From 24 July 2022, villagers from around Mansurwal (also spelt Mansurwala) near Zira in Punjab's Ferozepur district sat in protest outside the distillery and ethanol plant of Malbros International, alleging that it was polluting their groundwater and air. The company denied it. The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the state to deposit Rs 20 crore for failing to clear the gate, police arrested dozens in December 2022, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced the unit's closure on 17 January 2023. As of July 2026 the sit-in was still on, the plant was idle, and the case was before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Key takeaways
- The Zira protest began on 24 July 2022 at Mansurwal village in Ferozepur district, after residents said a liquor-like fluid came out of a new borewell, and villagers blamed the Malbros International plant.
- Malbros International, controlled by the family of former Akali Dal MLA Deep Malhotra, denied polluting groundwater and called the protest "unwarranted and stage-managed by vested interests".
- Acting on the company's petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the Punjab government to deposit Rs 5 crore in October 2022 and Rs 15 crore more in November 2022 for failing to lift the protest, and issued contempt notices to officials.
- In December 2022 about 2,000 police were deployed at Mansurwal, 48 protesters were arrested and later bailed, and farm leaders alleged a lathicharge, which police denied.
- A CPCB report to the NGT in 2023 found none of 29 water samples from in and around the plant fit to drink, and the Punjab Pollution Control Board refused the plant consent to operate in July 2023.
- Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced the plant's closure on 17 January 2023, but protesters said written orders were still awaited in July 2026, when the sit-in completed four years.
- In November 2025 the Punjab government told the NGT that both the distillery and the ethanol unit should be closed permanently, while Malbros sought to run only the ethanol plant.
Background: the plant and the borewell
Malbros International Pvt Ltd runs a distillery and ethanol plant spread over 48 acres at Mansurwal in the Zira subdivision. It is owned by former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Deep Malhotra Tribune. The Tribune reported that the distillery had worked since 2007 and that the ethanol unit was supplying 180 kilolitres a day to state-owned oil marketing companies Tribune.
On 22 July 2022 residents said that during the drilling of a borewell near a gurdwara, a toxic, liquor-like fluid came out of the ground Tribune. The Quint reported an alcohol-like stench from a 650-foot borewell in a gurdwara compound in a neighbouring village The Quint. Two days later villagers sat down outside the plant gate, and the unit stopped working.
What the protesters alleged
The protest ran under the banner of the Sanjha Morcha Zira, a joint front of residents of about 40 villages, backed by farm unions including BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), BKU (Rajewal), BKU (Dakaunda) and BKU (Sidhupur) Tribune/PTI Tribune. Its slogan was "Sadi ekko mang, factory band" (our only demand is closing the factory) Tribune.
- Claim · Protesters The plant contaminated groundwater and air, and people in nearby villages were falling sick while livestock died Tribune.
- Claim · Protesters Cancer cases were rising and crops were damaged, said BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan Tribune.
- Claim · Public Action Committee The plant made chemicals beyond ethanol, and the NGT petition alleged effluent was dumped and pushed into the ground by "reverse boring" within about 4 km The Quint Gleaf.
- Claim · Sanjha Morcha Several protesters, including Rajvir Singh, died of ailments the morcha links to pollution Tribune. No medical finding confirming that link was found in the reporting reviewed here.
The company's position
Malbros denied the allegations throughout. In August 2022 Pawan Bansal, the plant's chief administrative officer, called them "frivolous" and said waste water went to a treatment plant for reuse, so there was "no question" of polluting groundwater. He said the company was ready for any inquiry but the unit should be allowed to work Tribune.
The protest against the plant was unwarranted and stage-managed by vested interests.
Pawan Bansal, Malbros, as reported by The Tribune, 1 January 2023
In court the company said it had invested Rs 300 crore, needed Rs 1.5 crore a month for salaries and running costs, and owed a Rs 2 crore monthly instalment India Legal. It claimed losses of Rs 17.80 crore from the forced shutdown Tribune. Workers also held a short parallel protest demanding the plant reopen Tribune.
The High Court orders
Malbros petitioned the Punjab and Haryana High Court for protection and the plant's smooth working. On 19 October 2022 (20 October in a Tribune timeline) the court ordered the state to deposit Rs 5 crore with its registry for failing to comply with orders to clear the protest The Quint Tribune.
On 29 November it ordered a further Rs 15 crore and asked the Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner to file an affidavit with details of the protesters Tribune Tribune. The court issued contempt notices to officials India Legal, and on 22 November set up a three-member panel under retired Justice RK Nehru to assess the company's claimed losses Tribune. The court directed that the sit-in move 300 metres from the plant PTI via ThePrint.
On 30 November 2022 the state government wrote to senior police officers asking them to act at once and remove the protesters Tribune. On 20 December Justice Vinod Bhardwaj asked the protesters to end their "illegal" stir, according to the company's senior counsel Puneet Bali. The state filed an affidavit listing FIRs against protesters and details of their land, in case the court wanted to attach it Tribune/PTI.
