28102024-JTR-01.qxd 10/27/2024 11:01 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MANN CAMPAIGNS FOR AAP CANDIDATE IN CHABBEWAL JOHNNY DEPP AWARDED AT THE ROME FILM FESTIVAL VANVAAS ONE OF MY BEST FILMS TILL DATE: NANA Campaigning for the Chabbewal Assembly bypoll, Mann called upon workers to unite for victory. P2 His comeback began at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, where he starred in Jeanne du Barry. P4 Veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar said his journey in Vanvaas has been memorable. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET MONDAY 5.41 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:41 AM » MONDAY | 28 OCTOBER 2024 | JALANDHAR Who will clean Jalandhar? INBRIEF ~28.7L CHEATED, TWO BOOKED School director among 2 held for voyeurism, conspiracy Hoshiarpur: The police have registered a cheating case against two persons for allegedly duping a couple of Rs 28. 70 lakh on the pretext of sending them to Canada. Jaswinder Kumar, a resident of Rahimpur, told the police that travel agent Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukha, a resident of New Fatehgarh and Shiv Sharma, a resident of Model Colony, cheated him in the name of sending him and his wife Neenu Atwal to Canada. TNS Our Correspondent FOETUS FOUND ABANDONED Jalandhar: A foetus was found abandoned near the Basti Bawa Khel canal here on Sunday afternoon. The police sent it to Jalandhar Civil Hospital for medical examination. The police were analysing the CCTV footage from the area for potential leads. They have also been questioning residents and passersby to ascertain if anyone witnessed suspicious activity near the site. The police said the foetus was dumped beneath a canal bridge. After receiving the information, we immediately rushed to the spot, the police said. TNS TWO KILLED IN ROAD ACCIDENTS Hoshiarpur: Two people died in road accidents in the area. Amandeep Singh, a resident of Chagran village, told the Sadar police that Roop Lal (65), a resident of his village, was working as a security guard in a private company. He told that when Roop Lal was going to work, a truck hit him near the Shergarh bypass due to which he died on the spot. The police have started further action after registering the case. Meanwhile, Ravinder Singh, a resident of Sibochak village, told the Talwara police that his brother Satnam Singh was working as an ASI in Punjab Police. He told that when he was on patrol, a bike driver hit him. TNS Jalandhar has been declared to be in the dark zone by the Central Groundwater Board of India with millions of litres of water being extracted from the city’s groundwater reserves. FILE Contamination threat to safe water supply in city Depleting groundwater level, mixing of sewerage, illegal connections remain problem areas Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 27 In Jalandhar city (within MC limits), water consumption for various purposes by residents each day is 160 million litres. All this is being extracted from the fast depleting groundwater reserves of the city. Jalandhar has been declared to be in the dark zone by the Central Groundwater Board of India with millions of litres of water being extracted from the city’s groundwater reserves. Despite the huge supply of groundwater, diseases, contamination, pollution and sewer-mixing is reported in the city’s water supply by the residents with the arrival of the rainy season. In the past three years, the number of failed water samples in Jalandhar MC has seen a constant rise, almost triple. While over 20 samples failed the test in 2022, over 40 samples tested by the Municipal Corporation failed last MANPOWER SHORTAGE ■ Jalandhar has about 1,500-km long sewerage pipeline, much of which traverses through old city areas. However, amidst a shortage of manpower with exasperated councillors complaining of non-responsive contractors, many areas battle sewerage woes for months. ■ In July this year alone, as many as 50-60 complaints were being received daily by the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation regarding sewerage blockage or overflow. This coincided with an increased reportage of water contamination from various areas. ■ The key areas where diarrhoea/viral outbreaks or contaminated water supply was reported included Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Babu Labh Singh Nagar, Baba Kahan Das Nagar, Rattan Nagar, Bhargo Camp, Raseela Nagar, Mittha Bazar, Kabir Vihar, New Gautam Nagar and Mata Sant Kaur Nagar, among others. ■ Barring this, there are several areas where garbage dumps also contaminate water. year. This year, highly placed officials said over 50 samples have already failed the test within the MC limits. Across the municipal limits of Jalandhar, as many as 600 (legal) tube-wells installed by the Municipal Corporation supply clean drinking water to millions of homes. There are as many as 1 lakh 55,000 (legal) tap water connections in Jalandhar within the MC limits. These do not include a network of illegal water connections and submersible Computer teachers hold candle march, to organise rally at Gidderbaha on Nov 3 Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, October 27 In protest against the state government’s failure to fulfill its promises, computer teachers held a candle march in Chabbewal and staged a protest in front of the Aam Aadmi Party office in Chabbewal on Friday night. Following the protest, Hoshiarpur MP Rajkumar Chabbewal invited a delegation of computer teachers for a meeting on Saturday. The protesters said that computer teachers from across Punjab have been on a serial hunger strike for the past 56 days under the banner of Sangharsh Samiti at the DC office in Sangrur, yet the government was paying no heed to their demands. The members of the delegation shared their grievances with MP Dr Rajkumar Chabbewal and said that before the Assembly elections, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema and other AAP leaders had acknowledged their demands as legitimate and promised to fulfill them immediately upon forming the government. However, the promises still pumps. The supply of clean drinking water within the city limits is an issue which is deeply intertwined with the old, rusty sewerage pipelines in the old city areas. The municipal limits of Jalandhar are full of old city areas, congested localities, bazaars and narrow alleys where even taking sewerage suction machines during the monsoons is impossibility. The drinking water crisis, reported primarily during Redress people’s grievances or quit, Sampla tells Bhagwant Mann Our Correspondent the monsoons is however a problem which aggravates with each passing year. The heavily populated Bastis of the city are among the areas where outbreak of diseases due to contaminated water supply is reported almost every year. Most of these areas include those where there is simultaneously a sewerage problem, the reason being the mixing of water with sewerage. Jalandhar has about 1,500km long sewerage pipeline, much of which traverses through old city areas. However, amidst a shortage of manpower with exasperated councillors complaining of non-responsive contractors, many areas battle sewerage woes for months. In July this year alone, as many as 50-60 complaints were being received daily by the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation regarding sewerage blockage or overflow. This coincided with an increased reportage of water contamination from various areas. The key areas where diarrhoea/viral outbreaks or contaminated water supply was reported included Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Babu Labh Singh Nagar, Baba Kahan Das Nagar, Rattan Nagar, Bhargo Camp, Raseela Nagar, Mittha Bazar, Kabir Vihar, New Gautam Nagar and Mata Sant Kaur Nagar, among others. Barring this, there are several areas where garbage dumps also contaminate water. Yogesh, a resident of Jalandhar Vihar, an area near the Wariana dump, said, “The water in the area is very contaminated. We have to change filters every fortnight. Without filter, we would get absolutely dirty water. We have filters even in bathrooms. We do not drink even filtered water from direct supply.” Officials said all pollution was primarily in tap water and none at source (tube-well). Requesting anonymity, a senior official said, “The older sewerage pipelines of the city are a headache as they leach or leak and sewerage water mixes with them. This gets worse during the monsoon and as temperature dips, the water gets better. Many people have connections through manholes which — when pipes develop cracks or leak, mostly in summers —- mix with acidic sewer waters and cause contamination.” Former Jalandhar Mayor Jagdish Raja said, “The depleting groundwater level and misuse of water are both problems. Additionally, mixing of sewerage in summers is a big crisis every year. Enforcement and prevention of illegal connections is key to fighting this menace. Sewerage pipelines also need to be changed, these are very old and if dug up, may involve complete revamp of the area. Being proactive on the part of residents can also go a long way in solving the problem.” Phagwara, October 27 The Mehat Pur police have arrested a school director and his relative on the charge of voyeurism and criminal conspiracy. Shahkot Deputy Superintendent of Police Onkar Singh Brar said that the accused has been identified as Albin Antony, a native of Kerala and Director of St Jude Convent school in Umre Wal Billa village, and his relative Sharo Shiju (19), also a native of