02122024-CT-01.qxd 02-12-2024 00:02 Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CULTURAL ‘DHAMAAL’ AT MELA DRAWS BIG CROWDS EXHIBITION MATCHES MARK POLO SEASON OPENING AISHWARYA RAI FULFILLING PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENTS Being a Sunday, city folks thronged Kalagram on Day 3 of Chandigarh National Crafts Mela. P3 Indian Polo Association inaugurated its annual calendar with 2 exhibition matches at Khuda Lahora. P3 After attending the Global Women’s Forum in Dubai, she was recently spotted returning to Mumbai. P4 » » FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Security beefed up ahead of PM visit WHAT’S ON Nakas put up across the city, vehicles entering UT being checked Chandigarh, December 1 Ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the UT police have beefed up security by putting up nakas across the city. The Police Department has deployed additional personnel and set up checkpoints on key entry routes to check vehicles entering the city from Mohali and Panchkula. During the visit, PM Modi will review the progress of three newly introduced criminal laws, which have been designed to overhaul India’s criminal justice system. The police will conduct a live demonstration, featuring theatre artists, to showcase improvements in law enforcement, judicial procedures and evidence management after the introduction of the new laws. The demonstration will include eight stage performances, one of which depicts a murder investigation, on the Punjab Engineering College (PRC) campus in Sector 12. The Prime Minister is expected to stay in the city for three hours. The UT Administration has declared Chandigarh a “no- CHANDIGARH TFT Winter National Theatre Festival: Play ‘The Doll’ to be staged on December 3, Mini Auditorium, Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, 6:30 pm, entry free 14th Chandigarh National Crafts Mela: Kalagram, on till December 8. Also, Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi will organise an on-the-spot photography competition based on the theme — Glimpses from Crafts Mela. APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43, 45 and Maloya Mohali: Phase V Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com flying zone” from December 2 to 3. Special arrangements are being made at PEC. The Prime Minister is expected to deliver his address in the PEC hall, which has a seating capacity of 5,000 people. SHAH ARRIVES TODAY P’KULA POLICE ISSUE TRAFFIC ADVISORY Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be in the city on Monday to attend the event to be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) on December 3. Sources said Shah would reach here around 8 pm and stay at the Raj Bhawan. Panchkula: The police have stated that from 8 am to 5 pm on Tuesday, heavy commercial vehicles will be banned from going to Chandigarh from Panchkula side. The police have appealed to the drivers to use the Zirakpur or other routes instead. Commuters from Himachal Pradesh, who want to go to Chandigarh via Panchkula, will also have to take the Zirakpur route. EXPLOSIONS AT SEC 26 CLUBS Both accused stayed in Kharar a day before carrying out blasts INBRIEF FOUR ARRESTED UNDER ARMS ACT Chandigarh: The police have arrested four youths for carrying knives. A team of the Maloya police station nabbed Himanshu (18) and Arshdeep (19), both residents of Sector 38 (West); Prince (19) and Himanshu (18), both residents of Dadu Majra Colony. They were arrested from different places. Cases under the Arms Act have been registered against the accused. TNS Amit Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 1 Two Hisar-based youths, who carried out crude bomb blasts outside two clubs in Sector 26 recently, had conducted a recce three hours before the attack. They had switched off their mobile phones. The accused, Vinay (20) and Ajit Sehrawat (21), arrived in the city a day prior to the blasts and stayed in Kharar. Sources said Randeep Malik, an associate of gangster Goldy Brar, provided the assailants with pictures of the Seville Bar and Lounge, owned by rapper Badshah; and the De’Orra Club for carrying out the blasts. The accused did a recce to identify the clubs before exploding the crude bombs. Acting on Malik’s instruc- YOUTH BOOKED ON THEFT CHARGE Chandigarh: The UT police have booked a youth for theft. A complaint was filed by his father, a resident of Sector 44. He reported that his son stole Rs 50,000 and a scooter. A case has been registered at the Sector 34 police station. TNS Traffic curbs from 8.15 pm to 9.30 pm today Tribune News Service The police stop vehicles for checking at a naka in Chandigarh on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI Police recover text messages from phones tions, the attackers turned their phones off and deleted the chats related to the plan. However, investigators recovered some messages exchanged shortly before the attacks. One of the chats recovered from their phones mentioned that the blasts would be carried out once “Goldy Bhai” switched his phone on, indicating the operation was awaiting a final approval. After returning to Hisar, the accused intended to flee to Rajasthan. However, a joint team from the Chandigarh Crime Branch and Haryana Police’s STF intercepted them on the outskirts of Hisar. They were arrested after an encounter. According to the police, Randeep is in the US. On November 26, the assailants first carried out a blast at Seville around 3:15 am and targeted De’Orra, which is situated just 30 metres away, minutes later. Both clubs are just 100 metres from the Sector 26 police station and Operation Cell premises. A few hours after the attack, a Facebook post from an account under the name Goldy Brar went viral, claiming responsibility for the blasts. The post alleged that Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara, associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, were behind the incident. The post also mentioned names of Randeep and Varinder Charan. Dry fruit stolen from godown in Sector 26 MAX 28°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 26.5°C | MIN 9.9°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 7.03 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD Tribune News Service MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET MONDAY 5.22 PM » MONDAY | 2 DECEMBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Chandigarh, December 1 The UT police have issued a traffic advisory for December 2 and 3 in view of the visit of Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the city. Traffic will be diverted/restricted on the Dakshin Marg at the airport light point, Hallo Majra lights, Poultry Farm Chowk, Tribune Chowk, Iron Market Chowk, Gurdwara Chowk, New Labour Chowk (Sector 