3 years on, Zira vows to continue fight against distillery pollution
Under the banner of 'Sanjha Zira Morcha', residents of villages around Malbros International Private Limited in Mansoorwal Kalan, near Zira, Ferozepur, vowed not to give up till the unit was shut down. Representatives from various social, labour, and farmer organisations, including farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh's father, Tarsem Singh, gathered in solidarity and assured continued support for the cause.
The protest was launched on July 24, 2022.
"After detecting the smell of undistilled liquor while digging a borewell at the nearby village of Mahiyawal Kalan on July 17, 2022, residents suspected the distillery was disposing of its waste into groundwater through reverse boring. Samples were collected on at least two occasions, and a team from Central Pollution Control Board and Punjab govt-appointed committees found toxic substances in the water around the distillery," said Roman Brar, a member of the Sanjha Zira Morcha.
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"The chief minister assured action but we are still awaiting written orders to permanently shut down the unit," he added.
Parameters concerning toxic substances, including lead, chromium, arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls, and phenolic compounds (undesirable in excessive amounts), were found in the water samples, with values above permissible limits set by the Indian standards for drinking water. High concentrations of volatile fatty acids were found in soil samples.
Acting on the CPCB report, the Punjab Pollution Control Board filed a case at the court of Ferozepur chief judicial magistrate under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. It led to a search operation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at seven locations related to Malbros International Private Limited on July 16, 2024, in relation to money laundering cases pertaining to environmental crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
With the case now being heard in the National Green Tribunal, the protest since the last one year has become more symbolic with less physical presence at the site — the industrial unit.
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