01082026-LT-01.qxd 8/1/2026 12:41 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune TRIBUNE HONOURS ACHIEVERS AT PATIALA EVENT Achievers were recognised for their contributions during The Tribune Punjab Achievers-2026 on Friday. P2 » ACTOR KARTIK AARYAN LENDS HELPING HAND FRIENDSHIP WEEK DESERVES A CELEBRATION LIKE NO OTHER Kartik has contributed ~1 crore to the Assam CM’s Relief Fund to support flood relief efforts in the state. P4 MOBE at Elante Mall goes all out with a night packed with high-energy beats and non-stop Bhangra vibes. P4 » » FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET SATURDAY 7:18 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:40 AM SATURDAY | 1 AUGUST 2026 | LUDHIANA Garbage piles up in city as striking sanitation workers refuse to budge Residents bear the brunt, MC seeks deployment of cops at compactor sites Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 31 City’s sanitation crisis deepened on Friday as heaps of garbage continued to accumulate across major roads, markets and residential areas due to the ongoing strike by sanitation workers. With a majority of the city’s 42 static compactor sites remaining shut, garbage collection has come to a near standstill, forcing residents to fear a possible outbreak of diseases if the situation continues. As waste continued to pile up, the Municipal Corporation (MC) sought police assistance to restore garbage disposal. Senior civic body officials have talked to the Commissioner of Police (CP), requesting deployment of police personnel at static compactor sites that have remained closed during the strike so that garbage collection vehicles could unload waste and sanitation services can resume. The city, which generates nearly 1,100 tonnes of solid waste every day, is witnessing overflowing garbage dumps at several key locations, including Dugri Road, Pratap Chowk, Jawahar Nagar Camp, BRS Nagar and Clock Tower and in areas near the bus stand. Since most compactor sites remain inaccessible, private garbage collection vehicles have been forced to dump waste along roadsides, leaving large stretches covered with garbage. The worst-hit area was the compactor site near Dugri Road, where garbage had spread up to the Sidhwan Garbage lies scattered near the Dugri bridge in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Canal bridge. Vegetable waste scattered across the road made the surface slippery, with several motorists struggling to control their vehicles. Long traffic jams were witnessed throughout the day as commuters negotiated roads lined with overflowing waste. At Jawahar Nagar Camp, one side of the road was covered with garbage, forcing traffic to move through a single carriageway. The foul smell, swarms of flies and stagnant rainwater around the waste heaps added to the inconvenience of residents and shopkeepers. Residents said the situation was becoming alarming as the garbage remained unattended despite intermittent rainfall. “We are not only troubled by the foul smell but are also worried about diseases. Rainwater has collected around the garbage heaps and mosquitoes and flies have increased. If the strike continues for a few more days, there could be a serious health crisis,” said Mahesh Sharma, a resident of Jawahar Nagar. Another resident, Meena Gupta, said children and elderly people were the worst affected. “Roads have become difficult to use and garbage is lying outside residential areas. We are afraid that infections may spread if waste is not lifted soon,” she said. Jagjot Singh, who was caught in a traffic jam on Dugri Road, said he remained stranded for nearly 30 minutes. “The road was almost blocked due to garbage. I had urgent work but there was no way to move quickly,” he said. Shopkeepers also complained that their business had been suffering due to the unhygienic conditions. Raj Kumar, who runs a shop near the Jawahar Nagar compactor site, said customers were avoiding the market because of the unbearable smell. “This is a dispute between the government and employees, but traders and residents are paying the price,” he said. Municipal Corporation officials admitted that the strike had disrupted the city’s waste management system. An official said garbage lifting was a daily process and even a short disruption results in huge accumulation of waste. He said the MC had explored engaging private agencies for waste collection but the efforts could not materialise. Meanwhile, sanitation workers continued their strike for another day. They are demanding action against police personnel allegedly involved in the Barnala lathicharge incident, regularisation of contractual Class IV employees, compassionate appointments for families of workers who died while on duty, implementation of the old pension scheme and regularisation of overage employees. While talks between the authorities and employee representatives are continuing, there was no breakthrough till Friday evening. Civic officials hope that police deployment at the static compactor sites will help restart garbage disposal and provide some relief to residents as the city continues to battle mounting piles of waste. Senior Congress leader Pawan Dewan has demanded that the MC should issue a ‘white paper’ pertaining to various branches and their functioning of the past five years. Holding the MC squarely responsible for the dismal state of civic amenities, he said despite collecting multiple taxes annually from residents and receiving funds from other sources, the MC has failed miserably. “The chaos in the city