Post NGT clean chit, Ferozepur DC asks protesters to shift from Zira ethanol plant

Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, September 30

A National Green Tribunal (NGT) report submitted to the district administration, regarding charges of contamination of groundwater by an ethanol plant in Zira sub-division, has given it a clean chit.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amrit Singh, along with Senior Superintendent of Police Surinder Lamba and Additional Deputy Commissioner (G) Sagar Setia today met the protesters who have been sitting on a dharna outside the plant for the past two months at Mansurwala village.

The officials exhorted the protesters to the shift the dharna site 300 metres away from the plant to facilitate the movement of the workers inside the unit as per the instructions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The DC told the media that as per the NGT report, the groundwater of the area was not being affected due to the plant. She said the samples were taken from various sites suggested by the protesters. Since the report contained no adverse findings, the protesters should follow the instructions of the HC.

“If the protesters have any issues regarding the report, they can appeal in a court, but they cannot stop the entry of the employees who are coming to work at the plant,” said the DC.

Earlier, officials from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), including Superintending Engineer Rajiv Goyal and Executive Engineer Rohit Singla, had met the agitating farmers and tried to explain the findings of the NGT report to them, but in vain.

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