29072025-LT-01.qxd 7/29/2025 12:45 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune DYEING UNITS MAIN ‘CULPRIT’IN POLLUTING BUDDHA NULLAH PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO COMPETE FOR ‘BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN’ AWARD YOUNGER GENERATION’S NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT: RITU KUMAR Dyeing industry is said to be prime reason for pollution in Buddha Nullah and Sutlej into which it merges. P2 DEO has launched a drive to encourage schools to maintain ‘Beautiful Kitchens’ under mid-day meal scheme. P3 Veteran fashion designer says that fashion changes due to younger generation’s ever-changing needs. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.18 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:40 AM TUESDAY | 29 JULY 2025 | LUDHIANA Civic body flags 159 unsafe buildings Two bike-borne miscreants open fire at jewellery shop across city, what next, ask residents Tribune News Service NEXT STEPS REST WITH BUILDING OWNERS: MC CHIEF Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 28 A fresh civic survey has declared 159 buildings across the city unsafe but danger isn’t waiting for the paperwork to settle. Just days ago, the front portion of a dilapidated building collapsed at Roopa Mistri Gali, driving home risks that residents live with daily. The incident occurred on July 22 amid heavy rainfall, which weakened the fragile structure and caused bricks to fall intermittently throughout the day. No injuries were reported — but for many, it was a narrow escape. “Every time it rains, we worry if something above us might give way,” said Harpreet Singh, a garment trader from the area. “That building should have been dealt with long ago,” he said. The Municipal Corporation’s Town Planning branch flagged the latest batch of unsafe buildings, with Zone D topping the list at 55, followed by Zone A with 48, Zone C with 35 and Zone B with 21. In comparison, Zone A led the 2021 survey with 64 vulnerable structures, pointing to shifting patterns in structural decay — or perhaps a lack of follow-through. But the real question ❝ We’ve completed the survey and issued notices accordingly. Next steps rest with building owners. ❞ — Aaditya Dachalwal, MC COMMISSIONER WHERE ARE RISKS CONCENTRATED? ■ Zone D: 55 unsafe buildings ■ Zone A: 48 unsafe buildings ■ Zone C: 35 unsafe buildings ■ Zone B: 21 unsafe buildings A dilapidated building near Purana Bazaar, Ludhiana. INDERJEET VERMA lingers: What happens after these surveys? “They do these surveys and release numbers but what actually happens afterwards?” asked Manju Devi, a housewife from Naughara Mohalla. “I’ve seen cracks grow larger year after year in our neighbour’s house but people still stay there.” Officials acknowledge that most flagged buildings are residential and often rented out, complicating efforts to vacate them. “Tenancy disputes between owners and occupants leave little recourse,” said a MC officer. “We issue notices but action often stalls,” the official said. Under Section 273 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, owners are directed to repair or demolish such buildings. Non-compliance could make them liable for any future mishaps. Police assistance has also been sought to evacuate high-risk structures. “We’ve completed the survey and issued notices accordingly,” said MC Com- missioner Aaditya Dachalwal. “Next steps rest with building owners,” he said. Neighbourhoods such as Chaura Bazaar, Field Ganj, Jawahar Nagar, Daresi, Ghas mandi, Purana Bazaar and Meena Bazaar remain especially vulnerable, dotted with aging structures still in use despite visible signs of wear. The city’s memory is heavy with past collapses: A woman and her infant narrowly escaped in Bandeyan Mohalla near Chawal Bazaar in October 2024; another structure gave way in Karta Ram Street in February 2023; and in August 2021, two separate incidents left over 10 injured. “What’s the use of a notice that hangs on a wall no one repairs?” asked Satpal Kaur, a retired schoolteacher from Janta Nagar. “We need action not just paperwork,” she says. Ludhiana, July 28 A firing incident occurred at a jewellery shop in broad daylight at Kamal Chowk in Jagraon on Monday. Two masked miscreants on a motorcycle fired bullets at the glass of the shop from the moving bike and fled towards the Raikot road. There was no loss of life in the incident. Parminder Singh Kanda, owner of Kanda Jewellers, was not present at the scene at the time of the incident. His nephew and two other persons were sitting inside the shop. One gate of the shop is located towards Kamal Chowk while the other one faces the Raikot road. The shop owner reached the scene after getting information. He said he had no dispute with anyone and he was shocked to know that someone had targeted his shop. The entire incident got captured in CCTV camera. The police are now examining the footage of CCTV cameras installed in the shop and nearby areas. According to