09092026-LT-01.qxd 9/9/2026 12:55 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune MAN SHOT AT DURING CLASH BETWEEN TWO GROUPS 11 UNDER-CONSTRUCTION COLONIES DEMOLISHED ‘I AM AN ARTIST BRO’: DILJIT DOSANJH’S DEVIL SPARKS BUZZ The police say the incident in Chhawni Mohalla near Pippal chowk stems from an old enmity. P2 Chief Administrator Vikas Hira says GLADA has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal colonies. P2 Music video Devil draws parallels with Cockroach Janta Party’s student agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6:35 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:04 AM WEDNESDAY | 9 SEPTEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA leader nabbed Ambedkar Nagar reels under water Politicalin four-year-oldfrom Nepal border fraud case shortage for 15 days, residents fume Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Seek inspection of affected area by civic body officials, redressal of issues Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 8 With taps running dry for over 15 days, hundreds of families in Ambedkar Nagar are struggling to arrange water for their daily needs. Residents said they had been forced to fetch water from the Sidhwan Canal, turning a basic household requirement into a daily ordeal. The locality has 13 lanes and the residents said the shortage was affecting families across the area. They have to carry water from outside for drinking, cooking, washing and other needs. Residents said bringing water from the Sidhwan Canal was difficult for elderly people and families with children. They had to make repeated trips to get enough water for the day, they said. Meena Devi, a resident, said families were finding it increasingly difficult to manage their homes without regular water supply. “We have been facing the problem for over 15 days. Every day, we have to think about where we will get water from. Carrying water from the canal is not an Residents say they have been forced to fetch water from Sidhwan Canal. ASHWANI DHIMAN easy task,” she said. Mamta Rani, another resident, said residents were worried even when water occasionally reaches their taps. “Sometimes water comes but it is contaminated and cannot be used for drinking. The residents are left with no option but to get water from outside,” she said. Another resident, Vicky, said the shortage had exposed the poor condition of civic services in the locality. “People are already dealing with damaged roads and blocked sewerage. Now, there is no proper water supply. The authorities need to visit the area and see the situa- tion themselves,” he said. Residents said the water crisis was serious as the locality was also facing seweragerelated problems. Several stretches of roads were damaged and sewer lines remain blocked at different points, they said, raising concerns about sanitation and the quality of water reaching households. The residents said they were worried about health implications of using the contaminated water. They demanded that the Municipal Corporation should check the water supply network, identify the reason for the disruption and restore regular supply at the earliest. They also urged the civic body to test the water quality before supplying it to the households. The residents said merely restoring the supply would not be enough if contaminated water continues to flow through the taps. The residents have sought an immediate inspection of the locality by the MC officials and a coordinated solution to the water, sewerage and road-related problems. Executive Engineer Randeep Singh said: “The matter came to my notice also and I have asked officials to take measures to resolve the same and now, I am asking the Junior Engineer to conduct a special visit along with the officials and address the issues as soon as possible.” Ludhiana, September 8 The Khanna police have arrested Awadhesh Pandey, national president of the India Janshakti Party, from the Nepal border in connection with a nearly four-yearold fraud case. The suspect had been absconding for a long time. A fraud case was registered against him in 2022 at the City Police Station 2 in Khanna. The suspect is a native of Saidpur Jageer, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Khanna, Darpan Ahluwalia, confirmed that the suspect was arrested while attempting to cross the Nepal border. A team of the Khanna police had been after the suspect and chased him near the Nepal border. According to reports, the case was registered on October 30, 2022, on the basis of a complaint filed by Rajesh Jain, a resident of Guru Harkrishan Nagar, Khanna. Jain stated in the FIR that in August 2021, he came to know about the opening of a subsidised ration depot under the ‘Bharat Jan Kalyan Yojana’ through an acquaintance in Patiala Awadhesh Pandey, the suspect. and a person named Awadhesh Pandey of Lucknow has started the scheme, claiming to be a Central Government initiative. Later, the victim met Awadhesh Pandey. Pandey assured him of opening a ration depot under the scheme and claimed that subsidised ration would be supplied to the depot which could further be sold to the needy and poor at affordable prices. The suspect demanded Rs 2.20 lakh as security for opening the depot. Money given by mortgaging wife’s