The Chharba Gram Panchayat has refused to let the State Government facilitate establishment of the Coca Cola bottling plant at their village in Vikasnagar. Addressing the media in Dehradun the president of Jungle Jameen Bachao Samiti, Chharba, Rumi Ram said that they will continue opposing the establishment of the plant with the support of 28 organisations.
The protesters have issued May 28 as the deadline for the Chief Minister to take a proactive decision on the issue failing which they will undertake a protest march on May 29 which will mark the start of intensive and large scale protests.
He stressed that the thousands of people living in the area will be adversely affected if the Coca Cola bottling plant is established there. Referring to the adverse environmental impacts of the bottling plant, Ram said that apart from affecting the availability of water in the area the construction of the bottling plant would also entail the axing of more than 50,000 trees including those of Khair and Shisham which would destroy the greenery nurtured by the farmers.
Ram further informed that that a total of 28 organisations working in social and environmental sectors have extended support to their agitation. Referring to those trying to foil the agitation, he said that some days ago some people went to meet the Chief Minister identifying themselves as villagers of Chharba. “This is not true as none of the members of Gram Panchayat Chharba was among them,” he stressed, while adding that the opposition of the villagers to the bottling plant will not change into acceptance.
It should be mentioned here that considering the strong protest against this plant, the CM Vijay Bahuguna recently announced that the environmental impacts of the bottling plants will be studied by a panel of experts before the company is allowed to establish the plant.