SAD to support July 10 protest to demand scrapping of textile park project at Mattewara
Maheshinder S Grewal says CM has betrayed people of Ludhiana by making an about turn on the project which the latter had opposed while in opposition
City Air News
Jul 6, 2022 01:57
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Ludhiana, July 5, 2022: The Shiromani Akali (Dal) today announced its support for the July 10 protest announced by the Public Action Committee of 50 NGOs to demand the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) scrap its decision to establish a textile park in one thousand acres of land adjoining the Mattewara forest and flood plains of the Sutlej River.
Stating this here, former minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal said the SAD had decided to extend wholehearted support to the protest and also appealed to all environment lovers to unite to thwart the AAP government’s decision to choke the ‘green lungs’ of Ludhiana.
Asserting that AAP and chief minister Bhagwant Mann had betrayed the people of Ludhiana, Maheshinder Grewal said “AAP leaders including Bhagwant Mann have been opposing this project when in opposition. AAP was also in favour of scrapping the project prior to the assembly elections and had also accepted the green manifesto submitted to it on behalf of the Public Action Committee which had called for eco-tourism projects. However after coming in government AAP has made an about turn on this issue”.
Stating the government should immediately scrap the textile park project, Grewal said alternatively eco-friendly projects should be encouraged in keeping with the ecology of the area. He said allowing establishment of a textile park in the area would not only disturb the biodiversity of the protected forest but would also pollute the Sutlej River following discharge of pollutants into the river. “Construction activity will change the character of the area and will also come in the way of recharging of ground water”.
Grewal said it was shocking that despite protests from farmers, village panchayats and environmentalists, the government was going ahead with the project. He said farmers were understandably perturbed as thousands still depended on the Sutlej river for their drinking water needs. “The land on which the project is to be set up is also the only source of livelihood for many”, he said while demanding the project be scrapped and shifted to a new place.
