24022025-JTR-01.qxd 2/23/2025 11:39 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune W LAMATTY BEST RIDER AT EQUESTRIAN CHAMPIONSHIP ACTRESS KALKI KOECHLIN IS VERY MUCH HER OWN PERSON LISA RAY KNOWS HOW TO CHARM HER AUDIENCES The Nat'l Equestrian C'ship, which began on Feb 15, ended with the Assam Rifles team emerging as the overall best. P2 She identifies as an Indian, is named after the 10th avatar of Vishnu, doesn’t reject her French origins. P4 In Chandigarh for Chitkara Literature Festival, Lisa Ray was looking stunning in a white and gold saree. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 24°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 24°C | MIN 9°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.21 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:58 AM » MONDAY | 24 FEBRUARY 2025 | JALANDHAR HC questions govt over delay in water treatment project INBRIEF WOMAN FALLS INTO PIT, DIES Hoshiarpur: A woman returning from work died after falling into a pit dug to lay a gas pipe. The police have registered a case against three persons of gas company. Raj Kumar, a resident of Hardokhanpur, told the police that his wife Nimon was returning from work on February 4. When she reached near a school, she slipped and fell into a pit dug to lay a gas pipe. He said no safety measures were taken by the company near the pit. He took his wife to the Civil Hospital, from where his wife was referred to a private hospital on February 21. His wife died while being taken there. Acting on the complaint, the police have started action after registering a case against Sandeep Kumar, Mishra, Shubham. OC FIRE IN HOSPITAL POWER ROOM Phagwara: The police have booked four persons for abetting suicide of 75-year-old man. The accused have been identified as Malkit Singh, Pritam Singh and Balveer Singh, all residents of Kara Ram Singh village, and Varindar Singh of Malout in Muktsar Sahib. Hardev Singh of Kara Ram Singh village complained to the police that the accused mentally tortured his father, who committed suicide on February 21 morning. OC MAN HELD FOR KIDS’ SLAVERY Phagwara: The police have arrested a Mehatpur resident on the charge of forcing children into bonded labour. The accused has been identified as Mohan Lal of Mohalla Rasulpur, Mehatpur. Sandeep Arora of Aadramaan village and state leader of the All-India Kisan Sabha, complained to the police that the accused was pushing children into bonded labour, beat them up, kept them hungry and never paid money to children. A case under Sections 3 and 14 of The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, has been registered against the accused. OC Issues notice to state govt, demand explanation for delay Tribune News Service Night camping at Tharoli during the Hoshiarpur Nature Fest on Sunday. Tourists enjoy night camping under Hoshiarpur Nature Fest Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, February 23 Tourists enjoyed night camping at Solis Tharoli under Nature Fest-2025 in Hoshiarpur on Saturday night. A live band created a great atmosphere, in which Jyoti Suri, Tanya Suri and Satish Silhi Uppal of Golden Noor Musical Group mesmerised the people with their melodious voice. On Sunday morning, Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal flagged off the cyclothon from Lajwanti Sports Stadium. The event was organised in collaboration with the district administration, Fit Bikers Club and Sachdeva Stocks, in which a large number of cycle lovers FIXTURES ■ On February 24, there will be an off-roading adventure in Kukanet-Dehriyan ■ On February 25, tourists will enjoy boating and jungle safari at Nature Retreat, Chauhal. In the evening, famous singer Kanwar Grewal will perform, with this Nature Fest will end participated and gave the message of physical fitness. Many interesting activities including painting competition were organised for children in the Kids Carnival at Van Chetna Park. Children enjoyed Tambola, Musical Chair, Clone Face Game, Spin a Wheel, Think and Answer, Pair Game and Seed Ball-Making Workshop. Under the supervi- sion of Forest Officer (North Circle) Dr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, children also visited the Nature Interpretation Centre. Additional Deputy Commissioner Nikas Kumar and Dr Tiwari felicitated the winners. The live screening of India vs Pakistan cricket match at Lajwanti Stadium was enjoyed by sports lovers. Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said that on February 24, there will be an off-roading adventure in Kukanet-Dehriyan. On February 25, tourists will enjoy boating and jungle safari at Nature Retreat, Chauhal. In the evening, famous singer Kanwar Grewal will perform and with this Nature Fest2025 will conclude on a grand scale. Nawanshahr, February 23 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to the Punjab Government, demanding an explanation for the delay in the construction of a water treatment plant at Sahungra village in Nawanshahr. Despite the approval of the Thapar model treatment plant nearly two years ago, work has yet to begin, leaving villagers to endure the dire living conditions due to improper waste water disposal. The case was brought before the court by a complainant, represented by lawyer Harinder Pal Singh Ishar, who alleged that political interference has halted the project. He argued that certain individuals in the village have obstructed the work, leading to the persistent waste water overflow from the village pond, which affects residents. To address the crisis, the previous village panchayat had passed a resolution to redirect the excess water through an underground pipeline. With government support, four kanals were purchased and excavation of the pond was completed. Additionally, a grant of Rs 45 lakh was sanctioned for the project. However, despite these measures, the project remains stalled. Waste water overflows from a village pond at Sahungra village in Nawanshahr. During the hearing, the government’s legal representative requested additional time to seek instructions from the Deputy Commissioner regarding the project’s commencement. The court has scheduled the next hearing for March 6, warning that if progress is not made, the Deputy Commissioner may be required to appear in person. Former sarpanch Rajbalwinder Sahungra expressed frustration over the prolonged delay, stating that repeated attempts to resolve the issue had failed due to political roadblocks. He said their last resort was