Suspecting bid to restart work on biogas plant, Akhara locals protest

Ludhiana: Fearing the govt would forcibly try to restart the stalled construction of a biogas plant they are opposing, residents of Akhara village displayed a show of strength near the project site on Monday as they brought out tractors and heavy machinery to block roads, pitched a camp, and served and ate langar at the protest itself.
The locals, along with residents of many other villages have been opposing biogas plant over health concerns.
Kanwaljit Khanna of Inquilabi Kendra Punjab, whose group is supporting the protest, said as the owners of under-construction biogas plants at Akhara, Bhundri and Mushkabad villages had moved high court to seek a nod for allowing the construction of their units, villagers had information that police would use force to get work started.
He added villagers blocked roads with the help of tractors, agricultural implements and trolleys at night itself, and then started a protest.
Men, women, and even children, under the banner of Biogas Factory Virodhi Sangharsh Morcha, sat on the protest and recited religious verses during the day. They had their meals at the protest site too, with women making rotis and children distributing them.
Though heavy police force reached the village in the morning, no action was taken because of the size of the protest. Speaking at the protest, BKU (Ekta Dakonda) state president Manjit Singh Dhanesar said Punjab govt should dispel the illusion that it will be able to forcefully end the struggle. He added people will never tolerate pressure tactics. “People dso not want death in the name of development,” he said.
Jagtar Singh Dehadka, district president of Bharati Kisan Union (Ekta Dakonda), said AAP govt in Punjab should remember it made health and education its main agenda. “We will not tolerate its plan to bring destruction in the guise of development,” he said.
Now, a meeting of the morcha has been called on Thursday to decide on future course of action. For the moment, the protest is expected to continue.
Kanwaljit Khanna said studies showed the plants raised local population’s risk to cancer. In a similar fashion, the residents of Bhundri village, where too a factory is coming up, started protesting on Tuesday, even as the plant’s construction has been suspended.