12082024-LT-01.qxd 8/12/2024 12:02 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune LUDHIANA EVES BAG JUNIOR PUNJAB SOFTBALL TITLE SHAH RUKH KHAN TALKS ABOUT UNIVERSAL NATURE OF ART Megastar Shah Rukh Khan was conferred a career achievement honour at 77th Locarno Film Festival. P4 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 27°C NANDINI & KAGAZI NAAV SET TO PREMIERE AT IFFM In the final, Ludhiana decimated Bathinda 10-0. The tourney was being organised at the PAU. P2 FORECAST Filmmaker Onir is on a high as his films — Nandiniand Kagazi Naav— are set to premiere at Melbourne (IFFM) 2024. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.06 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:49 AM » MONDAY | 12 AUGUST 2024 | LUDHIANA 68.8 mm rain leaves roads waterlogged Market along Sidhwan Canal on South City road under NGT lens Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 11 Ludhiana today received 68.8 mm of rainfall that led to waterlogging in various parts of the city. From old city areas such as Chaura Bazaar, Shivpuri, Madhopuri, Chander Nagar, Kundanpuri to posh localities like Sarabha Nagar, BRS Nagar, Ferozepur Road and Pakhowal Road, waterlogging was witnessed and commuters were seen having a tough time while navigating roads. Low-lying areas were inundated with rainwater. The city got the Smart City tag but has failed to find any solution to the problem of waterlogging which residents face every monsoon. Potholed roads and traffic jams added to the commuters’ woes. Some vehicles also developed snag due to water accumulation. Many commuters were seen stranded after their vehicles stopped in water that got accumulated on the South City underpass. Commuters on Chandigarh Road were worst affected as roads turned into pools after today’s downpour. “The situation is the same every year. Though a storm water sewer has been installed, it has proved to be of no use. It becomes difficult to venture out during the rainy days due to waterlogging,” said a Sector 39 resident on Chandigarh Road. Water also entered many shops and commercial establishments. A shopkeeper at Chaura Bazaar said water entered his shop and it would take at least a day for the same to recede. “We fear rain as it damages our stock and causes financial losses,” he said. Geeta Rani, a resident of the Shivpuri area, said rainwater had entered their houses. “We have even constructed a small wall with bricks outside our house but still water enters it. Whenever any vehicle passes from outside the house, it pushes water and waste inside the house,” she said. “BRS Nagar is considered one of the posh localities in Tribune News Service Dirty water from the Ganda Nullah inundates a street in Dhoka Mohalla after rain in Ludhiana on Sunday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN AFFECTED AREAS From old city areas such as Chaura Bazaar, Shivpuri, Madhopuri, Chander Nagar, Kundanpuri to posh localities like Sarabha Nagar, BRS Nagar, Ferozepur Road and Pakhowal Road, waterlogging was witnessed and commuters were seen having a tough time while navigating roads. Lowlying areas were inundated with rainwater. A stretch near Khalsa College on the Ghumar Mandi road turned into a pool and two-wheelers submerged in water. Water from the Ganda Nullah entered Dhoka Mohalla and streets were filled with the dirty water. MC workers trying to clear a clogged drain in the Peeru Banda area; and (below) a waterlogged road near the Haibowal Chowk. The Buddha Nullah being cleaned to avoid clogging of the drain. the city but even it cannot escape waterlogging and potholed roads. “The C block in the colony is worst affected as roads get filled with water even after a light rain. It becomes difficult to commute in the area during rainy days,” said Sameeksha, a resident of BRS Nagar. According to the Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology, Punjab Agricultural University, the maximum temperature recorded today was 28.8°C while the minimum was 23.4°C. As per the department, the weather is expected to remain cloudy with possibility of heavy rainfall over Ludhiana and its adjoining areas in the next 24 hours. The Municipal Corporation’s preparedness came to the fore as it was seen doing the job in the last minute after the heavy rain lashed the city. Cranes were seen removing wild shrubs from the Buddha Nullah to stop any blockage. In the Peeru Banda area, MC workers rushed to the spot with motors to clear blockage in drain pipes. The stretch near Khalsa College on the Ghumar Mandi road turned into a pool and two-wheelers submerged in water. “Every year, the road gets flooded with water and it causes inconvenience to city residents,” said a resident of the Civil Lines. Water from the Ganda Nullah entered Dhoka Mohalla and streets of the area were filled with dirty water of the drain. The water remained in streets for three-four hours after which it receded. Haibowal also witnessed a similar situation on Sunday. Dacoity bid foiled, four nabbed No headway in taxi driver murder case Ludhiana, August 11 The Sadar police today claimed to have foiled a dacoity bid and arrested four members of a robbers’ gang. The suspects have been identified as Maninder Singh Mani, Hardev Singh of Shimlapuri, Nirmal Singh of Dugri and Vikas Kumar of Preet Nagar. One of the suspects, Gurpreet Singh, of Gill village, is at large in the case. ACP Guriqbal Singh, Sadar SHO Harshvir Singh and Morado police post in-charge SI Gurmeet Singh issued a joint statement in this regard. ONE SUSPECT AT LARGE One of the suspects, Gurpreet Singh, of Gill village, is at large in the case. The police seized a toy pistol, air pistol, one sharp weapon, a scooter and one motorcycle from the four suspects. Police officials said yesterday a tip-off was received that the suspects had formed a gang of robbers and committed several crimes in the past. They were planning to commit a dacoity in the city in a vacant plot at Sangowal village. The police conducted a raid and nabbed the four suspects while one managed to flee the scene. The police seized a toy pistol, air pistol, one sharp weapon, a scooter and one motorcycle from their possession. Police officials said the police remand of the suspects would be sought from court so that involvement of the gang in past robbery incidents could be checked and the other member of