20/21-33/34); Sarovar Path at Old Labour Chowk (Sector 18/19-20/21 Chowk), AP Chowk (Sector 7/8-18/19) and Hira Singh Chowk (Sector 5/6-7/8 Chowk) from 8:15 pm to 9:30 pm on Monday. On December 3, besides the above-mentioned spots, traffic will be diverted/restricted at the Sector 4/5-8/9 Chowk on the Vigyan Path, new barricade chowk (Sector 3/4-9/10), Sector 2/3-10/11 chowk and Punjab Engineering College (PEC) light point during the VVIP movement from 11 am to 3:30 pm. Three vehicles seized for illegal mining Tribune News Service Zirakpur, December 1 The police have seized two earthmoving machines and a truck that were allegedly being used in mining near the Chhatbir Zoo area and booked the unidentified owners of the vehicle under Section 21(1) and 4 (A) of the Mining and Min- Team raids areas near Chhat village in Zirakpur erals Act 1957. Inspector Jaskanwal Singh, Zirakpur Station House Officer, said a complaint was filed by Mining Inspector Yatin Shivalik. Officials of the Drainage Department said during patrolling and checking in the Chhat area, it was found that mining was going on near the Ghaggar river in Chhatt village and Rampura. When the police reached the spot, the miners fled the spot, leaving behind the vehicles. Local residents said the illegal mining here was disturbing the eco-sensitive area and also posed a risk to the dam near the Banur canal. Parting shot Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 1 Bags of dry fruit have been stolen from a godown at the Grain Market, Sector 26. The thief also ate some before fleeing. Around 10 pm on November 29, the thief arrived at the godown on an e-rickshaw. He parked the vehicle near a bus stop on the Madhya Marg and entered the godown. The accused left the place after 90 minutes with bags of cashew and almond. He returned to the spot around 1.30 am and stole more dry fruit. The police have registered a case on a complaint filed by Joginder Singla, owner of Shri Balaji Dry Fruit Store, at the Sector 26 police station. Children check out infantry rifles on the concluding day of the 8th Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: NITIN MITTAL Mohali CCTV surveillance project moves at snail’s pace Equipment installed at 11 points, work on 5 in progress UT among 33 cities with falling air quality Particulate matter 10 concentrations up from 114 to 116 points in five years Dushyant Singh Pundir NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME Tribune News Service Owing to efforts made under the National Clean Air Programme, 97 cities, out of a total of 130, have shown improvement in air quality in terms of annual PM10 concentrations in FY 2023-24 with respect to the levels of FY2017-18. As many as 55 cities have achieved reduction of 20% and above in PM10 levels and 18 have met National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM10 ((60 μg/m3). FILE Chandigarh, December 1 Chandigarh has figured among 33 cities in the country where the pollution level has increased in the past five years. In January 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) with an aim to improve air quality in 130 cities (nonattainment cities and million plus cities) through implementation of national, state and city-level clean air action plans. The programme envisages a reduction in PM10 level up to 40% or achievement of national standards (60 microgram/cubic meter) by 2025-26. In reply to a question raised in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Parliament session, Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, stated that city specific clean air action plans had been prepared by all cities to implement air quality improvement measures in respective cities. These plans target air pollution sources like soil and road dust, vehicular emissions, waste burning, construction and demolition activities, and industrial pollution. An amount of Rs 11,211.13 crore was provided to cities during 2019-20 till 2023-24 under the programme. In addition to this, the NCAP emphasises the implementation of City Action Plans (CAPs) through the conver- c m y b gence of resources from various Central Government schemes such as Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), AMRUT, Smart City Mission, SATAT and Nagar Van Yojana, as well as resources from state governments/UT Administration and agencies like municipal corporations and urban development authorities. Owing to efforts made under the programme, 97 cities, out of a total of 130, have shown improvement in air quality in terms of annual PM10 concentrations in FY 2023-24 with respect to the levels of FY2017-18. As many as 55 cities have achieved reduction of 20% and above and 18 cities have met National Ambient Air Quality Continued on page 2 Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, December 1 Work of City Surveillance and Traffic Management System is moving at a snail’s pace and it will take some more time to make it operational partially. Five agencies of the government – the Punjab Police Housing Corporation (PPHC), Greater Mohali Area Development Authority, National Highways Authority of India, Municipal Corporation and PWD – have been struggling for almost a year to put their heads together and complete the project on time. On Friday, ADC Viraj S Tidke held a meeting with GMADA Additional Chief Administrator Amarinder Singh Tiwana and others to review the work. Punjab Police Housing Corporation Executive Engineer Jaswinder Singh gave an optimistic deadline to make, at least, 11 points functional within 15 days. ~17.7 CRORE UPGRADE The Punjab Police Housing Corporation project, costing Rs 17.70 crore, has been aimed at putting the city under the surveillance of 400 CCTV cameras. Eighteen busy junctions of the city will be monitored with cameras. Two speed detectors will be installed on the Airport Road. The September-end deadline for the project was reset to mid-November and now to February-end next year. Officials of GMADA are now finding it a “challenging system” to complete the work under their jurisdiction. The Municipal Corporation, which has given NOCs for the construction work, says it has no role left in the project. The traffic lights installation, horticulture work, line markings, signage and other related works are still incomplete as GMADA is carrying out the road widening work at its own pace. “As of now, 11 points have been installed and put on a testing mode, while work on the other five points is in progress. Four more points would be started after the completion of the proposed civil works by GMADA,” said a PPHC official. The proposed civil work at Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan and Radha Soami Chowk besides Dairi T-Point (Landran Banur Road) and PCA Stadium crossing will take some more time.