Unmoved by mass protests, Congress government to go ahead with ethanol plant at Pedda Dhanwada
Government is facilitating the project duly following Central government norms, says Industries Minister; claims the plant will not cause pollution due to the use of advanced technology
Hyderabad: Barely a week after violent protests erupted in Pedda Dhanwada village of Jogulamba Gadwal district against the construction of an ethanol plant, the State government has announced that it will go ahead with the controversial project, brushing aside environmental and livelihood concerns raised by farmers and residents.
Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu on Tuesday made it clear that the ethanol plant would be established, even as he accused the Opposition, particularly the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), of provoking farmers with ulterior motives instead of engaging with their concerns.
“It could get delayed by a few days, but the ethanol plant will be established,” he said, adding that the Centre was actively promoting ethanol units and the State government was facilitating the project “duly following Central government norms.”
“If there are any violations of rules stipulated by the Centre, we will not support it,” he said. He also claimed that the plant would not cause pollution due to the use of advanced technology. “Farmers were taken for a field visit and convinced, except for a few who are obstructing the plant after being instigated by the BRS,” he alleged.
When asked about cases being booked against farmers and journalists, Sridhar Babu dismissed political motives behind the police action. “If anyone violates rules, action will be initiated as per law,” he said, while accusing the BRS of “trying to create hurdles” in the State’s progress.
“I appeal to the Opposition not to politicise the issue. They should not damage the State’s reputation and stall investments and progress,” he said, claiming that the Congress had supported the State government on several occasions in the past and “never stood in the way” of industrialisation.
On being reminded that the Congress had previously opposed the plant, the Minister clarified that the objection then was over the use of “obsolete technology”. “Now, the use of advanced technology is being ensured,” he claimed.
The Minister’s statements, however, appear to have had little impact on the ground. Tension has been simmering in Pedda Dhanwada for the past one week, particularly after the plant management allegedly resumed construction last Tuesday under the cover of darkness, despite earlier assurances from the State government that the project would be paused pending review.
For nearly a year, residents of Pedda Dhanwada and 10 surrounding villages have waged a sustained agitation against the plant, fearing that it will pollute the environment, contaminate water sources and deplete already strained groundwater reserves vital for agriculture.
Earlier this year, similar protests in Dilawarpur of Nirmal district forced the government to cancel another proposed ethanol plant. Since then, the Pedda Dhanwada agitation has gained significant public and political support. Leaders from Opposition parties, including the BRS, have visited the protest site to express solidarity with the villagers.
Last Tuesday, when the company allegedly resumed construction, farmers from nearby villages gathered in large numbers, damaged company vehicles, set tents on fire and chased away workers. Though police were deployed, they were outnumbered by the crowd. Protesters, armed with sticks and raising slogans, attacked company vehicles before staging a road blockade demanding an immediate halt to the work.
A heated argument between the police and protesters escalated the situation, turning it volatile. So far, at least 40 persons, most of them farmers, have been arrested in connection with the violence. However, unmindful of the protest and its earlier assurances, the State government has now announced its decision to allow the plant to come up.
