Hyderabad: Tension gripped Pedda Dhanwada village in Telangana’s Jogulamba Gadwal district on Wednesday as the protest by villagers against the proposed establishment of an ethanol plant turned violent.
Farmers from surrounding villages gathered in large numbers and damaged the vehicles of the company, setting up the plant. They also set afire tents and a container and chased away the company’s employees.
Police tried to control the protesters but were outnumbered by them. Armed with sticks and raising slogans, the protesters attacked cars and other vehicles belonging to the company.
The villagers have been opposing the proposal to establish the ethanol plant. They urged authorities to cancel the permission given to the company.
However, the company reportedly mobilised men and material on Tuesday evening to begin work on the plant. This enraged the farmers and other villagers, who gathered in large numbers in Pedda Dhanwada in Rajoli mandal and staged the protest.
They sat on the road, raising slogans to demand an immediate halt to the work. Police rushed to the spot. There was a heated argument between the two sides.
The protesters turned violent and began attacking the company’s vehicles and tents. The villagers said that they would continue their protest till the work is stopped on the ethanol plant.
They have been protesting against the proposed plant since last year. The BJP has extended support to the farmers and demanded the cancellation of the factory’s approval.
BJP district president S. Ramachandra Reddy had warned that if the plan to build the ethanol plant was not stopped, there would be a strong public backlash.
The BJP leaders alleged that authorities and the factory management colluded to secure permissions through false information. There are allegations that several mandatory regulations were ignored in the approval process.
According to them, the regulations say that villages should not exist within a 10 km radius of the factory, it should not have nearby roads, land must not be suitable for agriculture and approvals from the local village panchayat are required.
Villagers say that the proposed plant will have harmful effects on the area. They fear that the plant would lead to pollution and affect fertile agricultural land.