the gang be nabbed. — TNS Ludhiana, August 11 In the murder case of a Chandigarh-based taxi driver, Ravi Kumar (26), the Khanna police had been conducting raids at various places. Six teams were formed by Khanna SSP Ashwini Gotyal to track the killer(s). Police sources said the police had procured call detail records of the deceased on the basis of which role of some suspicious persons in the case were being ascertained by them. Several acquaintances of the deceased would also be questioned by the police to inquire if the victim had any enmity with anyone. Sources said the suspects had reportedly gone towards the HP side. Early on Saturday morning, Ravi was killed allegedly by passengers who had hired his taxi from Chandigarh to Ludhiana. The murder occurred on a highway near Samrala when he was going towards Chandigarh. — TNS Man found dead in car 7 mobiles seized from jail inmates Ludhiana, August 11 A man was found lying unconscious in a car on Saturday night. The vehicle was parked in an empty plot. Passers-by after noticing the man raised an alarm and informed the police. The person was declared brought dead when he was taken to a doctor. According to information, the man was found unconscious in a car in a plot behind a liquor vend in the Ishar Nagar area of Focal Point. Residents of the area informed the police. Officials from the Ishar Nagar police post reached the spot. The deceased was identified as 45-year-old Vivek Dutt. He was a native of Majitha Road, Amritsar. After the death of his parents, he moved to the Neechi Mangali area of Ludhiana to stay with his uncle. The victim’s uncle said Vivek was an engineer in a private firm. He went missing a few days ago.The police said the autopsy report would clear the exact cause of death. — TNS Ludhiana, August 11 A surprise checking conducted in the Central Jail, Ludhiana, led to the recovery of seven mobile phones from seven inmates. The suspects who were possessing mobiles inside the jail were identified as Daksh Arora, Pankaj Malhan, Karan, Mandeep Singh, Rawaljit Singh, Lovepreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh. Assistant Jail Superintendent Harminder Singh said on August 1, he, along with staff, conducted a checking in the jail. Each nook and corner of the jail premises was searched. Jail inmates were also frisked and their belongings were checked, which led to the recovery of seven mobile phones. He said a case under the Prisons Act was registered against the inmates and further investigation was also launched to inquire about sources that helped the inmates in possessing the mobiles. c m y b Police sources said if the role of any official comes to the fore in the probe, action could also be taken in the matter. Investigation would also be conducted to inquire about the purpose of keeping mobiles inside the jail as earlier several cases reported in which inmates were found running illegal trade of drugs or weapon supply gangs by using phones inside the jail. The police had also busted several rackets being run by inmates. — TNS Ludhiana, August 11 The market along the Sidhwan Canal on South City Road has come under scanner of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Many structures have come up alongside the canal in the past and no authority checked the constructions, as a result, commercial activities have flourished here, giving a difficult time to residents staying in nearby colonies. Increase in commercial activities had also led to nuisance, water and noise pollution. A petition has been filed by the public action committee (PAC) in this regard and the NGT has now asked the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to inquire into the matter and take action within three months. In the petition filed by members of the PAC against ‘polluting wine shop-cumtavern, restaurants and restaurant-cum-banquet halls alleged that these have been constructed in active connivance with the Irrigation Department, NHAI and GLADA outside the MC limits on South City Sidhwan Canal Road (National Highway, also known as Ladhowal Bypass) in violation of the orders of the NGT, Green Highways Policy of 2015 issued by MORTH for the NHAI, Master Plan of Ludhiana, situated from Ayali Chowk Bridge to Sua Road. Jaskirat Singh and Kuldeep Singh Khaira from the PAC said there was one distributary/Sua situated towards the rear side and many such eateries were dumping their effluents into the distributary illegally. Fur- Increase in commercial activities troubles residents, leading to water, noise pollution Eateries along the Sidhwan Canal on South City Road are illegally dumping effluents into a distributary. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN PPCB TOLD TO ACT WITHIN 3 MONTHS A petition has been filed by the public action committee in this regard and the National Green Tribunal has now asked the Punjab Pollution Control Board to inquire into the matter and take action within three months. ther, since there was a sewerage system laid along the eateries, they had installed a septic tank over land of the Irrigation Department and dumping their waste into it without treating the same. “After a survey, we found that many restaurants-cum-banquet halls have encroached upon land of the Irrigation Department by constructing party halls, installing generator sets and submersible pumps and the department has failed to act on pollution as well as encroachments done by such establishments. Further, many such banquet halls have installed DJ system on open terrace by going against the environment norms,” said Jaskirat Singh. Er Kapil Arora and Dr Amandeep Singh Bains said the NGT in one of the peti- tions had issued directions to pollution control boards of all states to ensure compliance of the environment norms as well as reuse of wastewater in green areas of restaurants after proper treatment by restaurants and banquets but no such treatment plants have been installed by these eateries and they were illegally dumping the waste into the drain as well as septic tanks without treatment. Further, almost 1,200 wellgrown trees were axed by the Forest Department for the development of the national highway but no land along the highway was acquired by the NHAI for plantation, which was mandatory to be acquired as per the Indian Road Congress Code and Green Highway Policy of continued on page 2