22012021-CT-01.qxd 1/22/2021 12:48 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh TRIBUNE FRIDAY | 22 JANUARY 2021 | CHANDIGARH PVT SCHOOLS LIKELY TO RESUME PAGE 2 CLASSES VI TO VIII FROM FEB 1 13 UT HERITAGE ITEMS TO GO UNDER THE HAMMER IN PARIS The UT is likely to allow private schools to resume physical classes for VI to VIII grade students from February 1. As many as 11 heritage items from city were sold for ~1.03 crore at an auction in Luxemburg on January 10. FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY TRICITY COVID REPORT CHD P’KULA SAMPLES TESTED 2,04,305 SAMPLES REJECTED 942 POSITIVE 20,639 NEGATIVE 1,82,724 RECOVERED 20,162 REPORTS AWAITED 74 ACTIVE 146 DEATHS 331 MOHALI 1,54,228 1,87,898 — — 10,421 19,178 — 1,68,316 10,082 18,044 — 404 192 779 147 355 SUNSET FRIDAY 5.51 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 7.17 AM MC gets ~100-cr grant, heaves a sigh of relief Sandeep Rana CHANDIGARH 146 PANCHKULA 199 MOHALI 186 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF REPORT WEATHER EVENTS TO MET Chandigarh: Now, even the public can report occurrence of weather events to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It also has a facility to report damage such as broken tree branches, telephone lines and electricity poles. Residents can either visit the IMD or Chandigarh Mausam website to report weather. The Met Department has issued a forecast of rain on January 2324 in the city due to western disturbances. TNS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 21 The local Municipal Corporation today heaved a sigh of relief as it got the remaining ~100-crore grant-in-aid of the current fiscal from the UT Administration. This will enable it to pay salaries and meet monthly expenditure. Each month, the corporation spends about ~45 crore on these two counts. The civic body was desperately waiting for the grant as it was not left with enough funds to meet its expenses for the next three months. With this amount, the corporation has got its total ~425 crore grant-in-aid for this fiscal. However, the MC has so far not got ~30 crore for the development of 13 UT villages. An amount of ~102 crore was promised to new Mayor Ravi Kant Sharma by the UT Administrator last week. The corporation has been promised ~30 crore in this fiscal and the remaining ~60 crore in the next fiscal. The villages, which were A broken road in Dhanas village on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI WILL HELP CIVIC BODY PAY SALARIES TO STAFF The grant will enable the civic body to pay salaries and meet its monthly expenditure. Each month, the MC spends ~45 crore on these two counts. The MC was desperately waiting for the grant as it did not have enough funds to meet its expenses for the next three months. transferred by the Administration to the civic body in 2018 sans any funds, are dogged by civic issues, but in the absence of funds, they have nowhere to go. A senior officer said they would prioritise sewerage and storm water works with the amount of ~30 crore. After that, they would take up roads and other civic prob- lems there. Meanwhile, even though the corporation has declared to allocate ~80 lakh per councillor as ward development fund, it will be difficult to provide the amount to the 26 councillors given the fund shortage. However, sources said the ruling BJP would try to do as much work as possible during this MC election year. TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Day 3: 55% get shot in UT 284 health workers inoculated against targeted 510 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 21 As many as 284 healthcare workers were today administered the Covid vaccine at five vaccination session sites — an achievement rate of 55 per cent on the third day of the drive. The UT Health Administration had targeted to inoculate 510 health workers today. The vaccination drive was conducted at the GMSH-16, the Sector 45 Civil Hospital, the GMCH-32 (two sites), Airforce Station and the PGIMER. No adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) were reported at all sites. To speed up the vaccine rollout, the PGI will have two vaccination sites on Friday and 100 persons would be covered at each site. Meanwhile, the GMCH-32 has already established two sites for vaccination to cater to 200 beneficiaries each day. Aimed at allaying the fears continued on page 3 ‘SYSTEM TO CHECK SIDE EFFECTS IN PLACE’ Although no serious side effects of the Covid vaccine are expected, arrangements have been made to detect and manage any symptoms arising within the observation period. Prof Jasbinder Kaur, DIRECTOR-PRINCIPAL, GMCH-32 ❝ ❞ CITY REPORTS 16 CASES, 1 DEATH 20 MORE INFECTED IN PANCHKULA Chandigarh: The city on Thursday reported 