jewellery Jain mortgaged his wife’s jewellery to arrange the money, took the loan and deposited the money into the suspect’s account. The latter then provided him with a fake depot license. He was then asked to issue ration cards to poor people and accordingly, he registered approximately 700 persons. He allegedly charged them Rs 50 per card. However, neither the ration depot was opened nor did he receive his money back. Later, during investigation, it was found that the licence was also fake. Based on his complaint, a case was registered against Pandey at the City Police Station 2. The suspect had been at large since the case was filed. According to the police, on the instructions of Dr Ahluwalia, police teams were formed to arrest the man. After persistent efforts, the Khanna police arrested Pandey from the Nepal border, at Rajapur Rani, Shravasti district in UP He is . in transit remand and en route to Khanna. The police said there was no such scheme named ‘Bharat Jan Kalyan Yojna’ launched by the Central Government. The suspect created the fake scheme and issued a licence for opening a subsidised ration depot to a Khanna resident. Now, further probe would clear how many people were duped by him across the country on the pretext of the fraud scheme. Work hit at government departments as Valmiki community blocks Jalandhar ministerial staff go on pen-down strike Bypass after Ambedkar statue desecration Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 8 Ministerial staff at all government departments went on a pen-down strike on Tuesday. Some of the staff were present in their respective offices but they did not do much routine work as a mark of protest against the state government for its dilly-dallying tactics in fulfilling their demands. Many leaders sat outside the DC’s office to observe the strike. At Mini-Secretariat and other departments, the staff announced the pen-down strike for the day on the call given by the employees’ union at Chandigarh. At the same time, most of the officials at the district Visitors wait to get their works done during the employees' strike at an office in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN administration had deputed other staff to carry on with emergency services so that no visitors should be harassed. DC Himanshu Jain said: “We had ensured services which are essential and emergent such as certificates for school admission and registries were carried out without any hassle. Public should not to be harassed due to the strike. Most of other staff cooperated during the protest. Sub-registrar offices were also functioning.” It was the second such strike observed by the ministerial staff in the past 15 days to meet their demands. Leaders said if the union at Chandigarh decides to carry on with the protest, they would follow the instructions. The work at the Municipal Corporation was also carried out as usual and the strike failed to make much impact. Ludhiana, September 8 Tension erupted after miscreants placed a garland of shoes on the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at Jalandhar Bypass chowk here on Tuesday. According to reports, an unidentified individual put the same around the statue’s neck. The act sparked widespread anger among members of the Valmiki community, who blocked the Jalandhar Bypass, causing major inconvenience to commuters. The incident came to light when a gardener noticed the garland and raised the alarm. Senior police officials, led by Additional DCP Sameer Verma, reached the scene and tried to pacify the protesters. Chaudhary Yashpal, one of Valmiki community members protest in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN the leaders leading the protest, said the insult to Dr Ambedkar would not be tolerated and warned that the agitation would be intensified if those responsible were not arrested. He said on an earlier occasion, the frame around the statue had been damaged by miscreants, but no arrests had been made. At the time, the administration had assured protesters that CCTV cameras would be installed around the statue, but no action had been taken. He added that the protest would continue till the suspects were arrested. When Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Ashok Prashar Pappi came to the site to join the protest, demonstrators raised slogans against the party and the Chief Minister, causing embarrassment to the legislator. The ADCP said the matter had only recently come to the notice of the police. He confirmed that some miscreants had placed a garland of shoes around the statue and said an investigation had been launched. The guilty would be arrested soon, he added. — TNS City slips to 33rd spot in air quality survey, Cops stop last rites of minor girl projects to curb pollution remain grounded in village over suspicious death Nikhil Bhardwaj Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 8 Ludhiana’s performance in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan-2026 has raised fresh concerns over the city’s efforts to improve air quality, with the industrial hub securing the 33rd rank among 48 cities with a population of over 10 lakh. The city scored 151.2 out of 200 while Amritsar, the other major city of the state in the category, ranked 25th with 163 