15082026-LT-01.qxd 8/15/2026 12:59 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 2 EX-DORAHA ROWING CENTRE TRAINEES BAG NAT’L SILVER KHEDAN WATAN PUNJAB DIYAN TORCH REACHES DIST SWEETENING HEARTS: GHEVAR’S POPULARITY GROWS The trainess were among three players who had to shift base after closure of facility. P2 National and int’l players carried torch via city during a march that culminated at Guru Nanak Stadium. P2 Ghevar is growing popular among Punjabis as they embrace and relish the monsoon delicacy. P3 » » FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 29°C SUNSET SATURDAY 7:04 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:50 AM » SATURDAY | 15 AUGUST 2026 | LUDHIANA Kin block highway after 55-yr-old woman dies at Kanganwal factory Incident occurred when her dupatta got entangled in running machine PROBE ON, SAYS SAHNEWAL SHO Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 14 A 55-year-old woman worker died in an industrial unit in Kanganwal on Friday morning after her dupatta reportedly got entangled in a running machine, following which her family and labour representatives held a protest and briefly blocked the national highway. The deceased, identified as Sanju Devi, had been working at the thread manufacturing unit for about four years. The mishap occurred around 8 am while she was carrying out her routine work, according to her family. Her husband, Lal Kishore Paswan, alleged that the incident raised questions over safety arrangements at the workplace. He claimed that adequate precautions had Kin of the deceased woman protest outside the factory in Kanganwal. not been taken around the machinery and sought action against those responsible. The incident led to tension outside the factory as the family and labour union representatives gathered at the spot. They placed the victim’s body on the road and demanded an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death. The protesters also alleged that the family was not informed about the incident and claimed that the body was brought outside the factory premises. They demanded that the factory management should explain how the accident occurred and what safety measures were in place when the woman was Sahnewal SHO Dalvir Singh said the police have started an investigation into the incident. The body was sent for a post-mortem examination while the circumstances leading to the accident are being examined. Action will be taken if the probe finds any negligence. working on the machine. Later, the protesters blocked the national highway near Kanganwal for around 15 minutes. The blockade resulted in traffic queues on both sides of the highway. Police officials reached the spot and spoke to the family and protesters, following which the road was cleared. Family members said Celebrating freedom Sanju Devi was the main earning member of the household and she was survived by her husband, a son and two daughters. They demanded that the circumstances of the accident be thoroughly examined and the family should get justice, if any lapse was found. Sahnewal SHO Dalvir Singh said the police had started an investigation into the incident. The body was sent for a post-mortem examination while the circumstances leading to the accident were being examined. The police are also looking into the machinery involved in the incident and the safety arrangements at the factory. The SHO said appropriate legal action would be taken if the investigation finds any negligence. MC workers pump out accumulated water from a road in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Short spell of rainfall in city bares waterlogging woes Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 14 A short spell of rain on Friday afternoon again exposed city’s waterlogging issue, with several roads, underpasses and low-lying areas inundated, just a day before Independence Day. The rain was not uniform across the city. While some areas received a spell of showers, there was little or no rain in other localities. It caught many residents and commuters by surprise as those who had left home without umbrellas or raincoats found themselves looking for shelter. Several underbridges and low-lying stretches were filled with rainwater, forcing Deadline to make city pothole-free over, cave-ins, poor roads continue to irk locals Tribune News Service Schoolchildren celebrate Independence Day in Ludhiana. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN SEE ALSO P3 Attack on Sukhbir: SAD leaders seek CBI probe Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 14 Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders in the city on Friday condemned the alleged attack on party president Sukhbir Singh Badal at a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident. Addressing mediapersons, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Ranjit Singh Dhillon and Bhupinder Singh Bhinda expressed concern over the incident and prayed for Sukhbir’s safety and well-being. They said the incident was commuters to slow down or take alternate routes. Waterlogging was reported from areas, including Model Town, Shastri Nagar, Gurdev Nagar and Haibowal while several major roads also witnessed accumulation of water. The situation was particularly visible on Ferozepur Road. At Aarti Chowk and continued on page 3 a matter of concern and stressed the need for a fair and detailed investigation. They said the probe should establish the circumstances leading to the incident and identify all those responsible. They demanded that the investigation should not be limited to the person allegedly involved in the attack. The leaders said the role of any other person or persons behind the incident should also be examined and facts should be brought before the public. They said the party stood firmly behind its president and appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony. Ludhiana, August 14 The state government’s June 30 deadline to make Ludhiana pothole-free has passed but damaged roads and fresh cave-ins continue to trouble residents, raising questions over the pace and quality of road repairs in the city. Two fresh incidents