06092025-JTR-01.qxd 9/5/2025 11:33 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune TEACHERS OBSERVE THEIR DAY AS ‘BLACK DAY’OVER SALARY ISSUES ARTISTES AID FLOOD-AFFECTED SULTANPUR LODHI WHEN ACTOR NAWAZUDDIN TOOK ACTING LESSONS Marking the day by wearing black clothes, and badges, the employees expressed deep resentment against the govt. P2 Singer Amar Noori, comedian Bhana Bhagoda are among the first to visit the waterlogged villages. P3 Aditya Kripalani’s I’m Not An Actor, starring Nawazuddin, opens the 14th DC South Asian Film Festival. P4 » » » FORECAST RAINY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.45 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:07 AM SATURDAY | 6 SEPTEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR Awaiting water to recede, displaced people spend days at Baupur bundh HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. INBRIEF MOBILE SNATCHED, TWO BOOKED Phagwara: A Nepali national reported that two youths snatched his mobile phone at knife-point in Phatu Dhinga. According to Dev Kumar Ganesh, the incident occurred when he was standing outside a rice mill. Two young men approached him carrying an iron rod. One of them allegedly pushed him from behind, while the other attempted to strike him with the rod. They snatched his mobile phone and fled the spot. The suspects are named as Prince and Murad, both residents of Khanpur, Kapurthala district. oc YOUTH BOOKED FOR KIDNAPPING Phagwara: The Nakodar police have booked a youth for kidnapping a girl. The accused has been identified as Sahil, alias Shinda, of Mohalla Kamal Pura, Nakodar. The father of the victim had complained to the police that the accused had kidnapped his daughter on the pretext of marriage on September 2. OC MAN HELD FOR SELLING LIQUOR Phagwara: The police have booked a villager on the charge of selling illicit liquor. Sixty bottles of illicit liquor were recovered from the possession of the accused Subash Singh of Raipur Arian village, who managed to flee from the spot. A case was registered under the Punjab Excise Act against the accused. OC 2 BOOKED FOR THEFT PLANNING Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested two persons on charges of stealing gold and criminal conspiracy. The accused has been identified as Kiranjit Kaur of Tehang village and Sher Singh of Rahimpur village. Hardeep Singh complained to the police that the accused stole a gold kara from his house and Kiranjit married Shera without divorcing him. oc TWO BOOKED FOR SNATCHING Phagwara: The police have booked two miscreants for snatching cash. The accused are Jaskaran Dhana of Mudh village and Manpreet Manna of Billi Chaharmi village in Shahkot. Paramjit Singh of Nurpur Chatha village complained to the police that the accused waylaid him, threatened and attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon, and snatched Rs 8,000 and a smartphone. oc MAN HELD UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a 'drug peddler' on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. As many as 35 tablets were recovered from the possession of the accused Vikram Deep Singh, alias Viki of Bir village. A case has been registered under the NDPS Act against the accused. oc Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Amarinder Singh Raja Warring addresses a press conference. Punjab Cong forms teams for flood relief Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, September 5 The Punjab Congress has formed special teams across the state to aid flood-affected areas. The party has paired districts with minimal losses with those severely affected, to ensure coordinated relief efforts. This was announced by Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring during a meeting in Hoshiarpur with district Congress office-bearers, MLA candidates, and party leaders. Warring emphasised that the Congress was serious about addressing the flood crisis. He said, “We had requested an appointment with Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Agriculture Minister, to discuss the flood situation, but unfortunately, BJP completely ‘captured’ him,” referring to their efforts to engage with the Central Government. He said timely steps could have prevented the floods. He said Rahul Gandhi’s has deputed Bhupesh Baghel to assess the situation and he will be arriving Amritsar tonight for his two days’ visit. As soon as Rahul’s programme to visit Punjab is finalised, it will be informed to all, presently he’s busy due to vice-president’s elections. Warring urged everyone to put aside party politics and unite to help the flood-affected people. Congress workers are actively providing aid, and Warring is visiting various Lok Sabha constituencies to oversee the relief work. Warring stated that in Hoshiarpur, the flood-affected villages of Tanda, Dasuya, and Mukerian have faced significant losses. Congress workers in the region are contributing up to Rs 25 lakh in relief material, and a Flood Relief Coordination Committee has been formed to manage the efforts. Baupur/Sangra (Sultanpur Lodhi), September 5 Even though peak rescue operations are over and all efforts are now focused on relief, Baupur bundh has become a shelter for the displaced. Displaced residents gather at the bundh during the day, searching for fodder, food supplies, or perhaps a word of assurance from a visiting dignitary. Locals say that as long as the flood