20112024-CT-01.qxd 11/20/2024 12:52 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune 3,410 RUPNAGAR PANCHES ADMINISTERED OATH MAN, GIRL FOUND DEAD IN MOHALI HOUSE CHD LITERARY SOCIETY TO ORGANISE LITERATI 2024 Minister Harjot Singh Bains administers oath to panches at the Police Lines ground. P2 The bodies of a 30-year-old man and a 23-year-old girl found in a rented accommodation in Phase 1. P2 Literati 2024 to be conducted at the Chandigarh Lake Club from November 22 to 24. P4 » » FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE UT EMPLOYEES HOUSING SCHEME Admn challenges HC order in apex court WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service INBRIEF Students of Panjab University perform Kinnauri dance during a cultural function on Tuesday. PRADEEP TEWARI 3 yrs on, leopard spotted at Sukhna sanctuary Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 19 After more than three years, a fully grown leopard was spotted in the Kansal area of the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. The leopard was captured by a camera trap in the Kansal area of the sanctuary on November 17, said Navneet Kumar Srivastava, Deputy Conservator of Forests and Wildlife, UT. “The presence of a big cat indicates the effective management and healthy habitat for wildlife in the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary,” he added. In April 2021, a leopard was spotted near a water body in the Kansal forests. The trap had been laid by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, as part of the wildlife census carried out by the UT Forest Department. In early May, 2021, leopard pugmarks were spotted at the sanctuary during the second wildlife census. In March 2020, a leopard had strayed into Sector 5 during the lockdown. It was caught and released in the TWO ARRESTED WITH HEROIN Chandigarh: Jewellery and cash have been stolen from a house in Sector 43. The complainant reported that Rs 90,000 in cash and jewellery were stolen from his house on Sunday night. A case has been registered at the Sector 36 police station. TNS TAPS STOLEN FROM SCHOOL Chandigarh:Taps, pipes and other bath fittings were stolen from the Police Public School, Sector 48 on Sunday evening. A case has been registered at the Sector 49 police station on a complainant filed by ASI Manjeet Singh. TNS MC slaps notice on contractor Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 19 Taking strict note of the delay in disbursal of salaries of outsourced employees, Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar today issued a show-cause notice to a contractor supplying manpower to the civic body. The contractor has been asked to give an explanation within seven days or face blacklisting. The notice was issued to M/s Innovision Limited, a manpower contractor for non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract. He was supposed to release advance salary for Diwali to outsourced workers. sanctuary at Morni Hills in Panchkula. In January, 2022, the jungle cat and barking deer were spotted for the first time in the sanctuary. Spread over an area of 2,600 hectares in the UT, the sanctuary has a large number of waterholes, grazing grounds and good plantation, which provide an ideal habitat for wildlife in the sanctuary. The Department of Forests and Wildlife, UT, carried out a wildlife survey of the sanctuary from May 5 to 9, 2021, Continued on page 2 Leopard spotted in Kansal area of the sanctuary. Chandigarh, November 19 The UT Administration has finally filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court wherein the UT Administration and the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) were directed to start the construction of flats under the self-financing housing scheme for government employees and complete the process within a year. On May 30, the High Court had directed the UT Administration to construct the flats within a year at the 2008 rates. The order stated that the construction cost would be borne by the employees at the current rates, which are approximately ?50 lakh for a threebedroom flat, ?40 lakh for a two-bedroom flat, ?35 lakh for a one-bedroom flat, and ?15 lakh for an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) unit. The CHB had floated the Self-Financing Employee Housing Scheme for UT employees in 2008. The draw of lots was held on November 4, 2010, and over 3,950 employees were successful. But nothing was done by the CHB and even acceptance-cum-demand letters were not issued to the successful applicants. The Administration submitted that providing flats Admn was asked to construct the flats within a year at the 2008 rates