Chandigarh: Faced with stiff opposition from farmers, social and environmental activists, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday scrapped the proposed mega-integrated textile region and apparel park project along the Sutlej river in Ludhiana district.
The decision came after Mann’s meeting here with a delegation of the activists pursuing this stir to save Mattewara forest which they held as the lungs of the state, under the aegis of Public Action Committee (PAC).
On Sunday, a large number of protesters, including farmers, social activists, environmentalists and representatives of different political parties had held demonstration in the Mattewara area along the Sutlej against the government’s move.
The political leaders who took part in the demonstration included Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann, state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Congress MLAs Pargat Singh and Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders Manpreet Singh Ayali, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Hira Singh Gabria, former AAP MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi and Sanyukta Kisan Morcha leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal and Manjit Singh Dhaner.
The said project which was originally envisaged by the Centre, was floated by the previous Congress government under chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh in 2020 for which about 1,000-acre area had been acquired from nearby villages and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government intended to go with it until recently when the stir against it began.
Though the site where the textile park was proposed to be set up did not fall in forest area, it was located between two chunks of protected forest area. Fearing that the said park would not only endanger the very existence of forest, the activists who opposed the project since, held that it would pollute the Sutlej river as well.
Meanwhile, according to official information, Mann also held the project would not only lead to water pollution in the area but also entail felling a considerable number of trees in the vicinity. According to reports, he categorically said after the meeting that not only in Mattewara forest areas but the AAP government would not allow any industry to come up on the river banks of Punjab to avoid any sort of water pollution.
The PAC member Jaskirat Singh said the chief minister flayed the previous government for giving its nod to the proposed 1,000-acre textile park project which was envisaged by the Union government.
He added that Mann instead proposed to allot any new chunk of land for the textile park provided it does not lead to water pollution.
