Widespread protests by villagers prompt authorities to stop ethanol factory construction works at Dilawarpur

Widespread protests by villagers of Dilawarpur and its three surrounding villages in Telangana’s Nirmal district for two consecutive days against an upcoming ethanol factory at Dilawarpur culminated in celebrations on Wednesday with the decision of the district authorities to stop the ethanol factory construction works.

Dilawarpur witnessed massive protests by the local villagers for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as villagers took to the streets in protest against the alleged detention of some local youth by the police in connection with Tuesday’s highway blockade.

Some unidentified persons allegedly pelted stones towards the police vehicles, triggering tension in the village on Wednesday morning, sources said.

Heavy police force was deployed in and around Dilawarpur to prevent untoward incidents.

Following the widespread protests by villagers against the ethanol factory citing potential damage to their fertile farmlands and health risks, the district authorities ordered stoppage of ethanol factory construction works at Dilawarpur and kept the factory in abeyance.

Nirmal Collector Abhilasha Abhinav issued orders to this effect after discussing the matter with the local villagers. The Collector apprised the State government of the issue.

The 10-hour-long road blockade by the villagers at Dilawarpur on Tuesday saw disruption of vehicular traffic on the Nirmal-Bhainsa stretch of NH 61.

A section of the demonstrators allegedly confined Nirmal Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Ratna Kalyani for nearly five hours at the protest site when she arrived there to hold talks with them.

A group of irate protesters allegedly attacked the RDO’s car. In the melee, the police shifted the RDO from the protest site to Nirmal in another vehicle, amid a tense situation.

The protest continued till 9.30 p.m. on Tuesday as the demonstrators, including women squatted on the highway, amid biting cold.

The villagers of Gundampalli, Samundarpalli, Rathnapurkandli and Dilawarpur have long been agitating against the establishment of an ethanol factory, sanctioned during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.

Meanwhile, the agitated villagers left the protest site amid cheers on Wednesday evening following the decision of the district authorities to stop the construction of the ethanol factory.

However, a section of them said they would renew their agitation if the government failed to abide by its assurance.

Published - November 27, 2024 09:10 pm IST