Dholka villagers protest contaminated water after 54 cancer deaths
India
In Dholka, Ahmedabad, villagers from five villages are staging a 12-day sit-in, saying years of chemical-laden factory waste have contaminated their water and led to 54 cancer deaths and around 20 ongoing cases.
Despite raising the issue with officials like the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), residents say nothing has changed.
Family sells jewelry, mortgages farmland
People report skin diseases and worry about drinking water: Nareshbhai's family has even sold jewelry and mortgaged farmland to pay for his father's ₹5 lakh surgery and his mother's ₹4 lakh surgery.
While GPCB tests claim the water is safe; locals disagree, pointing to rising illnesses.
Villagers want factories held accountable and demand clean water now, warning they'll step up protests if ignored.