waters remain, the bundh will continue to serve as their daytime refuge.” Many families are staying at the bundh for sucessive days. Reason - houses are flooded or fallen and they can’t burden relatives too much. On a mountain of fodder stacks on a side of the Baupur bundh, sit a number of men – all with sordid tales of displacement. Mohemmedabad’s Kala and Sukhwinder Kaur, Akalpur’s Sewa Singh and Rampur Gaura’s Balkaur Singh, all lost houses and have no place to call house. Bawa Singh from Bandu Jadid has a waterlogged house. Balkaur and his son take turns sitting on the bundh. As per rough estimates, 12 houses have fallen in Kapurthala. As per the state’s flood data, 145 villages and 5,728 Displaced persons sit at the Baupur bundh in Sultanpur Lodhi. TRIBUNE PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH BEAS WATER LEVEL RISES AGAIN ■ The water level in the Beas has again started rising to 1.72 lakh cusecs in the mand area of Sultanpur Lodhi. ■ Eight lakh cusecs water has increased in the river due to increase in discharge from Pandoh dam. people have been affected by the floods, whereas crop on over 44,000 acres has been damaged. Hundreds of displaced residents — whose homes remain submerged or have suffered structural damage — share a common plight. With their dwellings rendered unlivable or waterlogged, many face the grim reality of being unable to return for months. Places like Ber Sahib Gurdwara and Dera Bidhi Chand in Sultanpur Lodhi, along with the Lakh Warian relief camp, have become temporary shelters for affected families and their livestock from flood-hit villages.” Kala Singh from Mohemmedabad, who lost his home, says, “There is no dwelling left, nor any source of income. We are in such a state, Release white paper Relief on cardsAdmn starts on steps taken after assessing damage to houses 2023 floods: BJP Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 5 BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill on Friday demanded that the government must release white paper on the measures it had taken post 2023 floods that had also left parts of Punjab battered. Shergill said, “The unfolding floods are not just an act of nature, but a man-made disaster fuelled by arrogance, negligence, and betrayal of the Aam Aadmi Party government. Punjabis have again been left to fend for themselves, abandoned by those who promised change but delivered only excuses.” The Supreme Court lawyer hailing from Jalandhar, Shergill said instead of drawing lessons and putting a robust system in place, the AAP government went back to its old ways of blame-shifting and event management. “There has been no compre- hensive plan, no infrastructure upgrade, no accountability — only hollow slogans. The people of Punjab deserve transparency in the form of a while paper, not betrayal”, he fumed. He said people wanted answers. He listed out questions for the government, “Why was the Flood Preparation Committee meeting, due in February, postponed to June simply because the Chief Minister and his ministers were occupied with the Delhi elections? Is the life of Punjabis less important than the electoral interests of AAP? Why were official warnings of excessive rainfall ignored despite repeated alerts? Why were crores of rupees allocated for preparedness and relief left unused or misused? Why was the Madhopur Gate not repaired in time, turning a manageable situation into a full-scale calamity?” Jalandhar, September 5 Coming to the rescue of the families who have suffered full or partial damage to the houses due to recent rain and flooding, the district administration has started making assessments to disburse the relief amount. DC Dr Himanshu Aggarwal on Friday said upon the directions of the state government, the administration had started assessing the damage to houses near the banks of the Sutlej and Chitti Bein. He said Rs 30 lakh had already been disbursed as per norms towards flood relief measures to the affected families. The assessment of damage and compensation will continue in the next few days. He said the aid was being released under the supervision of people’s representatives and senior officials to ensure transparency and was aimed at helping those whose houses had suffered damage during the recent floods. so where will we take our cattle” His five member family, including his mother, wife, two children, make do at a relative’s place. Years ago, during floods, his brother also lost his life. Now he has lost his home. “I had just one acre land, that too is lost. “ He had two cattle, which he had to abandon as, “there is no place to go for us, where will we take them? We have lost everything,” he said. Sewa Singh (50) from Akalpur says, “My house fell 78 days ago and I spend my days at the bundh for supplies and fodder. At night, we six people Car driver shoots at tractor driver bringing soil for bundh, probe on Tribune News Service Many houses collapsed at Dakoha in Jalandhar after heavy rain. Dr Aggarwal said no affected person would be left unattended during this crisis. As per an initial assessment, over 300 houses in Jalandhar have suffered roof collapse or damage. Meanwhile, the DC conducted an intensive inspection of several parts of the city to assess the damage caused by incessant rain. Directing urgent action, he asked Jalandhar Municipal Corporation officials to immediately begin repair work on Nakodar Road, particularly