Tikait Backs Ghaziabad Village Protest as Officials Agree to Joint Probe
Residents say a landfill and planned waste plant on fertile land have fouled living conditions, prompting a two-week sit-in.
Overview
- Rakesh Tikait addressed a mahapanchayat in Meerpur Hindu village, supporting demands to remove the dumping ground and halt a proposed waste facility.
- Senior district officials agreed to set up a joint investigation committee after talks with Tikait, with organisers saying related departments and a village panel with a BKU representative will be included.
- Farmers have maintained a continuous sit-in for roughly two weeks, alleging the site is too close to homes and threatens air, water and fields.
- A February 15 confrontation at the site turned violent, with villagers allegedly forcing open gates, stone-pelting reported, and police using lathis, leaving protesters claiming over 60 injuries.
- Police registered an FIR at Tronica City station naming organisers Neeraj Tyagi, Monu, Umesh and Ravindra Tyagi, and Chetan, plus over 100 unidentified villagers after a complaint by a Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation inspector.