court’s intervention, and they hope for a resolution to the long-standing crisis by next hearing. From UK to Shahkot to distribute desicane stalks to farmers Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 23 Settled in the UK for the past 47 years, Puran Singh (70) runs his golf club in Wolverhampton. But these days, he and his family are in their native Dhandowal village of Shahkot. The purpose of his visit this time was to distribute free stalks of indigenous variety of sugarcane to farmers. As the free stalk langar was held today, farmers from across Punjab, Rajasthan and Karnal reached out to him in his fields where he gave them two stalks of sugarcane each. The farmers came in from Bagha Purana, Bathinda, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Anandpur Sahib, Mohali, Karnal and Kota. “Most available sugarcane in Punjab is from hybrid varieties but a section of farmers like us promote the native varieties for which we also organise langars. I have been distributing stalks of rarely available indigenous varieties of sugarcane also popularly called katha or chan. I have been coming to Punjab with this purpose for the past two years. While last year, there were fewer farmers and we gave them four stalks each. This time, the demand was higher and we decided to distribute only two stalks each. We took the contact numbers of all farmers visiting us. We urged them to distribute free stalks the way we do after two or three seasons when they are able to develop enough plants”, he explained his motive. Puran Singh said, “Each stalk can have 50 eyes and each eye can give 25-100 plants. This is how the sugarcane multiplies. I strongly believe that our desi varieties of crops are more beneficial for health than the modified, hybrid varieties and hence I am strong votary for sowing only the desi seeds. Even my children are connected with the village and they accompany me here every winters and spend some time in the fields.” DSP Ram Lal with his ‘Darling’ at PAP, Jalandhar. Choked drains turn Pratap Bagh road into filthy pool Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 23 Overflowing sewage has turned the main road of Pratap Bagh into a hazardous swamp, with stagnant water flooding the street, especially during water supply hours. The frustrated shopkeepers and commuters say the choked drains have made the daily movement a struggle, raising serious hygiene and safety concerns. “It’s a mess. There was stagnant water, but with recent rain, the accumulated water covers a major portion of the main road, raising the risk of accidents,” said Amishesh Kumar, a regular commuter forced to wade through the filth everyday. The issue, residents say, is not new but has worsened due to the neglected drainage maintenance. “We pay taxes but the roads are still broken, garbage is piling up and now even market areas are flooded with sewage. Where is the accountability?” asked Dinesh, another commuter. “The recently elected municipal representatives have done little to resolve these long-standing civic problems,” said local resident Namita Kaur, adding that even after forming a new civic body, there’s no improvement on the ground. “The situation remains the same,” she said. Adding to the woes, nearby residential areas are also experiencing drainage failures, with waterlogging affecting homes. They report similar complaints, saying sewage overflow has become a routine issue in many areas of the city. “We have repeatedly complained to the municipal corporation, but it only sends temporary cleaning squads instead of fixing the root problem,” said Rajinder Sharma, a resident of Pratap Bagh. Shopkeepers are now demanding immediate intervention before the crisis escalates. “It doesn’t matter whether the issue is blocked drains or faulty pipelines — the authorities need to act before someone gets seriously hurt,” said a shopkeeper, pointing to the unhygienic conditions in the market. DSP Ram Lal bids adieu to tent pegging Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Overflowing sewage has turned the main road of Pratap Bagh, Jalandhar, into a pool on Sunday. PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH He said the overflowing sewage has also led to an increase in mosquito breeding, raising fears of the potential outbreak of vector-borne diseases. They said despite the mounting complaints, municipal officials have yet to respond with concrete measures. “We are now considering staging a protest to c m y b draw attention to our plight. “If no action is taken soon, we will be forced to take to the streets,” warned another shopkeeper. He said until the municipal corporation takes responsibility, business owners and nearby residents continue to struggle with worsening living and working conditions, with no resolution in sight. Jalandhar, February 23 It was his last professional run. Ram Lal, 58, DSP at Punjab Armed Police, was ready holding a lance, his eyes fixed on the peg. The moment he took his last peg with precision, the audiences applauded, giving him respectful adieu. Ram Lal astride mare ‘Darling’ raised his lance thanking everyone. Emotions were high for him. With this, the National Equestrian Championship concluded today. He is retiring on April 30. “I wanted my last run to be the best one. I had full ‘josh’, and I did want to take the peg no matter what, as I didn’t want my team to lose because of me,” Ram Lal told The Tribune. A recipient of several medals, Ram Lal is one of the most experienced of the PAP team. He started playing at the age of 22 and has 35 years of experience in tent pegging. Before his last run was started, a commentary in his respect was also made by the experienced riders. Ram Lal also led the march past during the closing ceremony of the championship. The Punjab Armed Police (PAP) team comprised DIG Inderbir Singh, DSP Jaswinder Singh, DSP Ram Pal and Inspector Youngbir Singh. Ram Pal started teaching tent pegging to DIG Inderbir in June last year. For Ram Lal, the connection and love he has held with horses over all these decades is unparalleled. “A horse becomes a rider’s best friend. Rider and his horse understand each other. The chemistry between both of them is incredible,” he said. “There should be an understanding between the rider and the horse, only then will coordination follow,” he further said. Now that he is leaving the game professionally, how does he feel, “I will continue to train Inderbir. This event will always remain special,” he said.