2 police constables injured in stone-pelting during protest over waste plant in Ghaziabad: Cops

Police said the situation escalated when villagers forcefully entered the locked plant after breaking its lock

Ghaziabad: Two police constables sustained injuries on Sunday after a mob protesting against a solid waste management plant in Ghaziabad’s Mirpur village allegedly pelted stones at a police team which was using mild force to disperse them, police officials said, adding that a few people have been but no case has been registered as yet.

Notably, the process to set up a solid waste management plant in Mirpur village by the Ghaziabad municipal corporation is underway, and residents of nearby villages are against it. (HT Archive)

Police said the situation escalated when villagers forcefully entered the locked plant after breaking its lock.

Police identified the injured constables by their single names as Mayank and Ranjeet. “They sustained head injuries due to stone pelting,” said Surendra Nath Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Ghaziabad (Rural).

Notably, the process to set up a solid waste management plant in Mirpur village by the Ghaziabad municipal corporation is underway, and residents of nearby villages are against it.

Officials said the villagers have been protesting against the plant for some time. “They believe that the plant will increase pollution, dirt, and health issues,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

A few days ago, the residents also held a protest and approached senior officials to share their opposition to the plant. “On Sunday afternoon, we received information that a group of villagers were protesting again. When a team reached the spot, they forcefully entered the sewage treatment plant by breaking its lock,” said DCP Tiwari.

“As the police team used mild force to disperse the crowd, they started pelting stones which hit two police personnel. Later, a few of the protesters were detained, and the injured personnel were rushed to a nearby hospital. Their condition is stable,” the DCP added.

On social media, a purported video also went viral that an elderly woman had died, but ACP (Loni) Siddharth Gautam said, “It is a fake news; no one died or sustained severe injuries.”

Another purported video of the incident surfacing on social media shows that police charged at villagers and assaulted them using sticks and batons. HT, however, could not independently verify the videos’ authenticity.

Despite multiple attempts, the Ghaziabad municipal corporation commissioner Vikramaditya Malik, and sub-divisional magistrate (Loni) Deepak Singhawal did not revert to HT’s calls or messages.