27102024-LT-01.qxd 27-10-2024 00:42 Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 3 OF FAMILY KILLED, 2 HURT IN ABOHAR ROAD MISHAP STATE'S ECONOMY DERAILING AS FARMERS' STIR CONTINUES PRODUCERS TAKE ME MORE SERIOUSLY: DIRECTOR PREETI A man, his son and nephew travelling in a car were killed in a head-on collision between two vehicles in Abohar. P3 With farmers continuing to block national highways, the state's already fragile economy is taking a hit. P3 Aliya Basu Gayab Hai director says she is happy that gender has now taken a backseat. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 33°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET SUNDAY 5.41 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:32 AM » SUNDAY | 27 OCTOBER 2024 | LUDHIANA Who will ensure upkeep of Ludhiana’s roads? Civic body’s repair works fail to bear fruit, commuters, pedestrians face threat Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 26 Bumpy roads welcome you to the city. Though a smart city, the poor and dilapidated condition of the roads in Ludhiana pose a serious threat to motorists and pedestrians. The condition of the roads turns worse during the rainy season as potholes develop after rainfall, which makes it difficult for motorists, especially twowheeler riders, to commute. The Municipal Corporation initiates repair works after the monsoon season but the road layer starts coming off soon. The corporation had invested Rs 3.86 crore and procured two pothole-patching machines that use an infra-red recycling technology to fix potholes but due to the time-consuming procedure, the machines were not used frequently. A part of Dhandra Road, which caved in during the rainy season, was recarpeted. But it caved in again. The condition of the road is miserable and can result in mishaps. “A huge portion of Dhandra Road caved in and repair work was carried out. Now again, it is in a poor state. Who will be responsible if somebody meets with an accident. The authorities should not adopt a callous attitude towards roads,” said Raman, a city resident. The road at Feroze Gandhi Market has developed potholes, which has led to water stagnation. The market is one of the major commercial hubs of the city but the main road leading to the area is in a deplorable state. A stock exchange and bank hub is located on the road and Couple hurt in LPG cylinder blast, woman critical Ludhiana, October 26 A LPG cylinder blast occurred at Bhagat Singh Colony here on Friday night in which a couple suffered burn injuries. The woman suffered 80 per cent burn injuries and her husband got minor injuries on his hands. After the blast, panic spread among the people of the area. The couple, who hails from Bihar, got married three months ago. They had come to Ludhiana about a week ago. People took the injured couple to the Civil Hospital from where the woman was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. Mohan, the woman’s husband, said he was present in his room with his wife Kriti where she was cooking food. The gas pipe caught fire. Before they could extinguish the fire, the cylinder exploded. A fire broke out in their room due to the explosion. The woman suffered critical burn injuries. He brought his wife from their village to Ludhiana for the first time a week ago. Kriti had been referred to the PGI by the Civil Hospital due to her serious condition. Notably, a LPG cylinder had also exploded on the night of October 15 in Giaspura in which a woman had died during treatment at the PGI, Chandigarh. — TNS The Feroze Gandhi Market has developed potholes. A road in a dilapidated state in Kartar Avenue. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN SITUATION WORSENS IN RAINY DAYS The condition of the roads turns worse during the rainy season as potholes develop after rainfall, which makes it difficult for motorists, especially twowheeler riders, to commute. The Municipal Corporation initiates repair works after the monsoon season but the road layer starts coming off soon. numerous vehicles pass through the stretch throughout the day. Shveta, who came to visit a bank in the market, said the condition of roads around Feroze Gandhi Market was pathetic. “All major banks are located here and customers in large numbers visit the place every day. The roads should be in a good condition as the stock exchange is also located in the market,” she said. A road in a poor condition in Haibowal Kalan. NO OPTIMUM USE OF MACHINES A recarpeted portion of Dhandra Road has caved in again. One brief spell of rainfall results in clogging of drains of the market, which is located in the heart of the city. The market area is located near the Mini-Secretariat and district courts. The poor condition of roads in some parts of Chandar Nagar and Haibowal after the monsoon season has also been inconveniencing commuters. “It is the same story