have added to the concern. A portion of the road near the Municipal Corporation’s Zone D office in Sarabha Nagar sank on Friday. MC workers were seen carrying out repairs on the affected stretch near the office. A portion of the road near Fountain Chowk caved in on August 13, shortly after the stretch had been opened for repair of a leakage in a water supply pipeline. Residents, however, said repeated digging of roads for utility works and subsequent repairs had weakened several stretches. They said road excavation should be preceded by proper mapping of underground utilities and the restoration work should be monitored closely. They also called for better coordination between departments and agencies involved in laying water and other pipelines. A portion of the road that caved in in Sarabha Nagar on Friday. Social activist Arvind Sharma has also taken up the issue with Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains. In a letter sent on Friday, he highlighted the condition of several city roads and sought immediate measures to make vulnerable stretches safer for motorists and pedestrians. Sharma said potholes become particularly difficult to spot during rainfall as water covers damaged portions of the road. He sought a city-wide survey to identify dangerous stretches and temporary repairs at locations where immediate safety measures were required. Gurdev Nagar resident Ravinderpal Singh Ghai Singh said the authorities should not wait for major caveins before taking action. He suggested that a technical survey be conducted and permanent repairs carried out wherever roads had been weakened due to utility works. Meanwhile, the prolonged repair work at Kitchlu Nagar continues to inconvenience commuters. Over 10 days after the major cave-in, both sides of the affected road remain closed, forcing residents to use longer routes. Officials had earlier indicated that one side of the road would be opened for traffic but it had not happened so far. A concrete slab was laid on Thursday night and officials said one side would be opened after the damaged portion was covered and the ongoing repair work was secured. Residents said opening at least one side would provide some relief to people staying and working in the area. A Municipal Corporation official said road cave-ins had increased at several locations after roads were excavated for laying water supply pipelines. The issue becomes more frequent during the rainy season, he said. “Wherever damage is reported, repair work is being taken up along with other ongoing works,” the official said. Residents have urged the civic body to conduct a technical assessment of major cave-ins, ensure proper restoration of excavated roads and fix responsibility wherever poor-quality repair work is found. They said timely intervention could prevent minor road damage from turning into major safety hazards. From Lahore to Ludhiana: Papoo Abnash’s Partition journey Mobile phone, tobacco City woman recalls how tragedy forced her family to cross the border Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 14 After many decades, Papoo Abnash Singh still carries vivid memories of the summer of 1947 when the lines drawn on the map uprooted millions, including her own family. “We were six brothers and sisters, and I was just seven years old when the tragedy struck and we had to shift to India,” she recalls. Her grandfather was in the police force. Their sprawling house number 38 on Elgin Road in the Lahore’s Can- tonment area was left behind as destiny forced them to cross the border. The family first moved to Dalhousie, where her father served as an executive engineer in the Electricity Board. Transfers eventually brought them to Ludhiana, where Papoo got married and built her life. Her husband, Abnash Singh, whom she lost a few years ago, carried his own scars of the Partition. He often recounted how Sikh boys were killed on sight in Sheikhupura, forcing his father to disguise them in Papoo Abnash with husband Abnash; and (right) the house on Elgin Road in Lahore where she used to stay. suit-salwar as girls to escape. “Abnash’s father, Atma Singh, fondly called Lalaji during the freedom movement, had worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. But the Partition broke him, he lost interest in life and worked only to settle his sons,” Papoo shares. Atma Singh had owned c m y b one of Sheikhupura’s largest rice shellers but all was abandoned. His three elder brothers perished in the Partition violence. With the help of the Indian Army, he managed to bring his family and his brothers’ families safely to Amritsar. From there, they moved to Jalandhar and finally Ludhiana. For Papoo, Independence Day is not only about freedom but also about survival and rebuilding. “We lost everything but we found a new life here. That is the true spirit of independence. Every Independence Day, I feel gratitude to workers who helped at the border and I am grateful that despite losing everything, we could rebuild our lives in India,” she says with her voice steady yet heavy with memory. seized from Central Jail Ludhiana, August 14 Four mobile phones and 48 packets of tobacco were seized during a checking at the Ludhiana Central Jail, prompting the police to investigate how the prohibited items reached the highsecurity prisons. Assistant Superintendent Balihar Singh lodged a complaint with the police. Following the complaint, the Division No 7 police registered a case against three inmates, Harpreet Singh alias Happy, Amritpal Singh, alias Amrit, and Gurpreet Singh, along with unidentified persons. The suspects have been booked under the Prisons Act. The recovery of mobile phones has again brought the issue of prohibited communication devices inside the jail under focus. Investigators are examining whether the phones and tobacco were brought into the prisons from outside or were obtained through some other means. ASI Gurdial Singh said the police were verifying the circumstances surrounding the recovery. The role of other persons, including anyone who might have helped in bringing the prohibited items inside the jail, was also being examined. — TNS