04012024-LT-01.qxd 1/4/2024 1:04 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE FOR NATIONAL SCHOOL GAMES ACTOR BOBBY DEOL SHARES PICTURES WITH SON ARYAMAN JANHVI KAPOOR CALLS DATING ACTORS ‘CHAOTIC’ All arrangements have been made for National School Games, slated to be held in city from Jan 6 to 11. P2 Bobby Deol is currently enjoying the success of his recent release Animal, in which he plays the antagonist. P4 Janhvi opened up on dating actors and called it “chaotic,” adding actors often get very ‘competitive and weird’. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 13°C | MIN 6°C YESTERDAY MAX 15°C | MIN 7.6°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5.37 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:25 AM THURSDAY | 4 JANUARY 2024 | LUDHIANA Oil tanker catches massive fire on national highway in Khanna Timely measures averted major tragedy; NHAI assessing damages caused to flyover Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 3 A potential major tragedy was averted when an oil tanker caught massive fire following an incident on the national highway in Khanna on Wednesday. The tanker, carrying 6,000 litres of diesel and 6,000 litres of petrol, overturned on a flyover around 12:30 pm today after its tyre got burst and the driver lost control over the vehicle. Subsequently, the tanker caught fire, causing panic on the highway. On witnessing the extensive blaze on the flyover, commuters stopped their vehicles. The authorities, including the district administration, police and firefighters, promptly reached the scene after receiving information. The incident disrupted the traffic flow on the stretch, leading to its diversion from the other side of the flyover. Fire brigade teams initiated operations to contain the blaze. A fire officer in Khanna, Yashpal Rai, said the tanker was going from Jalandhar to Mandi Gobindgarh when the incident occurred. There was a large amount of fuel in the tanker. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. In response to the emergency, the fire tenders were promptly dispatched from Gobindgarh, Khanna and WAS CARRYING 12,000 LITRES OF PETROL, DIESEL The oil tanker, carrying 6,000 litres of diesel and 6,000 litres of petrol, overturned on a flyover around 12:30 pm on Wednesday after its tyre got burst and the driver lost control over the vehicle. Subsequently, the vehicle quickly caught fire, causing panic on the highway. Fire personnel try to douse the oil tanker fire on a flyover in Khanna. TRIBUNE PHOTO Samrala fire stations. He said the fire was controlled soon after the incident. A senior official of Fire Brigade, Khanna, Mahesh Sharma, said additional pre- 32-yr-old man ends life, wife, paramour booked Ludhiana, January 3 A 32-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his house in Bhamian Kalan. He has been identified as Karan Kainth. The police booked his wife and her para- mour for abetment to suicide. His father Bikkar Singh said Karan’s wife Kirandeep Kaur had an illicit relationship with Sandeep of Chawa village. They were harassing him due to which he died by suicide. A case has been registered.— TNS cautions were implemented by firefighters to avert any possible reignition, as a small quantity of fuel continued to leak from a damaged section of the tanker even after extin- guishing the flames. The firefighters also put sand and foam in the area where the fuel had spilled on the flyover stretch to prevent any reignition, the official added. The officials said it was a massive blaze and timely measures were taken by the police and district administration to avert any potential major tragedy in Khanna today. Khanna SSP Amneet Kondal said the incident occurred after the oil tanker overturned. She said both driver and his associate were out of danger and were discharged from a hospital after first aid. The fire was brought under control with the help of about six fire tenders. The SSP said after the fire was doused, senior officials of the NHAI were informed. They are assessing whether any damage had been done to the flyover where the accident occurred. Except for heavy vehicles, the traffic was resumed a few hours after the fire was doused and till the time the NHAI officials submit their report regarding the damages, heavy vehicles would be routed through an alternate route. Residents oppose another bid to run carcass utilisation plant Protesters from villages block Ladhowal-Hambran road for hours Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 3 Residents and farmers from various villages staged a protest against the Municipal Corporation (MC) for making a fresh attempt to run its carcass utilisation plant in Rasulpur Patti village near Noorpur Bet in Ludhiana district. The angry villagers blocked the Ladhowal-Hambran road for several hours to voice their dissent. On learning that Municipal Corporation officials were gearing up for another attempt to open the carcass utilisation plant, many people from different villages gathered near the same today. The initial attempt to inaugurate the facility in July 2021 faced opposition from the people of different villages and a farmers’ union. Balbir Singh, a resident of Rasulpur Patti, said heavy police force had been deployed near the plant since Wednesday morning. The Municipal Commissioner and senior police