Is progress necessarily benificial for society?

I feel that progress could be beneficial as well as harmful. In the novel, Village by the sea, the government decided to build large-scale fertiliser factories in the village of Thul. This would mean more job opportunities for the people and hence an increase in income level. People from other parts of the country would also be attracted to the region because of the job opportunities leading to an increase in population. Amenities such as schools, hospitals and other services would have to be built leading to an increase in the standard of living. However, such progress has its flip side. The fertiliser factories would cause serious pollution of the sea at Thul and fishermen would be deprived of their livelihoods as the marine life would be destroyed. Furthermore, pollution of the beautiful beach would deprive the local population of a major recreation area leading to a lower quality of life. Such progress may not result in equal opportunities as the boys in the village would not be able to get jobs because they are poorly educated and would lose out to educated people from the cities. The villagers would also lose out in terms of giving up their land to built the factories that would result in much discontent. I feel that progress in society is inevitable and is generally beneficial. On the other hand, I feel that such progress should be managed so that our environment is not damaged and there must be equal opportunities for all.