E-Paper
Trident suspends operations ahead of farmers’ five-day protest
The farmers launched a ‘save water’ campaign across state, starting today; the halting of operations at Trident, which has an annual turnover of ₹6,800 crore, will result in a huge loss to the state exchequer as well.
Trident Group, one of the largest textile groups in the state and exporter of towels, bedsheets and yarn to over 40 countries, has temporarily shut down major operations at its unit in Barnala as a precautionary measure in view of the five-day protest call given by farmers’ body under the ‘save water’ campaign.
The development has left the state’s industry and potential investors concerned. The halting of operations at Trident, which has an annual turnover of ₹6,800 crore, will result in a huge loss to the state exchequer as well.
In an official communication, the Trident Group also informed the Mumbai Stock Exchange that operations at their plant in Dhaula, Barnala, have been suspended until further notice.
“As a precautionary measure and to avoid any confrontation/untoward incidents and to ensure the safety and security of our workforce as well as protection of our assets, the management of the company has decided to temporarily close/lock down/suspend its operations from intervening night of July 20/21,” the communique to Mumbai Stock Exchange read.
Over 5,000 farmers, under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), will launch ‘Punjab Morcha’, in various districts of the state on Thursday. The farmers’ body is also being supported by ‘Kisan Mazdur Sangharsh Committee’.
Besides Trident, farmers will also be protesting at Ludhiana’s Buddah Nullah where untreated industrial effluents from 228 dyeing units is dumped, thus polluting the Sutlej too.
The five-day protest also includes a major protest at Daudhar village in Moga where Punjab’ first ‘central water treatment plant’ has been set up with assistance of World Bank to supply clean drinking water to 85 villages of the district. According to Chamkaur Singh, president, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) in Barnala, the government should take steps to recharge rainwater and such projects will only trouble the common man, deplete groundwater and add to the tax burden on farmers. Similar protests are planned across Ferozepur, Faridkot, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala.