16 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the UT tally to 20,639. The city also witnessed a Covid-19 death. A 71-year-old man from Sector 30, a case of type-2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, died at Grecian Hospital, Mohali. TNS Panchkula: The district on Thursday reported 20 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 10,421. The Covid toll remained at 147. While 10,082 patients have recovered from the infectious disease so far, 192 cases are still active. The recovery rate stands at 96.74 per cent. TNS ONE FATALITY IN MOHALI Mohali: One more fatality due to Covid-19 was witnessed during the past 24 hours in the district, taking the toll to 355. Meanwhile, 44 fresh cases surfaced. As of now, there are 779 active cases in the district. TNS Jab hesitancy: Side effects on health workers’ mind? Amit Bathla Tribune News Service Carried out works sans bias: Ex-Mayor Accelerating protest Sanjay Bumbroo Tribune News Service Activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union take out a tractor rally in support of the farmers’ protest from the Chandimandir toll plaza to Sector 5 in Panchkula on Thursday. RAVI KUMAR DC reviews R-Day preparations Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 21 Deputy Commissioner Mandip Singh Brar today reviewed the preparations in connection with the 72nd Republic Day celebrations. Covid-19 protocols such as social distancing and wearing Public gathering capped at one-third of venue capacity of masks would be followed in view of the pandemic. The Deputy Commissioner said the ceremonial part of the celebrations would be held in a befitting manner. The Tricolour would be hoisted by the chief guest followed by a march past by police contingents and address by the chief guest. A tableau display by various departments of the UT continued on page 3 Mohali, January 21 Facing flak from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for contesting the elections as an Independent candidate, former Mayor Kulwant Singh said he would win the Mohali Municipal Corporation (MC) elections as he had carried out development works in all wards without any bias. The SAD today issued a statement criticising Kulwant Singh for “backstabbing the party and his own constituents to save his business empire”. The party stated that Kulwant Singh was essentially a part of the Bteam of the city-based minister Balbir Singh Sidhu. Kulwant Singh said he had every right to do business and was in politics to serve the masses. He said if he had backstabbed the party, 28 leaders would not have resigned to contest the elections as Independents. He said the committee appointed by SAD president MOHALI MC POLL Confident of win, Azad Group declares first list of 30 candidates Sukhbir Singh Badal had ignored him while announcing the list of 28 candidates on January 9. Meanwhile, the Azad Group, headed by Kulwant Singh, declared a list of 30 candidates for the MC elections to be held on February 14. The former Mayor claimed that the Azad Group would gain a majority in the MC and ensure overall development of the city. He alleged that local MLA Sidhu had unsuccessfully tried to block the development works in the city, but now residents in the city would vote for the Azad group. He said he had carried out development works in the city without any bias and people would reject Congress councillors in the elections as they were annoyed with the way the delimitation of wards was notified. Panchkula, January 21 “I will get vaccinated only if bound by an official order,” said a Class IV employee at the Civil Hospital in Sector 6, expressing his fear over the Covid-19 vaccine. He said senior doctors had been explaining them the benefits of the vaccine, but wondered why they did not talk about the risks involved? Similar apprehensions were shared by a technician of a city-based private hospital. “I didn’t get infected even when Covid-19 was at its peak last year. I might have developed immunity. Also, I am healthy by God’s grace. Why should I get vaccinated?” he said. Four beat up contractor Panchkula, January 21 A private contractor was allegedly beaten up with an iron rod by four men near White House on the PinjoreKalka road. Ravinder Kumar, who lives at Ratpur Colony, Pinjore, told the police that while he was returning home from Kalka around 8.30 pm on January 19, continued on page 3 Protect trees in city from a slow death, say green warriors Environment Society wants nails, wires, signboards removed from these Chandigarh, January 21 Environmentalists have sought necessary instructions for the removal of nails and signboards from trees. In a letter to the Adviser to the Administrator, the Environment Society of India stated that a