every year. Roads are broken after the rainy season and the MC carries out the repair works and again the next year, these get damaged. The roads should be built in such a way that they do not wear out for at least five years,” said Jatinder, a resident of Haibowal. Roads in Kartar Avenue are also in a bad condition. “The situation is bad and it really becomes difficult to commute on roads at night as one fails to navigate potholes,” said a resident of Kartar Nagar. The civic body had invested ~3.86 crore and procured two pothole-patching machines that use an infra-red recycling technology to fix potholes but due to the time-consuming procedure, the machines were not used frequently. “Ludhiana has received moderate rainfall this year and it has exposed the work of the Municipal Corporation. One rain and the road washes away,” said Rohit Aggarwal, a resident of Haibowal Kalan. MC Additional Commissioner Paramdeep Singh said many new projects for the recarpeting and repair works of roads were being carried out after the end of the rainy season. “Dhandra Road is located outside the MC limits and the work at Feroze Gandhi Market will start in a few days,” he said. Ludhiana East MLA Daljeet Singh Grewal said works had already started and recarpeting and new construction of roads had started on a large scale. “Pothole-patching machines are also being used and these will deliver best results. Road repairing works are going on in full swing these days,” he said. Eight rob Jalandhar man of ~7L, friend oflicensed weapon; one arrested Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 26 Eight car-borne persons robbed a Jalandhar-based man of Rs 7 lakh and snatched a licenced weapon of his friend on the Shivpuri bridge here on Friday night. The suspects also beaten up the victim. The Daresi police have registered a case against Naanu, a resident of Dharampura, Ishaant Chatwal of Subhani Building, Daman Khurana, a resident of Division Number 2, Mayank Khana of Hargobind Nagar and four unidentified persons. Later, Mayank was nabbed by the police. The complainant, Ajay Kumar, a resident of Central Town, Jalandhar, said on the night of October 25, he, along with his driver Raj Kumar and friends, was going towards Jalandhar in his Toyota Fortuner. When they reached the Shivpuri Bridge, the suspects came in a Hyundai Creta vehicle (bearing registration number PB91E4040) and stopped them, he said. They snatched a licenced weapon from his friend Kanishk Gupta and afterwards, took away a bag containing Rs 3 lakh from Ajay. The complainant said the suspects had held them captive and demanded Rs 15 lakh to free them, else threatened them of dire consequences. He called his friend Harmeet Singh, who brought Rs 4 lakh, and gave the same to one of the suspects, Mayank. The complainant said the suspects fled the scene after taking the cash and the licensed weapon. They also threatened them of dire consequences if they inform the police about the loot. Investigating officer ASI Sukhwinder Singh said after registering a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act, the police arrested a suspect, Mayank, and a raid was being conducted to nab his accomplices. Video of youngster taking drugs goes viral Ludhiana, October 26 After a video of the youth taking drugs went viral on social media, the Moti Nagar police on Friday registered a case against the unidentified person and launched further investigation to identify him. A case under the NDPS Act was registered by the police. Investigating officer ASI Jagtar Singh said on October 25 when he was present at the police station, he saw a video on social media in which a youth sitting in a vacant plot at Baba Deep Singh Nagar, Sherpur Kalan, was injecting drug into his body. Taking the matter seriously, he filed a case against the suspect. Police sources said the police also questioned some area residents to inquire about the youth. Even the person who circulated the video on social media was also being identified by the police to get any clue about the drug addict. — TNS Man booked for bid 203 confirmed, 534 suspected dengue cases to sodomise minor Malaria also on rise, 28 test positive for swine flu, chikungunya too makes comeback Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 26 The Samrala police registered a case against the servant of a farmer who allegedly made an attempt to sodomise a child, a student of Class III, in Samrala. The suspect took two children to the fields where he threatened one of them and sent him home and later, tried to sodomise the other child. When the victim freed himself and tried to run away, the suspect beaten him up badly. As the child’s nose started bleeding, the suspect threw him in the fields and fled the scene. On the complaint of the victim’s uncle, the Samrala police have registered a case against the man, identified as Mohammad