The police action of December 2022
Force deployed
Over 2,000 police, including 13 SP-rank officers and 28 DSPs, were sent to the site. DC Amrit Singh said a list of about 300 protesters had been prepared and arms licences of 21 had been suspended Tribune.
Talks fail
Eleven morcha members met CM Mann in Chandigarh Tribune. The state promised expert committees, and Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal visited the site, but protesters refused to move. Police booked 14 people by name and 100 to 125 unidentified PTI via Devdiscourse.
Road cleared, detentions
Police removed tents from the approach road and detained people who blocked police vehicles; villagers who tried to block the Bathinda-Amritsar highway were dispersed. Police booked 70 people by name in two cases PTI via ThePrint. The Tribune put the unidentified accused at 280 and reported over 40 arrests over the blockade of National Highway 54 Tribune.
Barricades broken
Farm unions broke through police barricades. Claim · Farm leaders Police used lathis; police said nobody was stopped Tribune. Claim · Police Eight policemen were injured, a jeep was rammed into officers and police vehicles were damaged Tribune/PTI.
Bail for 48
A Zira magistrate bailed 48 arrested protesters after police said they were "no longer required" for investigation Tribune.
Arrest figures vary: the Tribune said over 40 and later 48, and The Quint said over 45 including women The Quint. An on-duty policeman died of a heart attack during the deployment Tribune.
Committees and sampling reports
The findings changed over time.
- NGT monitoring committee, 2022: A team led by retired Justice Jasbir Singh, with AAP MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, took samples on 18 to 19 August 2022 Tribune. Its report said the plant had no adverse impact on groundwater. Protesters rejected it, saying samples were taken late The Quint. The PPCB had also given the factory a clean chit Tribune.
- State expert committees, December 2022: Panels on health (doctors from AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh and the health department), animal husbandry (GADVASU), soil (PAU) and the PPCB took samples Tribune. The morcha first boycotted them over the FIRs, then agreed to join on 28 December Tribune Tribune.
- State fact-finding team, April 2023: Experts from GNDU, Thapar Institute and IIT Ropar found lead, chromium, arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls and phenolic compounds in 13 samples. Lead was 0.26 ppm against a limit of 0.01 ppm. The report said it could not establish the source Tribune.
- CPCB report to the NGT, May 2023: None of 29 samples was potable. Twelve borewells gave foul-smelling water and five grey water; two inside the plant had arsenic at two to three times and chromium at six to seven times the limit. Ten borewells and six piezometers had been dug without permission Tribune Tribune.
By October 2023 the NGT had directed the state to ensure safe drinking water for affected villages and ordered the PPCB to inspect all distilleries in Punjab Tribune.
The Chief Minister's closure order
On 17 January 2023 Bhagwant Mann announced in a video that he had ordered the factory shut "immediately" after consulting legal experts Tribune PTI via Deccan Herald.
It doesn't matter how influential the person is because of his political affiliation. No one tampering with the law and harming environment will be spared.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, 17 January 2023, as reported by The Tribune
Officials were surprised; legal experts told The Tribune the announcement meant little while the case was before the High Court and the NGT Tribune. Over 1,200 workers lost their jobs Tribune. The morcha refused to leave without written orders, withdrawal of FIRs and return of attached land records Tribune.
The company's challenge and the NGT case
On 14 March 2023 the High Court let Malbros remove ethanol, liquor and other material from the plant under police security Tribune. The company also challenged the withdrawal of its approvals under Sections 25 and 26 of the Water Act as based on "flimsy" grounds; the court told the state to decide its pleas in two weeks Tribune. In July 2023 the PPCB refused consent to operate under the Air Act, citing non-compliance with "at least six consent conditions" Tribune.
At an NGT hearing on 9 September 2025 Malbros offered to shut and dismantle the distillery and sought permission to run only its 180 KLD ethanol plant Gleaf. Babushahi reported this as an NGT order closing the distillery and sparing the ethanol unit Babushahi; later reports describe the ethanol question as undecided.
Government's position In a 2 November 2025 affidavit the state called the distillery "rogue" and said the company should not use the premises "for production of ethanol or otherwise" Tribune. It invoked the "polluter pays" principle Rozana Spokesman. On 8 November the NGT deferred the ethanol question after the PAC argued the plant's environmental clearance did not cover fuel ethanol Babushahi.
Both accounts
Protesters' account
The Sanjha Morcha and the PAC say the plant poisoned groundwater over a wide area, that early clean chits came from flawed sampling, and that the CPCB and expert reports proved them right. They say police arrests and FIRs were used to break a peaceful sit-in Tribune The Quint.
Company, police and government account
Malbros says it met all statutory norms and the protest was stage-managed Tribune. Police said they acted under High Court orders against an illegal blockade, and DC Amrit Singh said the state had accepted the protesters' demands PTI via ThePrint. Since 2023 the state has backed closure.
Outcome
- Plant: Shut since July 2022; PPCB refused consent to operate in July 2023.
