28082024-ATR-01.qxd 8/27/2024 10:44 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune MARATHON ORGANISED FOR AWARENESS AGAINST DRUGS MLA REVIEWS CONSTRUCTION OF HARIPURA WELLNESS CENTRE Abohar leader alleges substandard quality of raw material, demands probe against officers concerned P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 37°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C KANGANA RANAUT COURTS ANOTHER CONTROVERSY Minister Bram Shankar Jimpa, MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal and Dy Speaker Jai Krishna Rouri flag off marathon. P2 FORECAST Sikh community across the globe is seeking a blanket ban on the actor’s upcoming film Emergency. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.59 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.04 AM » WEDNESDAY | 28 AUGUST 2024 | AMRITSAR MC passes resolution to review solid waste mgmt firm’s working Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 27 Finally, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation has passed a resolution to review the working of the solid waste management firm, Averda, which will include its services like collection, transportation, processing and disposal of solid waste. The decision has been taken on the instructions of the Chief Secretary, Punjab, in the wake of an ongoing hearing in the National Green Tribunal (NGT). A meeting was held in the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, on August 23 in which political representatives, officials of the district administration, MC Commissioner and the Medical Officer from Health Department were present. It was decided in the meeting that a final notice will be issued to Averda company regarding the deficiencies as per the agreement. It was also decided to prepare a new detailed project report (DPR) and float a new tender for collection, transportation, processing and disposal of fresh waste. Till the time a new contract is awarded, the present firm (Averda) will continue to work and improve its operations to showcase at the time of final Civic body swings into action after NGT imposed fines for poor sanitation Neha Saini Tribune News Service A garbage collection vehicle of the private solid waste management company in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR opportunity. A separate proposal may be floated for bioremediation of legacy waste. MC Commissioner Harpreet Singh said as per the decision taken in the meeting, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation has passed a resolution and forwarded it to the Local Government Department for approval. “Until the time the new work order is not issued, the MC or Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company may also explore the possibility of procuring a new fleet of vehicles which will be handed over to the firm for operations purposes only. In lieu of this, the tipping fees of the firm could be reduced accordingly as per the terms and conditions of the agreement. In case, a new vendor comes after the fresh tender process, the same may be used by the new vendor,” mentioned the resolution passed by the MC. It is worth mentioning here that the NGT had imposed heavy penalties on the civic body for poor sanitation conditions and legacy waste recently. Amritsar, August 27 Last month, Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains directed that clean drinking water be provided to students in all government schools across the state. The announcement was made keeping in view the risk of an outbreak of waterborne diseases during the rainy season. That said, a majority of elementary as well as senior secondary schools in the district depend on tap water supply for drinking water purposes. Most schools do not have ROs or even water coolers installed and depend on submersible connections or MC water supply to get potable water. It is to be noted that in the last two months, with the onset of monsoon, several areas in the district have complained of contaminated water supply from MC, with overflowing sewerage getting mixed. Government Elementary School, Nanngli, Jagdev Kalan and Chheharta and many other areas lacked ROs and water coolers in the school premises. Apart from that, at Nanngli premises of GES, that has a stu- VISHAL KUMAR Charanjit Singh Teja Contaminated water supply negates govt’s aim of potable water for schools Students of Government Elementary School, Nanngli, drink unfiltered tap water; and (right) have meal sitting on the dirty floor in Amritsar. HC ORDER ON ROS In 2014, the Government of India launched Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), to make provision for tap water supply to every rural household. A special campaign was launched under JJM to make provision for tap water supply in government schools, Anganwadi centres and ashramshalas (tribal residential schools) for drinking and cooking of mid-day meals, hand washing and piped water supply in toilets on priority. So far, 22,230 government schools in Punjab have been covered under this till the year 2023. On a pertinent note, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had in 2015 noticed that water samples in 2,922 government schools in the state had failed quality tests. The High Court had then directed that RO (reverse osmosis) systems be installed in all schools immediately to supply safe drinking water. dent strength of 729, a kuccha (mud bed) ground gets waterlogged during rains, posing risk of vector-borne diseases. “The teachers had contributed from their Civic body takes action against three illegal buildings Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 27 The Municipal Town Planning (MTP) wing of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation demolished two illegal buildings being constructed near Darbar Sahib — one underconstruction building in Putlighar and another building was sealed in the city. On the directions of MC Commissioner Harpreet Singh, the MTP wing continued with the campaign against illegal buildings in the Galiara of Darbar Sahib for the second consecutive day. A team led by MTP Meharban Singh, ATP Paramjit Dutta, building inspector Navjot Kaur and MC staff demolish an illegal portion of a building near the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO field staff visited the area and took action against two underconstruction buildings. A team of the MTP Department cut the iron bars on the upper floor of an illegal building with cutter machines. According to officials of the MTP wing, two old buildings in Chudhe Wala bazaar near Darbar Sahib were demolished and these were being used for commercial purposes. The plan of this commercial construction was not approved by