SANGRUR (Dhuri) — Punjab Police on Wednesday cleared a protest site outside the Harp Chemicals ethanol factory in Jahangir village, Sangrur district, ending a sit-in that residents and union members had staged since August to demand the factory's closure over alleged air and water pollution, Hindustan Times and Mirror Now reported.

Source: Hindustan Times via ChiniMandi

The agitation had also blocked the Dhuri-Sherpur road for 15 days. Police said the site was cleared in compliance with directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Source: Mirror Now

2 monthssit-in since August
15 daysDhuri-Sherpur road blocked
3people still in custody

Lathicharge alleged, police deny it

Advocate Amandeep Singh Chahal, who was part of the protest, alleged that police forcibly removed the demonstrators despite their willingness to hold discussions. He alleged that officers used batons against protesters who were praying at the time, damaged cameras and seized mobile phones being used to record the action, and that some demonstrators were beaten while resisting detention. These are allegations by the protesters and have not been established.

Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police Devinder Attri rejected the lathicharge allegation. He said the site was cleared in compliance with the High Court's directions, that some protesters were involved in pushing and shoving during the operation and were detained, and that the others dispersed.

Dhuri Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh said three people were still in custody and that further action would be decided after detailed discussions. Following the police action, protesters gathered outside the Sadar police station to demand the release of those detained. Media personnel were also reportedly prevented from covering the operation at the protest site, according to the Hindustan Times report.

Pollution board had issued a show-cause notice

The pollution grievance behind the protest had drawn official attention earlier this month, when the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) issued a show-cause notice to the company. According to Mirror Now's report of the notice, the board cited alleged violations of the Water Act, 1974 — including discharging wastewater and leachate outside the premises by transporting wet boiler ash in tippers — and said the facility had not adhered to the conditions of its environmental clearance, particularly the requirement of zero liquid discharge.

The protest site now stands cleared, while the factory's future remains under intense local scrutiny, the reports said.