25102024-TT-01.qxd 10/24/2024 11:24 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 296 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH NEITHER US NOR CHINA CAN IGNORE INDIA TODAY: SITHARAMAN BUSINESS /thetribunechd PDP REVIEWS ITS PERFORMANCE IN ASSEMBLY POLL J&K ISRAELI STRIKE ON GAZA SCHOOL LEAVES 17 DEAD WORLD JUSTICE SANJIV KHANNA IS NEW CJI, TO TAKE OATH ON NOVEMBER 11 NATION friday | 25 october 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Army convoy ambushed near Gulmarg, two soldiers, 2 civilian porters killed Adil Akhzer Vehicles ply on the Gurugram-Delhi Expressway amid low visibility due to smog on Thursday. PTI NCR in grip of pollution as farm fires rage; Panipat AQI hits 450 Samad Hoque, Mukesh Tandon & Mohit Khanna Tribune News Service NewDelhi/Panipat/Patiala, Oct24 Unabated farm fires in Punjab and Haryana coupled with a dip in temperature have worsened the air pollution in the region. The air quality index (AQI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and several places in Punjab and Haryana on Thursday ranged between the ‘poor’ and ‘severe’ categories. In New Delhi, air quality hovered in the ‘very poor’ category for the fourth straight day. The AQI in Delhi was recorded at 306 at 4 pm on Thursday, according to the Central Pollution Con- AQI IN DELHI OCT 18 OCT 19 OCT 20 OCT 21 292 278 277 310 OCT 22 327 OCT 23 364 OCT 24 306 * Based on Commission for Air Quality daily bulletin 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD trol Board data. The AQI was comparatively better in the other NCR areas — Faridabad (142), Gurugram (239), Ghaziabad (272), Greater Noida (214) and Noida (169). continued on page 10 Day after Takht diktat on Sukhbir, Akali Dal opts out of byelections Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 24 In an unprecedented move, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday decided to opt out of the byelections to four Punjab Assembly segments — Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala — scheduled to be held on November 13. The development came a day after SAD chief Sukhbir Badal failed to get any temporary relief from Akal Takht, which has declared him “tankhaiya” (person guilty of religious misconduct), for the “mistakes” committed by his party from 2007 to 2017. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh has “barred” Sukhbir from participating in any political activity, including poll campaign. The decision was taken at a meeting of the SAD core committee, which was chaired by its working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder. Senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said, “The recent developments were discussed by the senior leadership. Since Sukhbir Badal is the party president, we cannot go against the Akal Takht’s decision.” He said a resolution to this effect was passed unanimously. Earlier, an Akali delegation had met the Jathedar and urged him to allow Sukhbir to lead the party’s poll campaign. Cheema claimed the party had decided against contesting the byelections to protect the Panthic interests and maintain the dignity and respect of the Panthic institutions. “I can understand that if we don’t fight the elections, the workers would get demotivated and the party would suffer a dent. But Poor air forces CJI to stop morning walk New Delhi, October 24 As the air quality worsens in the national capital, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has stopped his routine morning walk. “I have stopped going out for a morning walk from today. I usually go for a morning walk around 4 to 4.15 am,” the CJI said on Thursday in an informal chat with legal correspondents during a “pre-Diwali high tea”. Justice Chandrachud, who is set to demit office on November 10, said his doctor advised him to continued on page 10 3 jawans injured | Second deadly attack in five days Srinagar, October 24 Two soldiers and two civilian porters were killed, while three soldiers were injured after an Army vehicle was attacked by terrorists near the famous tourist resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday evening. According to officials, the attack took place in the Butapathri area of Gulmarg, which is close to the LoC and is surrounded by dense forests. Also, it came barely a few hours after the Unified Headquarters meeting was held in Srinagar’s Raj Bhavan. Top security officials of multiple agencies attended the high-profile meeting. Police sources said the vehicle that came under the attack was part of an Army convoy moving in the area. “Two porters and two soldiers lost lives,” said an official. Soon after the attack, a major search operation was launched in the area. The Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, in a post on X, said, “A brief fight took place between the Army and terrorists in the Butapathri area. Details are being ascertained.” continued on page 10 Security personnel carry out a search operation after terrorists opened fire on a labourer in the Batagund area of Pulwama on Thursday. ANI Attacks on migrants continue, worker shot at Our Correspondent Srinagar, October 24 A migrant worker was injured in a suspected militant attack in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday, the police said. They said the labourer had been identified as Shubam Kumar, a resident of Uttar STATEHOOD ON MIND Ambika Sharma Tribune News Service ■ It will be after 32 years that the Shiromani Akali Dal won’t contest elections ■ Earlier in 1992, the party had boycotted the Vidhan Sabha elections BAN ON SUKHBIR, NOT PARTY: AKAL TAKHT these are unavoidable circumstances,” he quipped. “The SAD will, however, contest the SGPC elections. We have decided to field Harjinder Singh Dhammi as our candidate for the post of SGPC president,” Cheema added. Meanwhile, party insiders said since the top leaders knew the outcome, they had “recused” themselves from the poll. The 103-year-old party is facing an existential crisis after successive electoral setbacks. In the 2022 Assembly elections, it won just three of the 117 seats. To add insult to injury, Banga MLA Sukhwinder Sukhi has joined AAP while Dakha MLA Man, preet Ayali has been keeping away from party activities. The third is Majitha MLA Ganieve Kaur Majithia, wife of Bikram Majithia. Similarly, in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the party could only retain Harsimrat Kaur’s Bathinda constituency, while 10 of the remaining 12 contenders lost their security deposit. The party’s vote share was 13.42 per cent, which was even less than that of BJP’s (18.56 per cent). were ascertaining the details. “We are trying to find out if it was a terror attack,” he said. A senior official in Srinagar’s Bone and Joint Hospital, where the worker was taken for treatment, told The Tribune that the man sustained a bullet injury