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By Mustafa Shaikh: Local leaders in Maharashtra’s Barsu announced that no protests would take place over the next three days, starting Friday. If soil inspection doesn’t stop within the next three days, protests will resume, they said.
Several locals went to protest at the site of the refinery project in Barsu today, triggering tensions between the police and the protestors. Tear gas was used to disperse the crowd.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “There was no lathicharge on anyone in Barsu. Some people are local farmers while some of the protestors were non-residents. There should be a solution through discussion.”
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Protests were witnessed in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri area as residents opposed the oil and petrochemical refinery. The project is proposed at 13,000 acres of land. The administration is inspecting soil in the area to check the feasibility of the project.
Farmers and fishermen are opposed to the project in the area over fears for their livelihood.
Some residents raised concerns about pollution and whether a green refinery is possible.
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Local MP Vinayak Raut was scheduled to take out a march against the project in Barsu. He was detained by the police and released later. Local farmers ran directly to the site where soil was being tested and took an aggressive stance. Some villagers were injured in the incident.
Industries minister Uday Samant, also the guardian minister of Ratnagiri district, said: “The local people are protesting. If any lathicharge was done against them we will definitely inquire about it. But why are people coming here from outside? To support the locals or to play politics and escalate the issue? People should understand that the project is in a nascent stage.”
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