Hanumangarh (Rajasthan): An ethanol plant proposed near Tibbi in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district will no longer be set up in the state. Following sustained protests by farmers, the company has taken a major decision to shift the project outside Rajasthan. This move is being seen as a significant victory for the protesting farmers.
Senior Manager of the ethanol factory, Jai Prakash Sharma, said that the company has decided to establish the plant outside the state. Reacting to the decision, Mangesh Chaudhary, District Secretary of the Kisan Sabha, called it a victory of the people and the result of a historic farmers’ struggle. However, he added that the movement will continue until all cases registered against farmers are withdrawn, according to the media reports.
Farmers had been protesting in Hanumangarh since Wednesday against the proposed ethanol plant in Tibbi town. With the support of local Congress leaders, a large farmers’ gathering (mahapanchayat) was organized to oppose the construction of the ethanol factory by a Chandigarh-based company in the Rathi Kheda area.
The farmers alleged that the factory could cause pollution in the region and harm groundwater resources. In response, the Forest and Environment Department constituted a committee to investigate the potential environmental impact, including groundwater contamination. The committee is headed by the Bikaner Divisional Commissioner, with the Special Secretary of the Forest and Environment Department as the Member Secretary.
Other members of the committee include the Hanumangarh District Collector, a senior environmental engineer from the Pollution Control Board, and the Chief Engineer of the Groundwater Department. The committee was tasked with submitting its report to the state government.
Earlier, on December 10, farmers had demolished the company’s boundary wall. They were demanding the cancellation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed for the ethanol plant, withdrawal of cases registered against farmers, and action against officials responsible for clashes in Tibbi.
Protests intensified in July when the company began constructing the boundary wall. On December 10, farmers organized a large gathering in front of the Tibbi Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office. By evening, hundreds of farmers reached the factory site with tractors, demolished the boundary wall, and clashed with the police.
Now, with the company deciding to move the project out of Rajasthan, the farmers consider it a major success of their movement.
