The Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Maharashtra government and others to file a response to a petition opposing construction of a sugar factory in Aashti village of Solapur district on the grounds that it would damage ecology and pollute environment.

The petition filed by Aashti Grampanchayat alleges that the factory was being set up in violation of rules by Audumberraoji Patil Sakhar Karkhana, whose President is wife of Maharashtra Minister Harshvardhan Patil.