the municipal corporation. On the directions of the MC Commissioner, the building was also demolished. Similarly, a team of the MTP wing demolished a building being constructed illegally in Putlighar area in front of Gurdwara Pipli Sahib. Along with this, a commercial building being constructed illegally in Putlighar area was sealed. The demolition drive against illegal buildings being constructed in the Central Assembly constituency will continue tomorrow, stated MC Commissioner Harpreet Singh. He said people have already been told to start construction only after getting the approval of the building plan from the MC. Those who started construction without getting the approval of the plan have to suffer huge losses. Similarly, a team of the estate wing of the MC led by Estate Officer Dharminderjit Singh seized building material kept on roads and footpaths from Gilwali Chowk and Bhagtanwala Chowk. Illegally set up vends and stalls near BK Dutt Gate Ranjit Avenue and Sultanwind continued on page 2 Baba Deep Singh Colony residents BSF hands over Pak peeved over deplorable sanitation intruder to Rangers Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 27 Residents of Baba Deep Singh Colony on Fatehgarh Churian road have been facing deplorable sanitation because of overflowing manholes, choked sewer lines and irregular garbage disposal. MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap visited Baba Deep Singh Colony and voiced his concern over poor sanitation. During his visit, Kunwar Vijay Pratap engaged with the residents, listening to their grievances. “We have been facing these issues for months, but nothing has been done,” said Rakesh, a resident. “The overflow of sewage has led to unhygienic conditions, and the stench is unbearable.” The MLA assured the residents that he will make efforts to rectify the situation. “I have been raising the issue of choked sewer lines and poor garbage-lifting by the MC reg- Amritsar, August 27 The BSF had apprehended a Pakistan national riding a motorcycle from Indian territory along the International Border (IB) fence, but was handed over back to the Pakistan Rangers on Tuesday. As per information, on August 26 at around 1.40 pm, BSF troops detected a person on a motorcycle crossing the border, but was apprehended ahead of the fence near Bharopal village of Amritsar district. Questioning of the intruder was carried out by the BSF and other sister agencies, in which it was revealed that he was unaware of the alignment of the IB and had inadvertently entered into Indian territory. Nothing suspicious was found from his possession except two mobile phones and Pakistan currency amounting to ~3,560. Today, on the request of the Pak Rangers, a flag meeting was conducted in which concerns were expressed over their failure to restrict the unwarranted movement of the Pakistani national. At about 4.03 pm, the Pakistani national was handed over to the Pakistan Rangers on humanitarian grounds and as a goodwill gesture. — TNS The overflow of sewage leads to unhygienic conditions. ularly. For our government, our citizens are of utmost importance, and we will not tolerate such neglect. I have raised in Punjab Assembly the issues concerning sanitation in the city,” he said. The residents, who have been demanding attention for a long time, expressed relief over the MLA’s response. “We hope that our concerns will be genuinely addressed,” said another resident. The MLA’s visit has sparked hope for improved sanitation in Baba Deep Singh Colony, and residents now eagerly await a solution to their problems. The intruder in the custody of the BSF at the International Border. c m y b own pocket to lay a bed of bricks over the muddy ground so that there is at least a levelled floor. But it needs to be concretised for which the requirement for funds have been sent,” shared a teacher of the school, without wanting to be named. Similarly, the management of GES, New Model Town, Chheharta, reached out to a non-profit organisation, Voice of Amritsar, to get an RO installed in the school premises as funds for the same had been delayed by the Education Department. A teacher from the GES, Model Town, said that school heads and school management committees should conduct routine water sampling, keep drink- ing water tanks covered, regularly clean and chlorinate tanks. “These measures only ensure minimal quality control when the water from main MC water supply is contaminated, which is the case in areas like Chheharta, Naraingarh, Wadali, Gobindpura and others,” she said. Schools reaching out to NGOs Seenu Arora, founder-member of Voice of Amritsar, a non-profit based NGO in Amritsar, said that several continued on page 2 Courting risk STORM EFFECT: Commuters face difficulty in passing under a fallen branch of a tree in Amritsar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Water crops as per weather conditions, say agri officials Tarn Taran, August 27 A medium to moderate spell of rainfall followed by thunderstorm made the weather pleasant but caused damage to the early varieties of paddy like PR 1509. Pargat Singh, a farmer from Chamba Kalan village, said that the rain had caused damage to the 1509 variety of basmati in the Chohla Sahib area. The rain continued for more than two hours and was reported from all parts of the district like Patti, Bhikhiwind and Khadoor Sahib sub-divisions. Civil Surgeon Dr Gurpreet Singh Rai said that the rain made the weather pleasant but could result in an outbreak of vector-borne diseases. Chief Agriculture Officer Harpal Singh Pannu said the rain is beneficial for crops and advised the farmers to water their crops in accordance with the weather conditions. — OC Admn takes possession of land for expressway Officials of the district administration take possession of the land at Fatehgarh Shukarchak in Amritsar. TRIBUNE PHOTO Amritsar, August 27 The district administration has taken the possession of 1.3-km land that comes under acquisition to pave way for the Amritsar-Delhi-Katra Expressway. Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said the land acquisition was carried out under Delhi-Katra Expressway Part-2. Giving the breakup, he said they took possession of 800 mtrs of land at Fatehgarh Shukarchak and 500 mtrs at Mannawale with the consent of farmers. SDM 2 Lal Vishwas, Tehsildar Jagsir and SHO Amarjit Singh, Shamsher Singh, Kanungo concerned and patwari were present during the possession of 800 mtrs of land at Fatehgarh Shukarchak and 500 mtrs at Mannawale without any hindrance. He said the payment of the land has already been made to the farmers in their bank accounts. Highway officials have started their work on the project from today. — TNS