around Guru Ravidas Chowk, and ensure proper de-watering along the busy stretch. He further instructed officials to repair potholes in other rainaffected areas without delay to ease public movement. Earlier, Dr Aggarwal visited the District Red Cross Society and reviewed relief operations. Thanking philanthropists for their generous contributions, he said such humanitarian efforts provided much-needed relief and would always be remembered as acts of compassion during trying times. sleep at various relatives’ places. I have lost 9-10 acres of land. This time water was more than 2023 and even 1988 floods. Our house fell earlier too. It takes lakhs to build a new house. My children are at Gharka and adult members of our family at different villages.” Balkaur Singh and Gurnishan from Rampur Gaura have the river flowing now, where their house earlier was. It will take Rs 20 lakh for the family to build a new one. Sukhwinder Kaur from Mohammedabad also lives at Lakh Warian with her son after their home collapsed. Jalandhar, September 5 An unknown car rider opened fire on a youth who was lining up trolleys to fill soil to strengthen embankments in flood-affected areas, when he asked the speeding car driver to drive slowly. On hearing this, the car rider got furious and fired three rounds, out of which two bullets hit the trolley and the third bullet hit the youth’s leg, due to which he got injured. The villagers immediately admitted him to a government hospital in Kapurthala. The injured youth has been identified as Jagjit Singh Jagga of Fatudhinga. The injured person undergoing treatment in the Civil Hospital said to strengthen the embankment of the Beas, he was getting the trolleys lined up after filling them with soil from the village, when a car came at a high speed, whose driver he asked to drive slowly, but he stopped the car a little further and as soon as he got out of it, he fired three rounds from the pistol at him. Two of the bullets hit the trolley and the third bullet hit his leg, due to which he got injured. He said after committing the crime, the accused fled the spot. As soon as the information of the incident was received, DSP Sultanpur Lodhi Hargurdev Singh, SHO of police station Fattudhinga Jasbir Singh reached the spot with the police force and started investigation. DSP Hargurdev Singh said the police are investigating. The accused will be arrested soon. On their day, teachers donate generously for flood-hit Two duped of ~63L Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 5 Amid floods ravaging the state and schools lying shut for almost two weeks now, the Teachers’ Day celebrations were largely confined to online mode. Instead of planning their own celebrations or arranging any private get-togethers, many of them chose the day to donate generously for the flood-affected families and lend a helping hand in ongoing relief operation. MGN Public School, Adarsh Nagar, and MGN Urban Estate, Phase-2, donated 10 fogging machines to Red Cross Society, Jalandhar, for the Punjab flood-hit areas as per the requirement suggested by DC Jalandhar. The staff contributed one-day salary for the cause with eight machines contributed by MGN Adarsh Nagar and two machines by MGN UE-2. In this time of crisis, members of CBSE-affiliated Schools Association, Jaland- NATIONAL AWARD FOR DR BHATIA Dr Anjana Bhatia, associate professor and head of PG Department of Botany at Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, was conferred with National Award to Teachers 2025 at a grand ceremony held on Friday at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The award was presented by the President of India Droupadi Murmu, in the presence of Union Ministers, MPs, and senior dignitaries. On Thursday, she was invited to the Prime Minister’s residence for an interactive session. The Prime Minister congratulated the educators. har (CASA) have extended a helping hand by providing relief material to the floodaffected areas. The relief supplies included ration, bottled water, food c m y b items, candles, tarpaulins, and other essentials, which were handed over to Rohit Jindal, Assistant Divisional Commissioner (General), and Dr. Surjeet Lal, Secre- tary, Red Cross Society, for distribution among the flood victims. In other campuses, celebrations were conducted on online mode. Meanwhile, teachers from Hoshiarpur Block One-A, One-B, and Blocks Two-A and Two-B collectively contributed Rs 1 lakh, which was handed over to SDM Gursimranjit Kaur for the Red Cross Relief Fund. The initiative was led by Deputy District Education Officer (Elementary) Amandeep Sharma. in visa fraud Hoshiarpur, September 5 The police have registered two separate cases and booked four individuals for allegedly cheating victims of ~63.18 lakh under the pretext of sending their family members abroad. In the first case, Parminder Singh of Mohalla Tibba Sahib, alleged that travel agent Mohan Kakkar, his wife Poonam Kakkar and daughter Twinkle Kakkar, of Defence Colony, New Delhi, took ~18.18 lakh from him to send his daughter Loveleen Kaur to England. However, after receiving the money, the accused neither arranged the travel, nor returned the amount. In the second case, Satish Kumar of Abdullapur said Ranjeet Singh, a resident of village Palaki in Mukerian, defrauded him of ~45 lakh on the promise of sending his son Mandeep Singh to the US on a work permit. — OC