Fresh protests broke out in Dilawarpur, located in Telangana’s Nirmal district, on Wednesday as local residents organized a large demonstration against the construction of an ethanol factory on National Highway 61. This marked the second consecutive day of protests. In response, the district authorities ordered the suspension of construction work at the site.
Nirmal Collector Abhilasha Abhinav made the decision after consulting with the villagers. The Collector also informed the state government about the situation, according to the local media report.
Tensions rose as the protests by the local villagers against the factory grew more intense. On Tuesday, a 10-hour road blockade by the protesters caused major disruption to traffic on the Nirmal-Bhainsa stretch of NH 61. During the protest, Nirmal’s Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) was held at the site for nearly five hours. A group of protesters reportedly attacked the RDO’s vehicle, prompting the police to move the officer to safety in a different vehicle as the situation remained tense.
The protest continued well into the night, with demonstrators, including women and children, sitting on the highway in the cold until around 9:30 p.m. The local police reportedly detained some villagers for preventive measures.
The situation at Dilawarpur escalated further on Wednesday morning when a group of angry protesters confronted police vehicles, demanding the release of local youth who had allegedly been detained.
In response to the growing unrest, a large police presence was deployed in Dilawarpur and around the ethanol factory construction site near the mandal headquarters as a precautionary measure.
Villagers from Gundampalli, Samundarpalli, Rathnapurkandli, and Dilawarpur have been protesting the establishment of the ethanol factory, which was approved by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government. They argue that the factory poses health risks and could harm their fertile agricultural lands.
