19082026-CT-01.qxd 8/19/2026 12:38 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune IISER STUDENT RUN OVER BY TRAIN IN MOHALI CAPITOL COMPLEX SECURITY PLAN GETS PANEL NOD ELNAAZ NOROUZI MAY NOT PARTICIPATE IN BIGG BOSS The 18-year-old student from Rohtak was run over by a goods train near Kambali village in Mohali. P2 The District Road Safety Committee approves comprehensive security plan of the Capitol Complex. P3 According to sources, Elnaaz is currently in LA to promote her Hollywood film, The Fix. P4 » » PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 34.4°C | MIN 23.6°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.01 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:52 AM » WEDNESDAY | 19 AUGUST 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE 1-hr rain floods Tricity; bridges collapse in P’kula 30.3-MM RAIN logged in Chandigarh in the evening; leaves roads, junctions and markets waterlogged Nitin Jain HOW IT POURED Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 18 Heavy rain turned large parts of the Tricity into a flood-like scene on Tuesday evening. Major roads and junctions were submerged under kneedeep water, bringing traffic to a crawl. Two bridges were washed away in Panchkula district. Several trees and electricity poles were uprooted, leading to power supply disruption. The rain intensified between 5.30pmand6.30pm,floodinglowlying areas, roads, markets, parking lots, rotaries and busy junctions across the Tricity. Office-goersreturninghomewere caught unawares, while several vehicles were stranded after rainwater entered their engines. Roads leading to Mohali and Panchkulawereseverelyaffected. In Panchkula district, the bridge connecting Alipur and Khatoli collapsed after heavy rain and rising water levels damaged the structure. The police appealed to residents to avoid risk-prone areas amid the heavy rain and rising water levels. MADHYA MARG TURNS INTO A POOL Several stretches of Madhya Marg, the city’s main east-west traffic corridor, were submerged under knee-deep water, creating a flood-like situation and bringing traffic movement to a crawl. Among the worst-hit locations were Tribune Chowk; the GMCH-32 roundabout; Labour Chowk in Sector 20; Transport Chowk; the JW Marriott junction in Sector 35; the ISBT and ISBT junctions. -17 -43 A storm-water drainage line collapsed on the Madhya Marg in Sector 28. Rainwater entered several houses in different sectors. Ankur, a resident of Sector 10, said rainwater entered 5.30 PM–6.30 PM 42.4 MM 30.3 MM Commuters have a tough time on a waterlogged stretch of Madhya Marg in Chandigarh on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR many houses in the area due to the lack of proper cleaning of road gullies. Waterlogging was reported in Sectors 20, 21, 45, 46 and 47. Pawan Kumar, a resident, said the waterlogging had exposed the preparedness of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. He said road gullies were not cleaned properly. Suman Sharma, a resident of Sector 33, said all roads leading to the sector were flooded. Rainwater also flooded parking areas in Sectors 33, 34, 23 and 40. Shopkeepers said there was no proper drainage system in the parking areas. WATER ENTERS SEC 22 MOBILE MARKET In Chandigarh, rainwater entered showrooms in the Sector 22 mobile market. A major traffic disruption and flood-like situation was also reported around the Sector 34 junction and in Sectors 35, 24, 15 and 14. GHAGGAR IN SPATE The Ghaggar was in spate following heavy rain, with strong currents washing away a couple of bridges. There were also reports of a couple of people and cattle feared to have been swept away in the gushing waters. However, the administration confirmed that there had been no loss of life till the reports last came in. At Rajiv Colony in Panchkula, two youths were reportedly swept continued on page 2 Rainwater enters Sec 10 skating rink Chandigarh, August 18 Rainwater entered the Sector 10 Sports Complex and turned the skating rink and adjoining areas into a minipool for a few hours. The arena, which has been projected to host international events next year, has also hosted several important national events in the past. An official at the complex said the facility was located in a low-lying area where water accumulated quickly during heavy rain. “Rainwater also entered the roller skating (hockey) rink. No damage has been reported. The arena was The Sector 10 skating rink after the downpour on Tuesday. cleared within a few hours after the rain stopped,” the official said. Videos and photographs showing rainwater gushing into the complex through the entrance gate circulated widely on social media. “The practice session was disrupted for a few hours, and the entrance area was badly affected by the heavy rain. The workers helped clear the area, and practice resumed,” said a parent. The skating rink was constructed in 1970 and has facilities for artistic skating, speed skating and roller hockey events. The facility has also hosted training camps for probables of the Indian roller hockey squad. — TNS A waterlogged road at the Sector 36-37 traffic lights. PANCHKULA 8.30 AM–5.30 PM 67.5 MM CHANDIGARH 41 PANCHKULA 46 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 18 The Director-Principal of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, has submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the benefit of OBC (non-creamy layer) reservation shall be granted only to bona fide residents of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The benefit will not be extended to candidates who have migrated from any other state or Union Territory, according to written instructions submitted to the High Court. The Additional Standing Counsel for Chandigarh placed the written instructions of the Director-Principal before the High Court during the hearing of the case today. The Additional Standing Counsel had sought time on Monday to obtain instructions after counsel for the petitioner, Amar Vivek, referred to an order dated May 8, 2026. The counsel submitted that when the petitioner had approached the court earlier, the writ petition was dis- The IMD has retained a yellow alert for Wednesday, forecasting