09032025-ATR-01.qxd 3/8/2025 11:15 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 27°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 26°C | MIN 10°C BSF, POLICE NAB NARCO SMUGGLERS WITH DRUGS GUNEET TALKS ABOUT ANUJA’S OSCAR DISAPPOINTMENT MADHURI DIXIT SPEAKS ON PAY PARITY IN BOLLYWOOD The BSF recovered 475 gm of heroin from their possession, three mobile phones and a motorcycle. P2 Producer Guneet Monga has expressed gratitude for the recognition Anuja received at the Oscars despite not winning.P4 At IIFA in Jaipur, Madhuri Dixit shared her take on it, accepting that pay disparity has long existed. P4 » » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.26 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6.36 AM SUNDAY | 9 MARCH 2025 | AMRITSAR CM Mann inaugurates AirCare Centre in city 25K trees axed in Shahpur Kandi dam area Trees were cut over four months | Officials say no threat to ecology | 64,000 saplings planted Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Pathankot, March 8 The Shahpur Kandi dam authorities have axed nearly 25,000 trees in its reservoir, a development which officials maintain will not affect ecological balance in the area. The trees were cut over a four-month period, commencing from June till September last year. While one side of the dam’s reservoir The Shahpur Kandi dam is located on the Ravi in Pathankot. CM Bhagwant Mann during the inauguration of AirCare Centre at Khalsa College for Women in Amritsar on Saturday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 8 On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann inaugurated AirCare Centre here on Saturday. An initiative of Asar and Clean Air Punjab, the centre is dedicated to advancing science-backed solutions for air quality improvement and sustainable agriculture in the state. Established at Khalsa College of Education for Women, the centre is being headed by a team of women environmentalists and environment science experts. Over the past six months, AirCare Centre has emerged as a critical hub for crop residue management and climate-smart agriculture. With a strong focus on incentivising sustainable agricultural practices, the centre is actively working on solutions to mitigate stubble burning, one of the key contributors to air pollution in the state. Recognising the barriers many farmers face in accessing knowledge and resources, the centre has also organized localised meetings, ensuring that insights and best practices reach even those who are unable to travel. Moving forward, it will continue to leverage scientific research and communitydriven strategies to drive measurable improvements in the state’ air quality. Sanam Wazir, head of State Climate Action at Asar, emphasised the importance continued on page 2 c m y b falls in Punjab, the other side is located in Jammu and Kashmir. Interestingly, as reports emanated about the axing, officials were quick to plant nearly 64,000 saplings in the premises of both the Ranjit Sagar Dam and the Shahpur Kandi Dam. The Forest Departments of both the states floated tenders for cutting trees. In all, 6,544 trees were chopped by J&K while 18,920 trees were axed by the Forest Department in Punjab. Sher Singh, Chief Engineer (Canals), who is responsible for the overall supervision of the dam, said all necessary permissions had been obtained before the trees were felled. The development had given rise to rumours that thousands of migratory birds would be displaced. “This is not the case. Migratory birds will keep on coming. We have not disturbed their habitat,” said a senior official. “It was imperative to cut the trees, otherwise the wood would have got trapped in the hydraulic gates and head regulators, which could have posed a serious problem. There are 22 such hydraulic gates and nine head regulators. Moreover, had we not axed the trees, they would have kept continued on page 2