large number of shopkeepers, cable operators, parking contractors, the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking, advertisers and other agencies were damaging trees by wrapping decorative lights, electrical wires, steel/iron cables around these and by fixing advertisement boards and signboards using ‘FAIRY LIGHTS CAUSE MAX DAMAGE’ Fairy lights chained around trees mess up with the flowering cycle and also affect birds. Fairy lights are far more concentrated and closer to the trees, which cause them maximum damage. NK Jhingan, SECY, ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY OF INDIA ❝ ❞ nails and other material. The society felt that this could damage the bark of the trees or even prevent their growth. “When we drive a screw or nail into the bark of trees, we are exposing the extremely delicate cambium, xylem and phloem to bacteria, viruses, bugs and fungi. While our tree will most likely sur- vive this wound, it isn’t a great risk to take. This is especially true in the case of a young, new tree and an already diseased tree,” said NK Jhingan, secretary of the society. He said, “Fairy lights chained around trees mess up the flowering cycle and affect birds also. Fairy lights are far more concentrated and closer to the trees, which cause them maximum damage. The fairy lights and signboards which are stuck on a tree with nails damage the bark, allowing bacteria and fungus to attack the tree from within.” The society requested the Adviser to issue instructions for the removal of such lights and signboards to protect these trees from a slow death. He said volunteers of the society would be happy to help the UT to identify places where “these types of misdeeds” were being done by some environmentally irresponsible people. — TNS c m y b PAGE 3 BRAIN TUMOUR REMOVED THROUGH TODDLER'S NOSE One year and four months old world's youngest patient to undergo such endoscopic surgery at the PGI. ~30-crore fund for development of villages still awaited AIR QUALITY INDEX 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 MAX 18°C | MIN 8°C | YESTERDAY MAX 18.9°C | MIN 7.2°C PAGE 3 A signboard put up on a tree branch. TRIBUNE PHOTO A worker gets the vaccine jab in Panchkula on Thursday. get infected ❝I didn’t Covid was at its even when peak. I may have become immune. I am healthy. Why should I get inoculated? Pvt hospital technician ❞ A lot of healthcare professionals in the district have expressed reluctance over taking the vaccine shot, fearing side effects. Such concerns have caused the vaccine drive to slow down. The district has a target of vaccinating 6,200 healthcare workers in the first phase. The achievement rate of the drive, which was launched with much aplomb, has come down to 63.42 per cent by the end of the fifth day from 94.7 per cent on the first day. Today, 136 healthcare workers received the dose against the targeted 240, taking the total number to 933. Meanwhile, health administrators blame lower-rung staff for the reduced pace of the vaccination drive. The continued on page 3 City to get ~5 crore for improving air quality Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 21 To improve the quality of air in the city, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) will soon receive ~5 crore from the Centre. Debendra Dalai, Director (Environment) and ViceChairman, CPCC, said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had sanctioned the funds, which would be distributed among various agencies to improve the quality of air in the city. Among other agencies, the Municipal Corporation will be allocated funds for purchasing road-sweeping machines and sprinklers. A part of the money would also be spent on creating awareness on environment, Dalai said. To monitor the air quality of the city on a real-time basis, the CPCC will soon set up two more continuous ambient airquality monitoring stations (CAAQMS). Dalai said an order had been placed for the procurement of two CAAQMS. Meanwhile, two more such stations would be set up later, he added. The National Green Tri- SOLAR-POWERED CARTS AT SUKHNA The UT will launch solarpowered carts at Sukhna Lake on Friday. Debendra Dalai said two solar-powered carts would be pressed into service at the lake to ferry the elderly and disabled persons to the regulator end of the lake for birdwatching. He said the service would be free of cost and in place till migratory birds remained in the lake. bunal had directed the CPCC to assess the optimal number of stations required. Considering the population, three manual and five CAAQMS have to be installed in the city as per the criteria of the Central Pollution Control Board. However, the city already has a CAAQMS in Sector 25. Five CAAQMS would be set up, he added.