of the Punjab and Haryana high court met the protesters and factory owners on Tuesday.
Also read: Punjab CM announces closure of Zira liquor factory amid pollution protests
Justice RK Nehru along with committee members Viraj Tidke, additional commissioner, excise and taxation, and Babbar Khan, advocate, besides a battery of local officials, met the protesters near Malbros International Private Limited, an alcohol-making unit at Mansurwal village in Zira sub division.
During the interaction, the protesters showed video recordings and photos to the committee to support their charges of pollution being caused by the liquor unit.
Representatives of the factory also met the committee and said they were doing nothing illegal.
“We heard both sides and asked them to submit their pleas in the form of affidavits to be submitted before the Punjab and Haryana high court as the matter is sub-judice,” Justice Nehru told reporters.
Protesters welcomed chief minister Mann’s announcement in Chandigarh.
“Though late, we warmly welcome Bhagwant Mann’s decision,” said Sandeep Dhillon, a member of the Sanjha Morcha Zira. “It’s a symbolic victory. The legal battle for permanent closure of the factory has begun. We are meeting other farm unions who helped us in this struggle,” said Baldev Singh Zira, a farm leader, while addressing the protesters.
“In the second week of July, a borewell was dug at the gurdwara of Miayanwala Kalan, 4km from Mansurwal. At 670 feet, we found polluted water, which was smelling like lahan (raw liquor). It was dark brown. We raised the issue with the authorities but no action was taken so we launched an indefinite dharna outside the factory,” said Roman Brar, another farm leader.
Clean chit not accepted
Since July 24, farmers and natives of 44 villages surrounding the factory have been protesting the alleged contamination of groundwater by the ethanol plant owned by former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA and liquor baron Deep Malhotra.
Protesters alleged contamination of groundwater in villages due to the discharge from the alcohol-ethanol-making unit that has been shut since July 26.
Environmentalist and Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal also visited the spot along with National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairman Justice Jasbir Singh. The team took water samples and gave a clean chit to the factory but protesters did not accept the NGT report and continued with their agitation.
Persistent protest pays
Protesters have been alleging violation of environmental norms by the unit. However, the government admitted in court that the unit has commenced operations according to norms. The government admitted that protesters were sitting on dharna illegally. From time to time, the court ordered that the protest be lifted. However, the authorities failed to clear the site of protesters.
On October 19, seeing non-compliance with its orders, the high court ordered the state to deposit ₹5 crore with the registry and in November was told to deposit ₹15 crore and a committee headed by justice Nehru (retd) was set up to examine losses incurred by the firm and asked to submit a report within two months.
The next hearing of the case is on February 28.
Reports of water and soil samples collected from the vicinity of the factory in the first week of January are expected next week.