Tafeel (19), a resident of Lalpur Sarapatti (Bihar). According to the complainant, on October 21 around 3 pm, his nephew went to a shop on a bicycle with his friend. A farmer, Satveer Singh, came there on a tractor-trailer. His servant Mohammed Tafeel was sitting in the vehicle. He Tafeel made his nephew and friend sit in the vehicle. He also kept their bicycles in it. Satveer went to his home with the tractor-trailer. From there, Tafeel took the children to the motor room in the fields. Around 6 pm Tafeel threatened his nephew’s friend and sent him home with the bicycle. Later, he started doing obscene acts by removing his nephew’s clothes. The complainant said when the suspect tried to sodomise his nephew, the victim tried to escape. The suspect caught hold of his nephew and started beating him. He punched him in the eyes and nose. The child’s nose started bleeding. Afterwards, the man threw his nephew in the fields and fled while threatening him. A person from the village dropped his nephew at home on his bike. After coming home, the child narrated the incident. SHO, Samrala police station, inspector Davinderpal Singh, said the police took immediate action in the case and registered a case against the Tafeel. A raid was being conducted to nab the suspect. ties till September 30. He said adequate arrangements had been made at all government institutions to test and treat the dengue, malaria, swine flu, chikungunya and other viral patients with a special ward reserved for dengue patients at the Civil Hospital here. Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 26 The dreaded dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease occurring in tropical and subtropical areas, is spreading its tentacles fast as 203 confirmed and 534 suspected cases of this vector-borne disease have been reported in the district this season so far, the official figures have revealed. While the cases of malaria, a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans, are also on the rise, another 28 persons have so far tested positive for H1N1 influenza, commonly known as swine flu, here. Another viral disease chikungunya, which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, has also made a comeback with one positive case reported in Ludhiana so far, the Health Department has confirmed. However, no death due to dengue, swine flu or any other disease has yet been confirmed in the district. This year’s dengue figures were almost one-third of the 660 confirmed dengue cases c m y b Urban-rural divide Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN reported here during the corresponding period last year. Besides, eight persons had died due to dengue in the district last year. Though 21 confirmed cases of malaria this year so far were more than 18 malaria patients reported during the corresponding period last year, the single case of chikungunya was less than two such cases detected in the district last year. Taking cognisance of the situation, Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal has directed district officials of all departments concerned — Health, Public Health, and Municipal Corporation — to take effective steps to check the further spread of these vector-borne diseases in the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population. Civil Surgeon Pardeep Kumar Mohindra told The Tribune on Saturday that a massive test, trace, and treat campaign was being undertaken by the Health Department to check the spread of dengue and malaria cases in the district. He said 16 fresh cases of dengue were confirmed in the district on Saturday, which took the tally to 203, including 120 from urban and 83 from rural areas. Besides, 534 suspected dengue cases, including 369 from urban and 164 from rural areas, have been reported till date. Dr Mohindra said as many as 1,036 samples had so far been tested for dengue while 29,21,510 houses and 53,12,417 containers had been inspected to check the dengue mosquito larvae. Following the detection of dengue larvae in 3,779 houses and 4,227 containers, as many as 1,501 challans had been issued against the violators. Besides, 2,93,962 peripheral smears for malaria parasite tests had been done at government facili- The urban areas were much more prone to dengue as compared to rural areas in the district. Of the total 203 confirmed patients of dengue reported till Saturday, 120 were from urban areas while villages have reported 83 dengue cases. As many as 534 suspected dengue patients included 369 from urban and 164 from rural areas. All-out efforts on: DC “I have reviewed the situation arising out of dengue, malaria and other vectorborne diseases in the district and have directed the departments concerned to join hands for undertaking a joint concerted campaign to contain the further spread of such cases in the district,” said Jitendra Jorwal, DC