07112023-LT-01.qxd 07-11-2023 01:14 Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CITY GIRL VANSHIKA YADAV WINS GOLD IN KARATE NISHTHA BAGS HER SECOND OG SONG FOREVER WALA ISHQ Remarkably, this isn’t the first time Nishtha Sharma has had the privilege to record an original song. P3 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 29°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 13°C FARAH KHAN JOINS JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA JUDGING PANEL Vanshika Yadav made city proud by clinching gold in karate competition during Punjab School Games. P2 FORECAST Jhalak Dikhhla Jaahas a special place in my heart, and I have vivid memories of its earlier seasons, says Farah. P3 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 5.34 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:47 AM » TUESDAY | 7 NOVEMBER 2023 | LUDHIANA 42-year-old man dies after being hit by truck 26-year-old woman found murdered in Garden City Victim’s throat was slit by using a sharp weapon by suspect(s) Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 6 A 42-year-old man lost his life after he was allegedly hit by a truck near Dholewal Chowk on Monday. The deceased, identified as Vinod, hailing from Bihar, was crossing the road when the tragic incident occurred, resulting in his death on the spot. After getting information, the police reached the scene and sent the body for a post-mortem examination. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene after the accident. The police have initiated an investigation in the incident to apprehend the suspect. Ludhiana, November 6 In the Garden City colony on Bhamian Road here, a 26-year-old woman was found murdered on her bed at her house on Monday morning. Her throat was slit apparently by using a sharp weapon by some unidentified person(s). The deceased has been identified as Pooja. On receiving information, the police officials reached the crime scene and initiated investigation. Following an initial examination, the police sent the body for a post-mortem examination and filed a murder case against the unidentified suspect. It has been revealed that The wailing kin of the deceased in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO Pooja’s two sons were sleeping next to her during the incident and they were unharmed by the assailant(s). Ensure compliance of NGT directions, MC chief told Ludhiana, November 6 In the case regarding pollution in the Sidhwan Canal, the NGT has directed the MC Commissioner to ensure compliance of the directions of the Tribunal (order dated July 21, 2023) within eight weeks failing which the MC Commissioner will have to personally appear before the Tribunal through virtual mode on the next date of hearing. The MC in its stand recorded by the Tribunal regarding cleaning of the canal had said that approximately 90 per cent of the garbage was cleaned and POLLUTION IN SIDHWAN CANAL the rest would be cleaned and disposed of according to rules within next three months. The Tribunal had directed the MC to dispose of rest of the solid waste at the dump site within three months and submit further action-taken report. However, the action-taken report filed by the MC does not disclose that after previous order of the Tribunal any solid waste has been disposed of or not. Only plea taken in the report is that the MC has identified land suitable for installing of portable compactor transfer station for transferring the secondary collection point near the Sidhwan Canal and has entered into some correspondence with the Punjab Mandi Board. The issue relating to allotment of land is pending. Thus, the report does not reflect any satisfactory steps by the MC to comply with the directions of the NGT in setting up of integrated waste management facilities of adequate capacity, said the NGT Bench. — TNS Her stepchildren, a son and daughter, were in a separate room at the time of the incident. Pooja’s husband works Elderly man held Next hearing on for violating November 23 seven year old WARD DELIMITATION Ludhiana, November 6 The Punjab & Haryana High Court has scheduled the next hearing in the case concerning objections to the new ward delimitation of the city for November 23. Advocate Harish Rai Dhanda, a leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal, had earlier moved the Punjab & Haryana High Court against the ward delimitation process. Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, the president of the Ludhiana unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, said the hearing was earlier scheduled for Monday but had now been rescheduled for November 23. — TNS Jagraon man booked for kidnapping minor Ludhiana, November 6 A man from Jagraon has been booked for allegedly kidnapping a six-year-old girl from her house in their neighbourhood. After the victim’s mother came to know about the incident, she raised the alarm and started chasing him. The suspect, identified as Gagandeep Singh, of Indira Colony of Jagraon later dropped the girl by the roadside and man- aged to escape. An FIR under Sections 363, 366-A of theIPC and Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been lodged against the suspect at the with a private company. He had gone to Phagwara to meet his brother. According to the police, Pooja’s stepson informed neighbours about the incident. On receiving information, the deceased’s husband returned home. He told the police that he had married the victim after the passing of his first wife and had a son and daughter from his first marriage as well as twin sons from his second marriage. Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged at the Jamalpur police station and the police were making efforts to apprehend the culprit(s). Assistant Commissioner of Police, Jatinder Kumar, said they had initiated an investigation in the case. Jagraon City police station on Sunday. The police said another case of alleged kidnapping and rape was registered against Gagandeep at the Jalalabad city police station in 2018. — TNS Ludhiana, November 6 A 62-year-old man was arrested for ‘sexually assaulting’ a seven-year-old girl in the Miller Ganj area here. The suspect is a distant relative of the victim’s mother. The mother of the girl, a resident of Navi Mumbai, filed a complaint with the police. She said she had travelled along with her minor daughter to her aunt’s residence in Ludhiana on November 1. Their plan was to depart for Delhi on November 5. The alleged sexual assault occurred on November 3 when her daughter was playing on the rooftop. Later, the victim told her mother about the incident. The complainant said the suspect, brother of her aunt’s husband, resides on the upper floor of the same house. She alleged that the man sexually assaulted her minor daughter. After she reported the incident to the Division Number 6 police, they initiated a probe and subsequently apprehended him. — TNS A thick layer of smog envelopes the Ludhiana railway station on Monday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN 89 farm fire cases reported, AQI remains poor at282 Manav Mander 907 STUBBLE BURNING INCIDENTS SO FAR Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 6 On Monday, the average AQI of the city was recorded at 282, which comes under the ‘poor’ quality bracket. Meanwhile, 89 incidents of farm fires were reported in the district today. At 12 am, the AQI recorded was 216, at 2 am it was 219, at 6 am 226, at 10 am 242, at 1 pm 271, at 3 pm 280 and at 6 pm it was 287 as recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board. Till now, 907 stubble burning incidents have been reported in the district till November 6 and the highest number of cases in Ludhiana district have been witnessed at Jagraon at 380 followed by Samrala at 160. From Raikot, 150 cases have been reported so far, 94 from Ludhiana East, 63 from Payal, 53 from Ludhiana West and seven from Khanna. Till now, 907 stubble burning incidents have been reported in the district till November 6 and the highest number of cases in Ludhiana district have been witnessed at Jagraon at 380 followed by Samrala at 160. Dr Bishav Mohan, medical superintendent, Hero DMC Heart Institute, said the pollution level was increasing these days and heart, lungs and asthmatic patients were facing difficulties due to which number of patients admitted in hospitals had also increased for the past few days. “Participles and smoke go directly into the lungs and cast a direct effect and damage heart and other organs. My advise to elderly and comorbid patients is that they should avoid going out and if there is need, they should wear a mask before stepping out of their homes,” said Dr Mohan. Besides, if anyone wants to go for a walk, they should go after sunrise so that suspended particles get settled in sunlight, Dr Mohan said. He also appealed to farmers not to burn stubble and instead, opt for other alternatives provided by the government and also asked those carrying construction activities to cover the building site with covers so that dust does not spread in the air. Dr Bishav Mohan made an appeal to the people to say no to crackers and celebrate a ‘Green Diwali’. “Already the pollution level is high and burning of crackers will increase the same. People should opt for a eco-friendly Diwali and save the environment,” he said. Foetus found in vacant plot Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 6 A six-month-old foetus, covered in a piece of cloth, was found in a vacant plot at Uttam Singh Nagar, Focal Point, here. The incident came to light on Sunday when Jinder Singh, a local shopkeeper, saw the foetus. He alleged that it appears an unidentified woman might have thrown the foetus in the vacant plot after abortion. Later, he informed the police. Based on Jinder’s statement, the police initiated legal proceedings, filing a case against the unidentified woman under Section 318 of the Indian Penal Code at the Focal Point police station. 