Locals staged a sit-in outside Doraha police station on Wednesday night against a chemical factory in Bishnupura village of Khanna in Ludhiana district. Farmer leaders also joined the protest. The protesters blocked traffic on the service road and raised slogans against the Punjab Police and the factory owners.
The villagers said that land was taken in the name of a tile factory in Bishnupura, but later a chemical factory was set up there. The stench of chemicals emanating from the factory is spreading in the surrounding areas. When the administration did not take any action, the youth of the village took the initiative themselves.
The villagers caught a tanker on Tuesday, which was spilling chemicals on government land in Barmalipur village. The tanker was handed over to the police, but when the Pollution Control Board team arrived on Wednesday to take samples, the tanker was found empty. The villagers allege that evidence has been destroyed. Investigating officer Hardam Singh claimed that the tanker was already empty. The protesters were assured of appropriate action by Thursday. After this the protest ended.