PPCB inspects unit of group led by AAP’s defector MP

Bathinda: A team of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on Thursday conducted an inspection at the Dhaula unit of Trident Group in Barnala district, officials said.Rajinder Gupta, chairman emeritus of the group and a Rajya Sabha member, was recently abroad for medical treatment, sources said. He is among the seven Rajya Sabha MPs who had defected from AAP and merged into the BJP last week.The inspection also comes just days after protests by Aam Aadmi Party leaders outside the company's facilities at Dhaula and Sanghera villages.Officials said the team, comprising around 20 members, collected samples and carried out checks related to air and water quality at the site. The exercise began in the afternoon and continued till late evening.Sources said the inspection followed complaints from some local residents regarding possible discharge of industrial waste and its impact on groundwater. However, officials said the exact findings would be known only after analysis of samples and submission of the report.Trident operates textile manufacturing facilities at the site, including production of terry towels for domestic and export markets.Some farmers in the vicinity have earlier alleged changes in groundwater quality, claiming that tube wells initially discharge brackish water before returning to normal. These claims have not been independently verified.A company representative said they were not informed in advance about the nature of the inspection but maintained that the unit complies with environmental norms and has installed modern pollution-control systems.PPCB officials were not available for comment despite repeated calls and text messages.