after Thursday’s rain has laid bare the pathetic state of civic affairs, raising urgent questions not only about official accountability but also allocation of Dewan said. Strike delays silt removal in Kashmir Nagar, Ranjit Park Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 31 Days after heavy rainfall led to waterlogging in parts of the city, residents of Kashmir Nagar and Ranjit Park are now grappling with another problem — thick layers of black silt covering roads and lanes. The ongoing strike by sanitation workers has delayed the cleaning work, leaving residents to navigate muddy and unhygienic streets. Residents said the silt was left behind after rainwater receded and had made movement difficult, besides creating unhygienic conditions in the locality. They fear that another spell of rain could worsen the situation if roads were not cleaned soon. Sunita Rani, a resident of Kashmir Nagar, said the memories of last year’s monsoon continue to haunt people in the area. “Last year, dirty water entered our houses and caused heavy losses. This time, we were relieved that water remained on streets and did not enter our homes. However, the black silt left behind has made our lives difficult,” she said. Another resident, Rakesh Kumar, said Thursday’s rainfall reminded residents of the flooding witnessed during the previous monsoon. “The rain stopped in time, otherwise the situation could have become serious again. As the water receded, it left thick mud and silt on roads. It needs to be removed immediately before the next rainfall,” he said. Former national secretary of the Indian Youth Congress, Yogesh Handa, alleged that the problem returns every monsoon. He said residents first face flooding during heavy rain and then had to live with silt-filled streets for several days after the water drains out. He urged the authorities to find a permanent solution, instead of temporary measures every year. Municipal Corporation officials admitted that the ongoing strike by the sanitation employees had affected cleaning operations across the city. They said removal of silt from affected localities had become difficult as the staff responsible for the sanitation work were not on duty. Area councillor Manju Aggarwal said the issue had been taken up with the MC officials concerned. According to her, the officials have assured that cleaning of the affected roads would be carried out once the sanitation workers resume duty. She said the restoration of normal sanitation services depends on an early resolution of the ongoing strike. Meanwhile, residents have appealed to the authorities to begin the cleaning work at the earliest, saying prolonged accumulation of silt could create sanitation problems and inconvenience commuters if another spell of rain hits the city. A thick layer of black silt covers a lane after rain in Kashmir Nagar of Ludhiana. Miscreants open fire over 13-yr-old’s pregnancy exposes Reels lead officials to minor dispute, 9 booked months of abuse; two nabbed rescue protected animals from village Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 31 Tension prevailed near Cheema Chowk late on Thursday evening after a group of men allegedly opened fire in the air following an argument with residents of nearby shanties. No one was injured in the incident. The Division No 2 police have registered a case of attempt to murder against nine persons. Two of the suspects have been identified as Aman and Mithu while efforts are on to identify the others. The case was registered on the complaint of constable Jaswinder Singh, who is posted at the Janakpuri police post. The complaint stated that the suspects had allegedly consumed liquor at a nearby vend before reaching the area in a vehicle. They stopped the vehicle near the shanties. The police said residents gathered around the vehicle after they reportedly assumed that its occupants had come to distribute some relief material. As people surrounded the vehicle and knocked on its windowpanes, an argument broke out between the two groups. The verbal altercation soon turned violent as Some of the suspects fired several rounds in the air. Hearing the gunshots, the residents rushed indoors and informed the police. A police team reached the scene and started a probe. — TNS Ludhiana, July 31 A 13-year-old girl’s pregnancy has exposed an alleged case of repeated sexual abuse involving two men, one of them a distant relative and other a neighbour. The police have arrested both suspects after the victim’s statement revealed that she had allegedly been assaulted over several months. The case came to the fore when the girl’s health started deteriorating. As per the police, she had been complaining of severe stomach pain for several days. Concerned about the girl’s condition, her mother took her to a doctor, where medical tests revealed that she was seven months’ pregnant. The revelation left the family shocked. When the mother gently questioned her daughter about the pregnancy, the girl allegedly said she had been sexually assaulted on different occasions by two men known to her. As per the complaint, the first incident occurred in December 2025 when a distant relative, who was then staying near the family’s house, allegedly raped the girl. Inspector Avneet Kaur, SHO, Division number 6 police station, said the police had filed an FIR against the suspects under various sections of the BNS and POCSO Act. 3 officials chargesheeted, six contractors fined in forest damage case Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 31 The Punjab