Protest against ethanol plant turns violent in Telangana village
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Hyderabad: Violence broke out in a Telangana village on Sunday during a farmers’ protest against an agro-ethanol plant which is under construction.
Tension prevailed in Chittanoor village of Narayanpur district when the locals stopped vehicles transporting machinery for the plant.
The police intervened to remove the protestors, which 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 have sent an additional force to the village to control the situation.
Farmers in Chittanoor and surrounding Eklaspur and Jinnaram villages have been opposing the ethanol plant of Jurala Organic Farms and Agro Industries Ltd as they fear that this will divert water from the fields to the factory and will also lead to pollution in the region.
However, despite the protest by 14 organisations, the construction of the plant began early this year.
With inputs from IANS
