“The factory in question has been found to be injecting untreated effluent into deep aquifers,leading to an irreparable ecological loss,impact on human health and death of cattle-ED.
The factory is allegedly being owned by a former Akali leader and liquor manufacturer.
Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
Edmail:raghbirsinghbrar@gmail.com
The Malbros international against which the Sanjha Morcha Zira has been protesting and fighting legal cases, faced more trouble as the Jalandhar Zone of enforcement directorate(ED) allegedly provisionally attached its property worth Rs 79.93 crore.
The attached property worth Rs 79.93 crore includes plant,machinery,land and building allegedly owned by the Malbros international private limited located at village Mansoorwala of Ferozepur district.
The property has been attached by the ED after the investigation under money laundering act 2002,related to the environmental crime.
“The ED had initiated the investigation on the complaint of the punjab pollution control board against Malboras international private limited for violating the provisions of prevention and control,of the water pollution by injecting the untreated wastewater through reverse boring into deep aquifers,” reads the press release of the ED,which is available on its website.
“It has been found in the investigation that the company in question,with its unit at village Mansoorwala,Tehsil Zira,district Ferozepur was involved in generation and acquisition of proceeds of crime in deliberately causing pollution of the groundwater by persistently and coverty injecting its untreated effluents into deep aquifers through reverse boring,and repeatedly discharging waste water on the land,drains and an adjacent sugar mill.Its daily functioning involved persistent discharging effluent into the groundwater causing large scale irreparable ecological damage in form of water pollution,consequent health hazards and causing crop loss, cattle deaths and serious health impacts on the residents of the village around its premises,” reads the press release by the ED.
Earlier, searches were conducted at 6 locations of the distillery on 16.7.2024 and a cash amount worth Rs about 78 lakh was seized from its premises under the provisions of money laundering act,it has been stated in the press release.
The ED said that the further investigation is on.
“The move of the provisional attachment of the property of the distillery by ED is a welcome move.From the day one, we have been alleging that the factory was causing a lot of subsoil pollution by discharging its waste untreated water injecting into the deep acquafers.It had led to the serious ailments our people,deaths of our animals and other problems.The investigation by the ED has almost corroborated our allegations,” said Roman Brar from Mahian Wala Kalan who is a member of the Sanjha Morcha Zira.
“Still, three cases are pending against the factory, one in the honourable high court,another with the National Green Tribunal Delhi and the third one at the district courts Ferozepur. We still have a long way to go,” Roman said.
Roman also thanked all the locals,other like minded people and organizations who had supported the Sanjha Morcha Zira to reach this conclusion.
“This is the joint victory of the common man fighting to get a clean environment, ”he said.
About 3 and half years back, the locals had formed a joint platform called Sanjha Morcha Zira to protest against the alleged pollution of water by the factory after a tube well dug at a local religious place started pumping out highly polluted water.