Kerala, who is presently living in Guru Gobind Singh Avenue, Jalandhar and staying in Umre Wal school. Accused recorded video of girl inappropriately The father of the victim complained to the police that the accused recorded a video of his daughter inappropriately. The DSP said that a case under Sections 77 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 13,14 and15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2019, has been registered against the accused. Further investigation is on. Dowry accused PO arrested Phagwara: Nakodar city police have arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for the last few weeks. Investigating Officer Dilbag Singh said that the accused has been identified as Amanpreet Singh, a resident of Takhtu Pura village under Nihal Singh Wala police station in Moga. The accused was wanted in a case of dowry harassment. — OC Last year it was floods, this time govt failed us, say Lohian farmers Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Teachers carry out a candle march on Saturday. TRIBUNE PHOTO remain unfulfilled. They pointed out that on September 15, 2022, Education Minister Harjot Bains had announced the restoration of all rights recorded in the regular orders of computer teachers while granting them the benefits of the Pay Commission but this promise also remains unaddressed. They urged the government to merge them unconditionally into the Education Department while extending the benefits of the Sixth Pay Commission. MP Chabbewal assured that he would soon arrange a meeting with the Chief Minister and Education Minister to discuss the matter and make every possible effort to address their concerns. The computer teachers plan to hold a state-level protest rally in Gidderbaha area on November 3. Phagwara, October 27 Describing the AAP-led Punjab government as total failure, former Union Minister Vijay Sampla asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to either redress the problems of the people including farmers, commission agents, rice millers and government employees or vacate the chair. Talking to media persons at Phagwara on Saturday evening, Sampla alleged that it was the first time in the history of Punjab that farmers, rice millers and commission agents were struggling for their rights. He asked the Chief Minister to put aside the blame game and solve the grievances of the people. Sampla alleged that despite the efforts of the Union Government to provide better infrastructure by way of roads in Punjab, the state government could not initiate steps for land acquisition. The former minister said that lack of co-ordination between the state and Central government could be considered as the main cause for the problem. c m y b Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 27 Farmers living in the lowlying areas of Lohian block in Shahkot subdivision lost their paddy crop sown on thousands of acres of land when floodwaters wreaked havoc last year. This meant great hardships for them, economically and physically. The growers were hopeful that this year would heal them of the trauma of past year when they incurred huge losses. But though they were spared the floods this time, the government failed them, they rued. The farmers said that despite having bumper produce this year, there are less or no payments, no lifting and uncertainties. They are expecting losses this year as well. The worst affected farmers were from Gatta Mundi Kasu, Mundi Kasu, Mundi Shehrian, Mundi Cholian and Chak Badala villages. Strangely, even wheat could not be sown on around 100 acres of land. These farmers could not even prepare their fields for wheat Labourers arrange sacks of paddy crop at new grain market in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH because of accumulation of sand and silt. Balwinder Singh from Gatta Mundi Kasu is one of those farmers who couldn’t even sow wheat. “Last year, the floods ravaged the paddy crop on entire 16 acres of land. This time, I was relieved that there were no floods, but now the problem is different. Our produce is lying as it is in mandis and there is no payment yet,” he told The Tribune. Another marginal farmer Daler Singh lost his paddy crop on six acres last year. This year, he decided not to grow paddy in his own village, but took a few acres on contract outside his village where floods could not bother him and his crop. “I could save myself from the fear of floods, but who would save us from this? Until now, I have received a little payment, but not as per the MSP he alleged and ,” added that he was still hopeful that things will be alright. Sarabjeet Singh, another farmer, shared that Lohian cultivators were at the receiving end last year. Though the problem is all across Punjab, it feels like someone has poked them again.