1,055-acre village common land freed of encroachments in district 25 test +ve Warrants issued to vacate another 473-acre encroached land as 4,100 acres still under illegal occupation for dengue Nitin Jain TELLING NUMBERS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, November 6 Continuing its drive against encroachers and land sharks, the district administration has freed almost 1,055 acres of village common land of illegal occupations in different parts of Ludhiana during the past 18 months, officials have said. While the possession of freed land worth minimum Rs 250 crore has been handed back to the village panchayats concerned, warrants have been issued to 142 land sharks to vacate another 473 acres of government land still under encroachments across the district, the administration has confirmed. Besides, almost 4,100 acres of village common lands were still under illegal occupations in Ludhiana, proceedings to vacate which have also been initiated. Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik told The Tribune here on Monday that the administration with the active participation of the Rural Development and Panchayats 5,628 acres Total land under encroachments 1,055 acres Freed 473 acres Warrants of possession issued 4,100 acres Yet to be vacated Biggest chunk vacated: 215 acres each in Ludhiana-2, Sidhwan Bet DDPO Navdeep Kaur reads out a possession warrant to free village common land of encroachments in Ludhiana on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Department had intensified a special drive against encroachments launched last year and a zero tolerance policy was being adopted towards illegal occupation of government land in the district. “Following the directions of the state government, we have been able to free almost 25 per cent of the total encroached land in the dis- trict during the past 18 months while the remaining 75 per cent of the illegal occupations identified on the government land will be removed in coming days,” she said while adding that several chunks of freed land had been under illegal occupation for decades. Divulging the block-wise data of the government land ~250 cr (approx) Freed land cost that was under illegal occupations for the past several years and has now been vacated, the District Development and Panchayats Officer (DDPO), Navdeep Kaur, said the biggest chunks of 215 acres each of village common land had been freed in the Ludhiana-2 and Sidhwan Bet blocks followed by 105 acres in Khanna. c m y b BLOCK-WISE FIGURES POSSESSION WARRANTS Land Vacated ISSUED Block Ludhiana-2 Sidhwan Bet Khanna Ludhiana-1 Raikot Maloud Sudhar Pakhowal Doraha Samrala Jagraon Machhiwara Dehlon Total Area 215 215 105 101 65 55 46 74 22 34 49 35 39 1,055 Recently, the Rural Development and Panchayats Minister, Laljit Singh Bhullar, handed over the freed 32.7acre land to Butahari village panchayat in the district. In the case, the DDPO had decided the case in favour of the panchayat and had ordered the removal of illegal occupation by almost 21 influential persons to restore Block ■ Ludhiana-2 ■ Machhiwara ■ Raikot ■ Ludhiana-1 ■ Samrala ■ Pakhowal ■ Jagraon ■ Doraha ■ Sudhar ■ Sidhwan Bet ■ Maloud ■ Total Area 299 49 12 53 40 9 3.1 1.2 0.2 4.5 0.5 473 (SOURCE: DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION; AREA IN ACRES) the possession of land to the village panchayat. Among other blocks, more than 101 acres of government land was vacated in the Ludhiana-1 block, over 65 acres in Raikot, 55 acres in Maloud, 46 acres in Sudhar, 74 acres in Pakhowal, 22 acres in Doraha, 49 acres in Jagraon, 35 acres in Machhiwara, 34 acres in Samrala and more than 49 acres of village common land was freed of encroachment in the Dehlon block in the district. Navdeep, who has been spearheading the sustained campaign against the encroachments, said the vacated village common land were being given on contract after following due procedures and the income thereof will be credited to accounts of the village panchayats concerned, which will be spent for the development and other common purposes of the village concerned. “The process was underway to vacate all remaining government lands from encroachments in the district,” the DDPO added while issuing a stern warning against the illegal occupation of government lands. She said the warrants had been issued to encroachers to free over 299 acres from 50 land sharks in the Ludhiana2 block, 49 acres from 22 encroachers in Machhiwara, 12 acres from five illegal occupants in Raikot, 53 acres from 45 land sharks in Ludhiana-1, continued on page 2 Ludhiana, November 6 On Monday, 25 persons have tested positive for dengue in the district, of which 18 belong to urban and seven to rural areas. A total of 15 persons belonging to the district have lost their lives so far. Now, the total count of dengue cases has reached 867. Today, there were 166 active cases, of which 131 belong to urban and 35 to rural areas. They are admitted to various hospitals across the district. Symptoms of dengue include high fever, severe headaches, joint and muscle pain, vomiting, skin rash, and mild bleeding. People should not let water get stagnant in and around their houses and adopt hygienic practices. The Health Department is also spreading awareness through an e-rickshaw about precautionary measures and symptoms of dengue and educating the masses to keep their surroundings clean. City residents have been told to observe Friday as ‘dry day’ and empty their coolers, change water in flower pots, etc,. — TNS