on the right hand and his condition was stable. This is the third attack on Samples of 25 drugs manufactured in HP found substandard A FIRST IN 32 YEARS Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said there was no restriction on the SAD to contest the poll. “Only SAD president Sukhbir Badal, who was declared a ‘tankhaiya’, has been told not to participate in any political activity,” the Jathedar said. INSIDE Pradesh. He was attacked at Batagund village in the morning. Sources said the victim told the police that he was attacked by militants. “He was taken to a hospital where his condition is stated to be out of danger,” said a police official. The police said they had launched an investigation into the incident and Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah calls on PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. PTI SC junks contempt plea against UP, U’khand, R’sthan on ‘bulldozer justice’ Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 24 The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a petition seeking contempt of court action against the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan authorities for allegedly violating its order halting demolition of properties of those accused of crimes. “We don’t want to open a WHAT TOP COURT HAD SAID On September 17, a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai had ordered that no demolition of properties of persons accused of crimes could take place without its permission Pandora’s box. Let the persons who are affected by demolition come to the court,” a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai said, refusing to entertain the plea filed by a person who was not directly or indirectly related to the alleged demolition. The refusal came after Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, representing the state of Uttar Pradesh, pointed out that the petitioner was a third party and not aware of the facts as it was only a footpath encroachment that was removed by continued on page 10 Solan,October 24 As many as 25 drug samples, including 11 injectibles, manufactured at 18 pharmaceutical units of Himachal Pradesh have been declared substandard by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and various states. These figure among the list of 70 drug samples declared not of standard quality (NSQ). With several drugs manufactured in the state regularly figuring in this monthly list, a question mark has been put over the quality of drugs manufactured in the state. The list released today is part of the continuous regulatory surveillance where drugs samples are picked from sales/distribution points and analysed. These drugs were manufactured at Baddi, Nalagarh, Paonta Sahib, Kala Amb, Solan and Kangra. Three drug samples tested by other states also figure in the list. Among the injections declared substandard are oxytocin (for controlling bleeding after childbirth), calcium glu- 18 units in state under drug regulator’s radar migrant workers in the Valley this month. On Sunday evening, a deadly terror attack was carried out on construction workers at a tunnel in the Gagangir area of Ganderbal district. Seven persons, including a doctor, were killed in the attack. The TRF a shadow outfit of the , Lashkar-e-Taiba, had claimed responsibility for the attack. SEBI chief skips Parl panel meet Animesh Singh conate (for enhancing calcium level), promethazine hydrochloride (preventing allergy), Celofos 1,000 (for treating bladder inflammation and cancer), Kefzone-S (for urinary tract infection), Casidtaz-P (for bacterial infection) and Nurofens 2,500 (to treat vitamin B12 deficiency). Besides these, ceftriiaxone and gentamycin sulphate injections, both manufactured by a Paonta Sahibbased firm, have been declared substandard. These injections are used to treat bacterial infections. Two batches of heparin sodium injections, which prevent formation of harmful blood clots, manufactured by a Kala Amb-based firm, have also been declared substandard. These injections lack the requisite assay content, hitting its efficacy. The assay content in one such injection was as less as 23.26 per cent. “Presence of any adulterant continued on page 10 Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 24 A meeting of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was postponed on Thursday after embattled SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch informed the panel at the eleventh hour about her inability to travel to the national capital to appear before it. BJP moves Speaker over Venugopal’s ‘conduct’ Congress MP KC Venugopal, who heads the panel, told reporters that he received a message from Buch at 9.30 am that she would not be able to travel to Delhi to appear before it following which it was decided to postpone the meeting. “At the first meeting of the committee, we had suo motu decided to carry out a review of our regulatory bodies. That is why we had called the continued on page 10 Uttarakhand glaciers melting at alarming pace, may trigger water scarcity Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service Experts say climate change is affecting all 900 Uttarakhand glaciers. New Delhi, October 24 Melting of glaciers in Uttarakhand could lead to apocalyptic consequences, including scarcity of water in the region. Experts at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, claim that all 900 glaciers located in Uttarakhand are melting due to global warming. Some of the important glaciers that are melting at a fast pace are Gangotri, Satopanth, Bhagirathi and Raikhana. Dr Man- c m y b POSSIBLE IMPACT MAIN REASONS ■ Water shortage ■ Global warming ■ Hydro power generation to be hit ■ Black carbon deposits ■ Aquatic species may go extinct ■ Emission of greenhouse gas ish Mehta of the institute said, “Glacier melting is a natural process. However, the speed at which they are melting is worrying. Of the 9,575 glaciers in the Himalayan region, 900 are in Uttarakhand, and all are melting owing to the global warming.” He said greenhouse gas emissions increase the tem- peratures, which accelerates the melting process. According to a study of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the melting process could speed up the movement of water from mountains to rivers. However, as glaciers shrink in response to a warmer climate, there will be a turning point after several years when its contribution to river flow downstream will decline. Explaining the ramifications, Mehta said, “There could be water scarcity in the region due to the melting of the glaciers. This will also impact electricity generation. Notably, the nutrient supply to the Gangetic plains will also decrease. Also, aquatic species in rivers will eventually become extinct.” While it was not possible to completely stop the melting continued on page 10