and district administration officials also reached the spot to engage in talks with the protesters regarding the plant’s opening. However, residents from various nearby villages gathered at the site and prevented the officials from running the plant. The Hambran-Ladhowal road was blocked for approximately five hours, he said. Villagers asserted that Cold wave, dense fog to continue Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 3 With the biting cold weather conditions persisting in the district, the minimum temperature dropped slightly to 7.6°C on Wednesday. It was recorded at 7.8°C yesterday. On the other hand, the maximum temperature increased to 15°C today, compared to yesterday’s 12°C. The cold wave and foggy conditions are likely to continue even on Thursday. According to the Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology of Punjab Agricultural University, the weather is expected to remain dry with the possibility of cold wave conditions and dense fog during morning hours over Ludhiana and its adjoining areas during the next 24 hours. During such weather conditions, residents in the city experienced relief as sunshine graced city areas today. At Punjab Agricultural University, a number of students took advantage of the sun- light, conducting their studies outdoors on the grounds. Meanwhile, langar stalls were installed at a few locations, offering tea and snacks to commuters amid the cold wave conditions this morning. Some people in markets and along roadsides were seen sitting around bonfires to make themselves warm. Residents hold a protest against MC’s carcass utilisation plant. they would persist in their protests unless the authorities relocate the plant from the site. They had been opposing its establishment in Rasulpur Patti for a long period. They claimed that when the project began in the past, they opposed it. But officials falsely claimed that the corporation was only installing a plant to prepare feed for poultry birds. The protesters alleged that the plant was established against their objections and could potentially contaminate groundwater and emit foul odours. They emphasised that the land where the plant was situated was designated for agricultural purposes. Notably, the plant was constructed at a cost of around Rs 7.98 crore under Ludhiana Smart City Limited. The project was aimed at addressing the long-standing issue of illegal disposal of carcasses at a ‘Hadda Rodi’ near the Sutlej. Last year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the state PCB, CPCB and the MC Commissioner to take necessary steps and submit an action-taken report as the carcass utilisation plant remained non-functional. MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi appealed to farmers to refrain from obstructing operations and allow the scientific carcass utilisation plant to function. He said villagers were assured that the plant would not cause pollution or emit foul odours in the area. The senior officials engaged in talks with the residents for over five hours. The MC chief said the modern plant, equipped with scientific machinery, would not contribute to pollution or foul smell. Villagers were urged to permit a trial at the plant to demonstrate that its operations would not result in pollution or foul odours. The matter would now be discussed with higher authorities. UP-based YouTuber booked forhurtingreligioussentiments Ludhiana, January 3 Following the complaint filed by a former MLA, a YouTuber has been booked for allegedly making objectionable comments on Maharishi Valmiki and hurting religious sentiments of members of the Valmiki community. The suspect has been identified as Brijbhushan Markandey, alias Dubey, of Ghazipur of Uttar Pradesh. The former MLA, Inderiqbal Atwal alleged that the man made inappropriate remarks against Bhagwan Valmiki in a YouTube video. An FIR has been registered. — TNS Work on upcoming Ludhiana-Ropar highway remains stalled for land Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 3 The construction work on the upcoming LudhianaRopar highway continues to remain stalled for want of land, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has confirmed. It has been almost over two months when a bunch of farmers had stalled the ongoing work to construct the highway and all efforts being made by the district administration and the officials concerned have so far failed to resume the work on the another much-delayed project. The peasants were up in arms against what they allege as “unfair compensation” for their lands under acquisition for the mega project. They are adamant on not allowing the construction work until and unless they are paid enhanced compensation for their acquired lands for the NHAI project. Though 14 per cent construction of the 37.7-km stretch under Package 1 of the 116-km-long Greenfield project, including a 19.5-km ASHWANI DHIMAN Thieves’ gang targets scrap 14 per cent work done, 26 per cent land still wanted for Package 1 of 116-km ~2,857-crore Greenfield project factory Nitin Jain available for the project. the National Highways Act, ever, the possession of land MAIN HURDLES WORK STALLED PROJECT REPORT ■ Farmers stop ongoing ■ ■ Length: construction work ■ 67.12 hectares of the total 260 hectares land still wanted Work has been stalled on a 23.5-km portion of the