Zira liquor factory: Man dies from kidney failure, protesters blame ‘polluting’ unit

The protests at Zira, which started as an agitation by one union on July 24 last year, have since turned into a full-fledged agitation, with 70 groups coming together to demand in one voice the shutting of the liquor factory. The agitation was initially launched by the farmers union Sanjha Zira Morcha last year but has since attracted support from 57 farmer and labour unions and 13 NGOs.

“Rajveer’s house is close to the factory. Hence, he got his kidney disorder. We demand a probe into the matter. We also appeal to the government to find out why such deadly diseases were only spreading at such a rapid pace in villages surrounding that liquor plant We have asked people to come in large numbers on Friday and be a part of Rajveer’s bhog ceremony,” said Roman Brar, convenor of Sanjha Zira Morcha.

The morcha members on Tuesday and Wednesday had given a call for protests against Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann across the state fro supporting liquor unit owners, following which hundreds of effigies of the CM were burnt across the state in those two days.

Protesters brave extreme cold
“Extreme cold is a major deterrent for protesters these days. But people are still showing up at the dharna site in large numbers.. A few temporary small huts have been constructed for protection against the cold, but most of the agitators prefer sleeping on their trolleys during the night hours,” Brar said.

During night time, only around 200-300 persons stay at the protest site, while during the day the same number ranges from anything between 2000 and 3000, morcha leaders said. Harnek Mehma, president of BKU-Dakaunda’s Ferozepur unit said , “We support the Sanjha Zira Morcha and their fight for this cause. We have asked our members to reach the morcha site in numbers from Friday onward.”

Probe by committees continues
Meanwhile, a probe to determine the pollution being caused by the liquor plant continued on Thursday, with members of the four panels visiting villages around the factory and measuring various parameters. A team of four doctors appointed by the government has so far visited 44 villages and taken various samples, besides organising medical camps, officials of the Ferozepur district administration said on Thursday. Teams from Punjab Agricultural University and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana, have been carrying out soil fertility and animal health tests simultaneously in various villages, and a report of the same is likely to be submitted soon.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Ferozepur, Sagar Setia, said, “On Thursday various committees doing survey in the area went inside the liquor unit from where they took five water samples and two soil samples. Five more water samples were taken from Mansurwal Kalan, Rataul Rohi villages. The samples will be sent to Ram laboratories, Patiala for testing “