Water Resources Department has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that disciplinary action has been initiated against three officials and penalties of around Rs 28 lakh have been imposed on NGT says compliance reports incomplete, seeks fresh status report The action has been taken for damaging the forest strip along the Sirhind Canal during the canal remodelling work in Feb 2025. FILE six contractors for damaging the forest strip along the Sirhind Canal during the canal remodelling and concrete lining work in February 2025. However, the NGT has said compliance reports filed by the departments are incomplete and has sought a fresh status report while directing that prosecution proceedings against the violators be pursued as per law. Hearing an execution application in the matter, the Principal Bench of the NGT noted that its earlier order dated November 13, 2025, had directed the Water Resources Department to deposit Rs 27 lakh for compensatory plantation of 4,000 saplings, initiate action against erring officials and contractors and ensure prosecution under the Indian Forest Act, 1927. In its compliance affidavit, the Water Resources Department stated that three officials had been chargesheeted under the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules after examining their role in the violations. The charges relate to failure to monitor works on forest land, allowing damage to trees, permitting batching plants in the forest area and not ensuring that timber from felled trees was deposited with the Forest Department. The department also informed the tribunal that Rs 12.90 lakh had been recovered from contractors towards damage assessed by it. Along with the value of seized timber and other recoveries, the total amount deposited by contractors comes to around Rs 28 lakh, according to receipts placed on record. It further c m y b stated that Rs 27.22 lakh had been deposited with the Green Mission Punjab through a demand draft towards compensatory plantation. However, the NGT observed that the affidavit did not clearly state whether the amount deposited with the Green Mission Punjab was specifically being used for the compensatory plantation ordered by the tribunal or for the routine plantation programme. It also noted that no clear information had been provided regarding the plantation and maintenance of the 4,000 saplings directed earlier. The tribunal also expressed dissatisfaction over the action taken by the Forest Department. During the hearing, the District Forest Officer submitted that penalty proceedings under the Indian Forest Act had been completed after contractors deposited the assessed amount. The Bench, however, pointed out that its earlier order had also required prosecution of the violators, besides action under Rule 15 of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023, which provides for filing complaints before the competent court. The NGT has now directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Punjab, to examine the issue of prosecution and submit a compliance report within four weeks. It also granted four weeks to the Water Resources Department and the Forest Department to file fresh compliance reports, observing that the reports already filed do not reflect compliance with its November 2025 order. The matter has been listed for hearing on October 8, 2026. Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 31 Videos posted on social media led wildlife officials to a village near Jagraon, where a joint team of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Punjab Police allegedly found protected wild animals being kept illegally at a house. The raid was conducted at Sekhdaun village after the Wildlife Department received information that an Instagram user was regularly uploading reels featuring wild animals. The officials said the videos prompted an inquiry, following which a complaint was submitted to the police. During the search of the house, the joint team recovered two black kites and a jackal, which were allegedly being kept without permission. The animals were rescued and taken into custody of the Forest and Wildlife Department for further care and examination. The police said the operation was carried out on the directions of the Northern Region Sub-Regional Office of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in Amritsar. Officials from the Wildlife Department and Sadar police station took part in the raid. According to the police, Narinder Singh, an official with the Ludhiana Wildlife Range, had submitted a complaint after noticing videos on the suspect’s Instagram account in which protected wildlife was allegedly being displayed. The department suspected that the animals shown in the videos were being kept in illegal captivity. ASI Rakesh Kumar of the Sadar police station said the social media posts became an important source of evidence during the probe. He said the police werenow trying to ascertain how the accused obtained the animals, how long they had been kept on the premises and whether more wildlife-related offences were committed. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against Ranjit Singh Rana under relevant provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Further probe is on. The wildlife officials said protected animals could not be captured, kept or displayed without legal authorisation. They urged people not to use wild animals for making social media content, warning that violations of the Wildlife (Protection) Act would invite strict action.