Jogulamba Gadwal (Mahabubnagar): Villagers in Rajoli mandal are up in arms against an ethanol factory planned at Pedda Dhanwada. The project by Gayatri Renewable Fuels Private Limited involves a ₹190 crore investment and spans 30 acres near the Tungabhadra river. Residents from 12 nearby villages worry that it will harm their farms and the environment.
For two years, locals have peacefully protested and asked authorities to stop the project, citing environmental risks. They claim that there were no public hearings or proper consultations before the factory got approval. Tensions escalated when police put several farmers under house arrest the night before the protest and increased security at the site. This move angered the public, who saw it as an attempt to silence them.
In the early morning, hundreds of villagers, including women and seniors, rushed to the construction site. They were furious to see construction activities like JCBs operating and a large container installed. The protest turned chaotic, with demonstrators setting a container on fire, overturning vehicles, breaking earthmover windows, and tearing down temporary structures. The police were unprepared and struggled to manage the situation.
Farmers were motivated by pollution issues linked to other ethanol factories in Chittalur and Parlapalli. They fear their fertile lands will become barren if the factory proceeds. Prominent leaders, such as Congress’s Sampath Kumar, MLC Challa Venkata Ram Reddy, and local MLA Vijayudu, have supported the protest. Authorities had paused construction, promising not to resume without public consent, but recent actions contradicted this.
Gadwal DSP Mogulayya visited the scene, urging calm and warning that legal action would follow if laws were broken. Despite this, villagers remain steadfast, vowing to continue their protest to protect their livelihoods from any polluting industry.
