Hundreds Of Villagers March Against Industrial Pollution In MP’s Meghnagar; Collector Says 5 Factories Shut

Meghnagar (Madhya Pradesh): Hundreds of villagers marched to the tehsil office on Tuesday as long-simmering anger over pollution from fertiliser and chemical factories in the industrial area erupted.

Due to the arrival of collector Yogesh Tukaram Bharsat and SP Devendra Patidar in Meghnagar, the planned march to the district headquarters was confined to the tehsil office instead.

Around noon, men and women set out from Tooti Mata Valley carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding the closure of chemical factories.

They protested outside the tehsil office for two hours, alleging over a decade of suffering from contaminated drinking water, polluted ponds and rivers, and damage to livestock and crops.

Speakers said repeated complaints had brought no effective action, deepening public frustration.

Following a public hearing, the collector met the protesters alongside senior officials, including the SP. He acknowledged the grievances as serious and admitted the pollution problem had persisted for years.

The collector said that five factories had already been shut in the past two days under the Public Nuisance Act, with eight more units under scrutiny.

He assured continued action against polluting industries and announced a monitoring committee comprising villagers, officials and public representatives to track pollution levels and report findings.

Villagers submitted a memorandum listing 21 industrial units responsible for pollution, demanding drinking water supply, crop and soil surveys, and stricter pollution control measures.

Representatives from the Aam Aadmi Party, Jai Adivasi Organisation, Adivasi Ekta Parishad, Bhil Sena, Bharat Adivasi Party, Bhil Kranti Sena and other Tribal groups participated in the demonstration.