Hundreds of villagers from 15 gram panchayats assembled at Charba village near here on Wednesday and vowed not to allow the establishment of a Coca Cola unit there. They decided to save the community forests by clinging to the trees, in Chipko movement style, when the Coca Cola contractors came to cut them. The villagers later staged a slogan-shouting procession till Dak Pathar barrage from where the Coca Cola plant would draw water from the Yamuna. “We are worried about our future. The community forests planted and nurtured by us for over three decades have rejuvenated the springs and other water sources. These sources will dry up once the forests are cleared for the Coca Cola factory. We cannot force our future generation to live in drought like conditions,” said Charba gram pradhan Rumiram Jaswal. It may be mentioned that Coca Cola had been promised 60 acres of community forest land in Charba by the Uttarakhand government in April to establish a unit costing Rs. 600 crore. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, who was instrumental in attracting Coca Cola to the State, however, clarified later that Coca Cola would be allowed to set up the unit only after a committee gave environmental clearance. The clarification came after the villagers and local social action groups raised a hue and cry over the decision to denude 60 acres of forest. Bharatiya Janata Party workers led by national secretary Trivendra Singh Rawat and State general secretary Prakash Pant reached the village to support the farmers. “We have come here to express solidarity with the villagers against the anti-people designs of the Congress government and will not allow the establishment of the Coca Cola plant in Charba,” Mr. Pant said. The villagers, however, did not allow the BJP leaders to sit on the dais, saying that they welcomed support but would not allow any political party to hijack their movement. To hold trees in Chipko movement style