1 week Ago By Shariq Majeed
Ludhiana: Residents of Akhara , Bhoundri, Muskhkabad and Ghungrali Rajputan villages deferred their plan to block the National Highway near Khanna by two days as the administration has fixed their meeting with three cabinet ministers in Chandigarh on September 11. The road blockade was part of their sustained campaign against biogas plants. The coordination committee of the protesters said that representatives from Patiala and Jalandhar would join them in the meeting and demand closure of such projects on the grounds of their adverse impact on the environment.
Biogas plants were being constructed in Akhara, Bhoundri and Mushkabad villages while the factory in Ghungrali Rajputan village near Khanna remained functional for around two years before villagers got it closed. Sukhdev Singh from the coordination committee of villages, said that they planned to block the Delhi Highway near Bija on September 10. He added that a team of government officers, including IG, law and order Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, among others held a meeting with their representatives on Sunday evening.
During the two and a half hour long meeting, the government team asked them to reconsider their plan to block the highway on the assurance of a meeting with cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora and Gurmeet Singh Khuddian at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh on September 11. “We told them that if they (ministers) don’t submit in writing that the factories will be closed, then we will proceed with the plan to block Delhi Highway on September 12. We are fully prepared for that,” said Sukhdev Singh.
He added that their experts, Dr Balwinder Singh Aulakh and Dr B K Saini had already provided inputs on the environmental and health impact of biogas plants during a meeting with the special chief secretary, Punjab government, V K Singh and others on August 20. DC Sakshi Sawhney confirmed that the meeting between coordination committee members and the cabinet ministers would be held in Chandigarh on September 11. Coordination committee member Kanwaljeet Khanna said that around 30 representatives, including members of sangharsh committees in villages where such plants are coming up, would attend the meeting in Chandigarh.
He added that farmer groups BKU (Bhartiya Kisaan Union) Ugrahan, BKU Dakonda, many branches of Sanyukt Kissan Morcha and residents of four villages of the district were with them in the struggle. The coordination committee said that preparations had been made to block the road if they did not receive a written assurance from the government and langar would be served at the site. According to residents, the stench emanating from biogas plants would lead to headaches, nausea and anxiety.
They claimed that there was an infestation of flies in Ghungrali Rajputan village, when the biogas plant was in operation..