points. The ranking is particularly worrying as Ludhiana had secured the 18th position last year but has now slipped 15 places. The findings point towards gaps in areas such as road dust control, waste management, vehicular emissions, green cover and other measures aimed at reducing Ranking worrying as it had secured 18th position last year particulate pollution. The Central Government’s Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is conducted under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and assesses cities on measures taken to reduce air pollution. The 2026 ranking gives weightage to areas, including solid waste management, road dust, vehicular pollution, industrial emissions and reduction in PM10 levels. For Ludhiana, the poor ranking comes despite funds of around Rs 33 crore being available under NCAP for various measures. However, several projects planned to tackle pollution have either remained pending or have not made the desired impact on the ground. Projects to control road dust yet to deliver Road dust remains one of the major concerns in the city. Plans included development of 11 major intersections, procurement of four mechanical road sweeping machines, installation of water fountains and mist systems at polluted intersections, air-quality monitoring stations and a new cycle track. However, mechanical sweeping machines have not become a regular feature on city roads while other proposed measures have also faced delays. The absence of regular mechanical sweeping means that dust continues to settle and rise from busy roads, adding to the pollution burden. Broken and poorly main- tained roads further add to the problem as vehicle movement on dusty stretches lifts settled particles into the air. The lack of adequate greenery along roads and on dividers is another concern. The proposed shift towards electric public transport has also been slow. Smart electric buses, charging infrastructure and bus depots have not reached the desired stage. Measures for testing and scrapping old polluting vehicles have also remained inadequate. Construction waste plant awaits proper operation Construction and demolition waste is another source of dust. Though a plant has been established after substantial expenditure, it has not been operating effectively, limiting its role in control- c m y b ling pollution from construction and demolition activities. The city’s waste management system has also affected its air quality performance. Slow disposal of legacy waste at the Tajpur Road and Jainpur dump sites has added to the woes. City based environmentalist JS Gill said: “There are a number of factors which are adding to the air pollution, including increasing autorickshaws which are creating traffic jams, non-completion of development projects, mix land use of industries in the city among others. Additionally, there are hardly any trees against the increasing developments across the city. The authorities are even monitoring the installed air pollution control devices at different locations across the city.” Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 8 The Khanna police on Tuesday recovered the body of 11year-old Renu from the pyre in Mohanpur village near Khanna and took it into custody, suspecting suspicious death. Acting on a complaint by the village sarpanch, the police sent the body to the Civil Hospital, Khanna, for a post-mortem examination. The girl died on Monday evening. On Tuesday, when the family had placed the body on the pyre at the cremation ground and was preparing to perform the last rites, the police came and took the body into custody, owing to the alleged suspicious nature of the death. It was then taken to the Khanna Civil Hospital, where a team of doctors conducted the autopsy. Marks were found on the girl’s neck but there were no other injury marks on the body. After the post-mortem, the police handed over the body to the family and the last rites were performed by late evening. Kot police post in-charge Charanjit Singh said a call was received from Mohanpur village during patrolling, informing them that a girl had died by suicide and that her parents were performing the last rites. After bringing the matter to the notice of senior officials, the body was taken into custody and a post-mortem was got conducted. So far, action under Section 174 of the CrPC was initiated and the body was later returned to her kin. Renu’s father Ram Jatinder said he had five daughters, of whom Renu was the youngest. She studied in Class VI at the government school in the village and was a football player. She had participated in several competitions and won prizes and trophies. The family said she aspired to pursue sports further. She used to do household work after school due to poverty. As per her father, he and his wife had gone to work at the college as usual on Monday. In the evening, the landlord informed them of their daughter’s death. On reaching home, they found her hanging from a girder about 10 to 12 feet high in a room. By the time they brought her down, she was already dead. The reason for the suicide remains unknown. Questions are being raised in the suspicious death of the minor girl, who was about five feet tall, managed to hang herself from a girder 10 to 12 feet high.