Farmers’ protest against ethanol plant turns violent in Telangana village

Hyderabad, Oct 22: Violence broke out in a village in Telangana’s Narayanpur district on Sunday during a protest by farmers against an under-construction agro ethanol plant.

The protestors set afire a police vehicle after police lathi charged a mob trying to stop transportation of machinery for the plant.

Tension prevailed in Chittanoor village of Marikal mandal when the locals stopped vehicles transporting machinery for the plant. The police intervened to remove the protestors. This led to a scuffle between the two sides. Police then resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protestors.

Angry over the police action, the villagers set afire a police vehicle and pelted stones. A police officer was injured in the stone pelting.

Police sent additional force to the village to control the situation.

Farmers in Chittanoor and surrounding villages have been opposing the ethanol plant as they fear that this will divert water from the fields to the factory.

Residents of Chittanoor, Eklaspur and Jinnaram villages also fear that the ethanol plant of the Jurala Organic Farms and Agro Industries Ltd will lead to pollution in the region.

However, despite the protest by 14 organisations, the construction of the plant began early this year.