Include cancellation of industrial park project proposed near Mattewara Forest and Sutlej in manifestos, parties urged

Tribune News Service

Harshraj Singh

Ludhiana, February 7

Demanding cancellation of the modern industrial park project proposed to be set up near Mattewara Forest and the Sutlej, residents and environmental activists have sought from leaders of various political parties to make a promise in their poll manifestos that the project would be cancelled and no industry would be set up in any such eco-sensitive zone if their party was voted to power. The area falls under the Sahnewal Assembly constituency.

Medha Patkar wrote to Punjab CM over issue in December

While opposing the government’s plan to set up the park in the eco-sensitive area, noted social activist and environmentalist Medha Patkar had visited the Mattewara Forest and Sutlej banks in November 2021. In December last year, she had written to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, requesting him to change the location of the proposed industrial park project or cancel it for the protection of the Sutlej and the forest.

A number of residents from Sekhowal village and environmental activists have been opposing the project for over the past one year. The residents said they were dependent on the village land that was acquired by the government for the proposed industrial park. They said elected representatives failed to pay any attention to the matter.

Kashmir Singh of Sekhowal village said: “Many families belonging to the SC community used to grow crops on our village panchayat land that was acquired for the industrial park project. Thus, we have been opposing the project. We want the project must be cancelled by the government. Earlier, we had written to the Chief Minister in this regard but to no avail.”

Jaskirat Singh, an environmental activist, said: “A few political leaders have given verbal assurances that the industrial park near the forest and the Sutlej would be cancelled if their party forms the government in the state. But we want written assurances regarding the same. We demand from the parties that they must clear their stand on the matter in their poll manifestos. The project must be cancelled and the residents concerned should be allowed to grow crops on that land. If any industry is set up there, it would be harmful to the eco-sensitive zone. The move would destroy the forest and pollute the river.”

While opposing the government’s plan to set up the park in the eco-sensitive area, noted social activist and environmentalist Medha Patkar had visited Mattewara Forest and Sutlej banks in November 2021. In December last year, she had written to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, requesting him to change the location of the proposed industrial park project or cancel it for the protection of the Sutlej and the forest.

Village residents, who had also moved court against the proposed project, claimed that nothing was done by the government to cancel the project till date.

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