Chandigarh: Punjab has taken a strong step to protect public health as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government decided to permanently shut lanugo the Malbros International Pvt. Ltd. distillery and ethanol plant in Zira, Ferozepur.
The state unmistakably told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that “polluters have no place in Punjab.” This marks a major shift for a state that once struggled with pollution but is now moving toward wipe air, wipe water, and healthy living. For the Mann government, people’s health is increasingly important than industrial profit.
Why Did the Government Declare the Zira Distillery Harmful?
The distillery had been causing environmental forfeiture for many years. In an testimony filed on November 2, 2025, by Manish Kumar, Special Secretary of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, the government admitted that the factory had repeatedly wrenched environmental rules.
It had polluted the air, water, and soil in the area. The testimony was submitted as per the NGT’s order dated September 9, 2025. The government made it well-spoken that no industry’s profit is increasingly important than the ramble right of citizens to live in a wipe environment.
In the last hearing, the factory owner asked for permission to operate only the ethanol plant, but the government refused. They stated that permitting any part of the facility to function then would go versus public interest and the law.
The testimony moreover noted that the final products of both the distillery and the ethanol plant are chemically similar (ethyl alcohol), and running such operations would protract to violate the people’s right to life. The Mann government said it stands firmly with the people of Zira and will follow a strict zero-tolerance policy toward pollution.
How Will the ‘Polluter Pays’ Principle Be Enforced?
The government demanded strict using of the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle. This ways the visitor responsible for the pollution must pay the unshortened forfeit of environmental wind-up and restoration.
Punjab unpreventable that Zira’s environment will be fully cleaned and that all expenses will be recovered from the factory owner. The testimony stated that the violations cannot be ignored and that permitting the same promoter to run operations then would be versus public policy and the law.
How Did Zira’s People Win Their Long Fight?
Local groups such as the Zira Sanjha Morcha and the Public Action Committee (PAC) tabbed the government’s visualization a major victory. They said this is the first time a government has openly wonted that an industry caused pollution and should be permanently shut down.
Their long struggle proved that when people stay firm, the truth cannot be denied. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government has shown that the health of Punjab’s people and the goal of a “Rangla Punjab” come first. The final hearing in this specimen will take place at the NGT on November 24.