fairly widespread rain, with heavy rain likely at isolated places. Fairly widespread rain is forecast for Saturday. posed of on the basis of a statement made on behalf of the Chandigarh Administration that OBC reservation was not being extended to candidates who had migrated from other states. Amar Vivek also referred to the prospectus for centralised admissions to MBBS, BDS and BHMS courses, contending that it did not make any distinction between migrant OBC candidates and bona fide OBC candidates who are residents of Chandigarh. The petitioner, a bona fide resident of Chandigarh belonging to OBC (noncreamy layer), had earlier approached the High Court seeking directions to restrict OBC reservation under the UT Chandigarh quota strictly to bona fide residents of Chandigarh and exclude candidates holding “OBC Migration Certificates”. However, when the prospectus for medical admissions was issued on August 9, 2026, the distinction between migrant OBC candidates and bona fide OBC residents of Chandigarh was not reflected, prompting the petitioner to file a fresh writ petition. The counsel for the petitioner argued, citing various judgments of the Supreme Court, that candidates who have migrated from other states to Chandigarh cannot be granted the benefit of OBC reservation in Chandi- garh. He contended that the benefit should be restricted to bona fide OBC residents of Chandigarh. It was further argued that extending the benefit to migrants would amount to granting them a double benefit, as such candidates are otherwise eligible to avail themselves of OBC reservation benefits in their respective parent states. Counselling for admission to various courses at the GMCH, Sector 32, is scheduled to commence on August 20, 2026. Hostel ‘baithaks’ return to PU as groups focus on Gen Z voters Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service INBRIEF GOLD EARRINGS SNATCHED Mohali: Two youths, who were riding a motorcycle, snatched gold earrings from an elderly woman, Santokh Kaur, outside her house in Kharar on Saturday evening. They got off the bike and engaged her in conversation. Before she could react, they pulled the gold earrings from her ears and fled the spot. TNS Director-Principal submits statement before Punjab and Haryana High Court ABVP activists interact with hostellers at Panjab University on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI Chandigarh, August 18 With the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections round the corner, the tradition of hosting evening meetings, popularly known as “baithaks”, in the hostels has returned. This year, discussions at these meetings are increasingly focusing on the influence of Gen Z voters. While the university is yet to officially announce the election schedule, student political parties have started canvassing for their candidates, particularly among new hostellers. The university has sought permission from the UT c m y b PUCSC elections are likely to be held in first week of September Administration to hold the elections in the first week of September, as reported exclusively in these columns. Every evening around dinner time, different political groups organise meetings in common rooms, hostel rooms and mess halls. Senior students organise these interactions to seek support for their respective groups, with the objective of mobilising maximum votes for the upcoming elections. With hostellers being relatively easier to reach after classes in the evening and election preparations still at an early stage, student groups are making the most of the opportunity. “Such interactions are really important in terms of knowing the expectations of students and also help parties build their manifestos. While some students get emotionally attached, others are drawn to the ideology. There are many who keep their opinions open and can be ‘helpful’ for strengthening the party,” said Ashutosh, a senior member of a party that won the top post in the previous election. While the interactions centre on exchanging ideas and Second-highest rainfall in the Punjab-Haryana region during the period. YELLOW ALERT FOR TODAY OBC quota at GMCH-32 only for bona fide residents of UT AIR QUALITY INDEX 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 CHANDIGARH 8.30 AM–5.30 PM persuading students to join a party, a major topic of discussion this year is the influence of Gen Z, with young voters being described as potential kingmakers. “The recent Gen Z-led protests, not only in India and abroad but also at the university, has turned the tables this year. The term Gen Z now attracts the youth and the response is amazing. They are quite open about demanding their rights or sharing ideas on how to strengthen a party’s cadre. Notably, many young students now want to become an integral part of a party rather than remain mere supporters,” said Anujit Singh Sodhi, a member of a campus continued on page 2 Manconvicted in nine-year-old corruption case Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 18 A CBI court here has convicted Shyam Singh Chauhan, an employee at the office of the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives, Manimajra, under the Central Government, in a nine-year-old corruption case. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on August 20. The CBI had registered the case against Chauhan in 2017 on the basis of a complaint filed by Devendra Pal Singh, a resident of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Devendra had alleged that Chauhan demanded a bribe in exchange for issuing him a licence. According to the complaint, the Mandi resident had applied to the office of the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives, Manimajra, for a licence to work as a blaster for Mandi-based firm Tara Chand Malhotra & Sons. He was informed that, in view of his experience as a blaster, he would not be required to appear for an interview and that the licence would be sent to his home. When the licence did not arrive, he contacted the office. He alleged that Chauhan, who was working as a senior assistant there, demanded a bribe of Rs 8,000 for issuing the licence. Devendra approached the CBI. On July 11, 2017, the continued on page 2