eyewitnesses, the miscreants had covered their faces with mask. The miscreants drove the motorcycle straight from the front of the shop and fired at its outer glass. Ludhiana (rural) SSP Ankur Gupta and Jagraon SHO inspector Varinderpal Singh Uppal had also reached the scene for probe. The police officials said the police received photographs of the bike-borne miscreants and soon, they would be traced. Sources said though the jeweller had denied about receiving any extortion call from gangsters or criminal elements, the police were also probing the extortion call angle behind the incident. Second incident at jewellery showroom in five months On March 5, in the busy Rani Jhansi Chowk area in Jagraon, two unidentified bike-borne assailants opened fire at a jewellery showroom, Lakhe Wale Jewellers. The case was solved with the arrest of the suspects following an encounter. Police officials probe the firing incident at the jewellery shop in Jagraon on Monday. 3 nabbed for snatching mobiles Man succumbs Doc booked for sexually after assault, 1 held assaulting live-in partner Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 28 The Police Division 2 arrested three persons and recovered 20 mobile phones from their possession. ADCP Sameer Verma, ACP (Central) Anil Bhanot and SHO inspector Gurjit Singh issued a statement in this regard. They said Nikki of Prem Nagar had filed a police complaint on July 26 that he was cornered by three snatchers near Cheema Chowk and by brandishing a sharp weapon, they snatched a mobile phone, cash and important documents from him. After receiving the complaint, a case was registered at the police station. During investigation, the suspects, were identified as Rohit, Anish, alias Wadda Kalu, and Azad, all residents of Islam Ganj here. They were arrested from different locations and 20 mobile Tribune News Service Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service The suspects in police custody in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN phones, which they snatched from city residents in the recent past, were recovered. A motorcycle used in the crime was also seized, the police officials said, adding that interrogation of the suspects was on and their role in the past unsolved incidents were being checked. Meanwhile, ADCP Sameer Verma said the police would take strict and immediate action against snatchers, robbers or any criminals. Strict instructions were already issued to police station heads and patrolling in the area was also being increased. Ludhiana, July 28 A man was found critically injured under suspicious circumstances in the Giaspura area on Sunday night. The victim was identified as Pradeep Tiwari, who was working at a factory in Focal Point. On Sunday evening, he left home to eat something outside. When he did not return home in the night, his family members began searching for him. Later, they informed the police. The Daba police obtained a CCTV footage in which two unidentified persons on a motorcycle were seen taking the victim with them and the police were trying to identify the duo. Vijay, a relative of the deceased, was a resident of Mahadev Nagar. He worked at a factory in the Focal Point area. On Sunday, he returned home from work and went to market but did not return in the night. Pradeep was found lying injured in the late hours near Bapu Market by the police. He was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The motorcyclists seen in the video were considered the suspects. The police reportedly arrested one of the suspects, Rinku Dubey, and the case may be cracked soon. Daba SHO inspector Gurdial Singh said the police got vital clues about the suspects and a probe was on. Ludhiana, July 28 City doctor Sumit Sofat allegedly sexually assaulted her years’ old live-in partner and he also inserted a beer bottle in the private part of the woman, causing her internal injuries. A case was registered at the Police Division 8 against the suspect, a resident of the Hira Singh Road area, Civil Lines, under Sections 64 (1), 74, 76, 69 and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the BNS. The woman (38) told the police that she had been happily living in a live-in relationship with Sumit for the past 15 years. He had promised to marry her. They also had two children, a sevenyear-old boy and a 4-year-old girl. “Concerned about proper upbringing of my children, whenever I used to ask Sum- it to turn our live-in relationship into a marriage, he would make excuses. About six months ago, I came to know that he got married around 30 years ago with a doctor, who runs a clinic on College Road here under the name of Infertility Centre. I asked him that if he was not in a relationship with his wife, he should divorce her. On this, Sumit got angry. He ould often fight with me and used to abuse and beat me in an inebriated state,” the woman alleged. She further alleged that on July 16 evening, she was present in the house with her children when Dr Sumit was drinking beer in