Hyderabad, Nov 27 : High tension gripped Dilawarpur in Telangana's Nirmal district as the protest by villagers against establishment of an ethanol factory turned violent on Wednesday.

For a second day, protestors from villages in Dilawarpur mandal blocked the Nirmal-Bhainsa national highway. Women protestors were carrying bottles of pesticides in their hands, threatening to commit suicide to stop the construction of the factory.

Holding placards and raising slogans, the protestors marched through the village and sat on the highway. At one point, the protestors attacked police personnel, injuring some of them.

The villagers demanded that the government shift the factory of a private firm away from their villages. They claim that the plant will damage crops, endangering their livelihood besides impacting the environment. They alleged that public representatives were not coming forward in their support to oppose the ethanol factory.

The villagers vowed to continue their agitation until their demand was met.

The area was tense for a second day due to fierce protests. Some protestors late on Tuesday tried to attack Nirmal Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Ratna Kalyani and vandalised her vehicle.

The villagers, who began a sit-in on the highway in the morning, continued their protest till late night by conducting various activities including cooking food and bonfires, bringing the movement of vehicles to a complete halt.

When RDO Ratna Kalyani reached the spot to hold talks with the agitators, they insisted that the District Collector should come for the talks. They also demanded reinstatement of a teacher who was suspended for extending solidarity to their movement

When the RDO was leaving the spot after unsuccessful talks, some angry protesters tried to stop her vehicle. She fainted when her blood pressure dropped. She was, however, immediately shifted to a hospital in Nirmal by the vehicle of Superintendent of Police Dr Janaki Sharmila.

Some unidentified persons damaged the vehicle of the RDO and set it afire. However, police managed to extinguish the fire soon.

Police booked 23 villagers for vandalising the RDO's vehicle

The vehicular movement on the highway was restored by 11 p.m. The villagers resumed the protest on Wednesday morning.

/IANS