under-construction highway from 0-8.3-km and 15-30.2-km stretches Peasants were up in arms against what they allege as ‘unfair compensation’ for their lands under acquisition for the project. spur from Pipalmajra to Kharar with Ludhiana bypass, being built at the cost of Rs 2,857.14 crore has already been achieved within the limits of Ludhiana district, the physical possession of land for the remaining 26 per cent stretch is still awaited, officials have revealed. Of the total 116-km project, the land rates to acquire a 50km stretch have been put under arbitration to review and revise the acquisition award. The development assumes significance as the stiff resistance by the landowners to part away with their lands coming under the entire Ludhiana-Ropar expressway has been delaying the acquisition proceedings for the major infrastructure development project. Rajya Sabha MP from Lud- 116 km ■ Cost: ~2857.14 crore ■ Lanes: 4-6 ■ ROW: 60 meter ■ Status: Work started, stalled by farmers, partial land awaited. ■ Appointed date: December 2022 ■ Deadline: December 2024 ■ Owner: NHAI ■ Project Model: HAM ■ Route: To start from DelhiAmritsar-Katra expressway (NE5) near Manewal village in Ludhiana and terminate on NH205 at Ropar near Bheora village. Besides, a spur from Pipalmajra to Kharar will connect Ludhiana bypass hiana, Sanjeev Arora, told The Tribune, here on Wednesday that the work on Package 1 of the four to six-lane National Highway-205K from junction with NE-5 near to Manewal village in Ludhiana to junction with NH-205 near Bheora village in Ropar, including spur to Kharar with Ludhiana bypass, had been taken up on a priority basis after sufficient land was made c m y b “As of date, the project has achieved 13.9 per cent physical and financial progress,” he said. However, a group of farmers, whose lands had come under the project, have forced the construction firm to stop the ongoing work at two separate stretches — 0-8.3 km and 15-30.2 km — for seeking higher compensation. Arora, who reviewed the progress of the project here recently, disclosed that the agitating farmers were being pacified and assured fair compensation for their lands to avoid any further delay in the construction of the highway. The NHAI officials briefed the Rajya Sabha MP that physical possession of 67.12 hectares, which accounted for 25.81 per cent, of the total 260 hectares of land required for the project, was still awaited even almost a year after the project took off in December 2022. They said the deposit and payment of compensation for 55.2 hectares, determination of compensation for 11.92 hectares and final notification under Section 3D of 1956, was yet to be issued for 0.81 hectares of land required for the project. “Of the total 116-km expressway, construction work is in progress over a 66km stretch while the physical possession of land to build the remaining 50-km stretch is still pending,” Arora was told. The NHAI officials said the rates fixed for the land acquisition were being reviewed by the Arbitrator, who is the Divisional Commissioner. “After the review, the case will be put up before the NHAI Chairman, who will take a final call on the matter,” he revealed. With Rs 951 crore civil cost and Rs 410 crore land acquisition cost, the total capital cost for Package-1, for which the work was awarded in September 2021, and began in December 2022, was Rs 1,368.91 crore for which 260 hectares of land was required. The Package-2, comprising 47.24-km stretch, involved a civil cost of Rs 1,035 crore and land acquisition amount of Rs 461.71 crore, taking the total capital cost to Rs 1,488.23 crore. How- had been delayed under this package as well, for which the work had been awarded in December 2021. 4-6 access-controlled highway The NHAI had approved 4-6 access-controlled highway with a route alignment connecting Manewal village in Ludhiana on the upcoming Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway with Bheora village near Ropar for the construction of the Greenfield expressway, which includes a 19.5-km spur from Pipalmajra to Kharar with the Ludhiana bypass, and was being developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-1. The expressway was being built in three parts under the hybrid annuity model (HAM) mode and will connect Ludhiana, Ropar and Mohali districts. Under the HAM mode, 40 per cent of the project cost was provided by the government as construction support during the construction period and the balance 60 per continued on page 2 Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 3 A gang of approximately eight to 10 persons targeted a factory in Phase V, Focal Point, Ludhiana, where they held the security guard captive and took away scrap materials, including iron, copper and aluminium. Miscreants held guard captive before taking away goods from unit Tarun Bajaj, manager of Aliva Green Factory, lodged a complaint at the Focal Point police station, stating that the intruders forcibly entered the factory premises, locked the security guard in a room and confiscated his mobile phone. Subsequently, the suspect stole scrap items of iron, copper and aluminium, before escaping from the scene. A case under Sections 457, 380 and 342 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against unidentified persons at the Focal Point police station.