UP govt may close 13 distilleries in Hapur and Bijnor for Kumbh Mela

Sugar industry has strongly opposed the proposed move. Sugar mills across these two districts are planning to take the state government to court and they are waiting for the closure order

The Utter Pradesh government is planning to close 13 distilleries in Hapur and Bijnor districts for the three months Kumbh period between December 15, 2018 and March 15, 2019.

Confirming the development, a senior state government official said, “Discussions are underway to close down all distilleries in and around Hapur and Bijnor, around 600 kilometres away from Prayagraj formerly Allahabad, due to fear of water pollution during the Mela (Kumbh).”

Water stream in the Ganga river which rises in the western Himalayas, passes through Hapur and Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. Thus, there is fear of polluting both ground water in