the bedroom and the children were present in the other bedroom. He came to her holding a bottle of beer and started sexual intercourse with her forcibly. When she stopped him from Elderly man dies by Spread awareness against use of makeshift vehicles, admn urged suicide at village Mahesh Sharma Ludhiana, July 28 An elderly man died by suicide by consuming some poisonous substance at Akhara village near Jagraon on Monday. Sukhdev Singh, son of deceased Zora Singh, said the village panchayat had constructed a lane as part of development work in the village. The panchayat had promised that the height of the lane would be kept equal or less to that of their house but after construction, the lane became about two-and-ahalf-ft higher than their house, due to which the house became much lower than it. He said during the recent rains, water entered their house. They approached the panchayat and it assured that the problem would be resolved soon. When no solution was found even after a long time, his father removed some bricks from the lane to flush rainwater from the house. On this, the panchayat lodged a complaint at the police station that the government property was tampered with and a case was registered. Saddened by the incident, Zora Singh died by suicide. The Sadar police have started a probe into the incident. — TNS Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 28 Malpractice of using commercial vehicles, especially those which are not meant for transporting people, for ferrying passengers is a growing concern in view of potential risk to lives of their occupants and other commuters on highways. The practice is more prevalent in rural areas where people from lower strata of society opt to save money by travelling in unauthorised vehicles, that too with overloading and using unsafe routes to prevent action by the authorities concerned on highways. Rampant use of makeshift vehicles. including outdated Unaware of risks involved, people continue to use illegal vehicles. tempos, motorcycle carts and peter rehra, commonly known as ‘jugad’ vehicles, has further increased potential risk to lives of occupants of such vehicles and other c m y b motorists on roads. Situation worsens when unfit vehicles and carelessness of drivers result in accidents along unprotected banks of canals or canal bridges. Such vehicles are normally used for visiting shrines, attending political rallies and social functions in this part of Malwa. The tragedy in which at least six persons were reported dead and five others missing when a tempo carrying devotees returning from Shree Naina Devi had plunged into the Sirhind canal on Sunday night had recollected the nightmare of about 50 persons who had fallen victim to a similar incident over 18 years ago. Sevadars at Gurdwara Karamsar (Rara Sahib) said six persons had died when a truck carrying about 50 devotees returning from Shree Naina Devi had fallen in the canal after hitting a tree trunk due to sudden narrowing of road. The rescue operation conducted with the help of an Army unit had continued for at least three days then. Army officials had also expressed disappointment over many issues, including operation of recovery vans due to poor condition of narrow roads. In the present case too, the tragedy could have been averted, had the railing along the canal bank been intact. Residents have urged the authorities to launch a campaign to spread awareness about risks involved in the malpractice of using of commercial and makeshift vehicles for ferrying passengers, even if punitive action is not taken soon. doing so, he pushed and threw her on the bed and tore her nightie and slapped her in the influence of alcohol. “When I tried to escape, he forcibly started taking off my clothes and started the sexual assault. The suspect also forcefully put the neck of the empty beer bottle inside my private part due to which I suffered internal injuries. Somehow I saved myself and came out of the house. Since it was dark, I went to Alamgir gurdwara and spent the night there,” the victim alleged. The complainant further alleged that Sumit, who was not only a doctor but also a lawyer, harassed and threatened her by claiming to be acquainted with senior police officers. SHO inspector Amarjit Singh said the suspect was at large and a raid was being conducted to nab him. Man opens fire over property dispute Ludhiana, July 28 A heated argument between two parties escalated to such an extent that a 71-year-old man fired shots from his licensed weapon at Islam Ganj here. Though no lives were lost during the incident, it created an atmosphere of fear in the area. A complaint regarding the same was filed at Police Division 2, after which the police took the elderly man into custody. SHO Gurjit Singh said the police were probing the matter. As per sources, a land dispute was going on between the two parties in the area. A fierce argument erupted between the neighbours over a construction-related dispute, leading to the incident. — TNS