- Closure order: Announced 17 January 2023; written orders still awaited in July 2026, per protesters.
- Court orders: State ordered to deposit Rs 5 crore and Rs 15 crore; contempt notices to officials.
- Arrests: 40 to 48 protesters arrested in December 2022 (figures vary by outlet); 48 bailed on 24 December.
- Cases: At least 70 people booked by name plus hundreds unidentified.
- Injuries: Eight policemen, per police.
- Tests: CPCB found all 29 water samples unfit to drink.
Where things stand in 2026
On 24 July 2026 the sit-in completed four years, which The Tribune called perhaps Punjab's longest-running protest. Members said it would continue until written orders closing the plant were issued. Former sarpanch Gurmail Singh said the next NGT hearing was set for 11 September 2026 Tribune. No ruling from that hearing was found in reporting reviewed for this page.
Questions people ask
Why are people protesting against the Zira liquor factory?
Villagers around Mansurwal say Malbros International's distillery and ethanol plant contaminated groundwater and air, causing illness and livestock deaths. The company denies this. The sit-in began on 24 July 2022.
Who owns the Zira distillery?
Malbros International Pvt Ltd, owned by former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Deep Malhotra, according to The Tribune.
Why did the High Court order Punjab to pay Rs 20 crore?
On the company's petition, the court ordered the state to deposit Rs 5 crore in October 2022 and Rs 15 crore in November 2022 for failing to lift a protest that had shut the plant.
Is the Zira ethanol plant closed?
It has not operated since July 2022, and the PPCB refused it consent to operate in 2023. CM Bhagwant Mann announced closure in January 2023, but protesters said no written order had been issued as of July 2026.
What did the CPCB find at Zira?
Its report to the NGT said none of 29 water samples from in and around the plant was fit to drink, and two borewells inside had arsenic, chromium and other metals well above limits.
What is the Sanjha Morcha Zira?
A joint front of residents of about 40 villages near the plant, backed by farm unions, that has led the sit-in since July 2022.
Sources
- Tribune: Protest against Zira ethanol plant enters Day 29, 20 Aug 2022
- Tribune: Remove protesters from Zira plant, Punjab Govt tells cops, 1 Dec 2022
- Tribune: Ethanol plant dharna on, tension mounts as 2,000 cops deployed, 16 Dec 2022
- PTI via Devdiscourse: Protesters refuse to lift dharna for closure of ethanol plant, 17 Dec 2022
- PTI via ThePrint: Several protesters detained in Punjab's Ferozepur, 18 Dec 2022
- Tribune: Over 40 protesters nabbed in Zira, 19 Dec 2022
- Tribune: Amid deadlock, unions demand protesters' release, 20 Dec 2022
- Tribune/PTI: 8 policemen injured; HC tells protesters to end 'illegal' stir, 21 Dec 2022
- Tribune: Numbers swell at Zira, farmers in for long haul, 23 Dec 2022
- Tribune: Won't deal with govt till FIRs cancelled, 24 Dec 2022
- Tribune: Not needed for probe, 48 protesters get bail, 25 Dec 2022
- Tribune: Impasse ends, farmers to join probe panels, 27 Dec 2022
- The Quint: Why did standoff between farmers and liquor plant escalate in Zira?, 27 Dec 2022
- Tribune: Leaders make beeline for Zira, 1 Jan 2023
- Tribune: High Court panel to visit ethanol plant, 17 Jan 2023
- Tribune: CM Bhagwant Mann orders closure of Zira liquor unit, 17 Jan 2023
- PTI via Deccan Herald: Punjab CM Mann orders closure of liquor factory in Ferozepur, 17 Jan 2023
- Tribune: In no hurry to lift dharna (with timeline), 18 Jan 2023
- Tribune: CM's decision took everyone by surprise, 19 Jan 2023
- Tribune: Zira plant shut, over 1,200 workers rendered jobless, 19 Jan 2023
- India Legal: Climate for change, 2023
- Tribune: Shifting of ethanol stock at Zira plant underway, 17 Mar 2023
- Tribune: Closure of ethanol plant not notified, protest on, 31 Mar 2023
- Tribune: Panel finds toxins in groundwater samples, 5 Apr 2023
- Tribune: Water around Zira ethanol plant unfit for drinking, 21 May 2023
- Tribune: Pollution board refuses to allow operations at Zira plant, 7 Jul 2023
- Tribune: Provide potable water to affected villages, says NGT, 2 Oct 2023
- Babushahi: NGT orders closure of Zira distillery, ethanol plant spared, 14 Sept 2025
- Tribune: Punjab Govt for permanent closure of Zira distillery, 8 Nov 2025
- Babushahi: NGT defers to Nov 24 on environmental clearance, 8 Nov 2025
- Gleaf: PAC seeks clarifications about Malbros' request for ethanol production, Nov 2025
- Rozana Spokesman: Mann government seeks permanent shutdown of Zira distillery, 14 Nov 2025
- Tribune: Zira morcha turns 4, firm on plant closure, 23 Jul 2026