REVISED RATES The initial rates presented in 2008 were considerably lower than the revised rates, with the CHB quoting ~2.08 crore for a three-bedroom flat, ~1.85 crore for a two-bedroom one, ~99 lakh for a one-bedroom unit and ~68 lakh for a one-room flat for group ‘D’ employees. In contrast, the launch rates in 2008 were ~34.70 lakh, ~24.30 lakh, ~13.53 lakh and ~5.75 lakh respectively. at the 2008 brochure rates would lead to a financial loss of nearly ?2,000 crore. Also, the piece of land in Sectors 52, 53, and 56 on which the flats were to be constructed belonged to the Chandigarh Administration and was yet to be allotted to the CHB. The CHB had floated the scheme, thinking that the land would be allocated. The petition also mentioned that the CHB had only collected registration fee from the applicants. The employees union had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in July this year. A Haryana minister gets stuck in BJP office lift Chandigarh: Two persons have been arrested with 19 grams of heroin. Kuldeep (37), a resident of Parch village, Mohali, and former UT cop; and Kulwinder Singh (25) of Khuda Lahora were arrested near the IRB Complex, Sarangpur, with the drug. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered. TNS HOUSE BURGLED IN SECTOR 43 A police official interacts with senior officials of Panjab University at Boys Hostel Number 7. PRADEEP TEWARI Youth found dead at PU hostel Chandigarh, November 19 A 24-year-old youth was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Boys Hostel No 7 of Panjab University. The police suspect it to be a drug overdose case. The victim, who hailed from Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, had come to meet a friend who resides in the hostel on Monday. He was found unconscious today and rushed to the Government Multi-Specialty Cops suspect drug overdose Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, by his friends. The doctors declared him dead on arrival. The police were informed about the incident. “The victim’s friend, a second-year student of the University Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management, who resides in Continued on page 2 Panchkula, November 19 Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana and trapped in a lift at the party office, Panchkamal, here today. He, along with other leaders, who had come to attend a meeting at the party office, were rescued after about 15 minutes. The BJP had organised a meeting of its leaders who recently contested the Haryana Assembly elections. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also attended the meeting. Rana and others boarded the lift from the ground floor to reach the top floor. They got stuck as the lift malfunctioned. They were provided with water to keep them hydrated in the lift. Later in the evening, the Chief Minister, along with the MLAs, also went to the nearest Mall to watch the newly released movie, “The Sabarmati Report”. — TNS CM Nayab Singh Saini comes out of a cinema hall after watching The Sabarmati Report at IT Park. VICKY Sheetal EFFECTS OF ‘POOR’ AQI Tribune News Service ■ Inflammation and oxidative stress ■ Reduced lung function and capacity ■ Increased risk of respiratory diseases ■ Increases risk of cardiovascular ailment and stroke ■ Premature mortality COMPARATIVE RISKS ■ AQI 201-300: Smoking 10-20 cigarettes/day ■ AQI 301-400: Smoking 20-30 cigarettes/day ■ AQI 401-500: Smoking 30-40 cigarettes/day (As told by Dr Robin Gupta from Paras Health, Panchkula) centrations of >250 μg/m3 might roughly have the same health hazards as smoking >10 cigarettes that whole day.” Dr Ravindra Khaiwal, Professor of Environmental Health, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGI, termed equating AQI with smoking tobacco as misleading. He said, “Many online platforms and media outlets compare AQI to cigarette smoking. However, this comparison should be based on PM2.5 levels, not AQI. A c m y b caveat serves as a precautionary notice, requesting the court not to issue any order or grant relief without first notifying the party that filed it. Under the scheme, 336 three-bedroom flats, 888 twobedroom, 564 one-bedroom and 320 one-room units were to be built on a chunk of land measuring 61.5 acres. Around 3,930 flats have to be constructed in Sectors 52 and 56. Later, the scheme was shelved. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed the Administration to transfer the land to the CHB with the current collector rates. This had enhanced the cost of the flats manifold. The initial rates presented in 2008 were considerably lower than the revised rates, with the CHB quoting Rs 2.08 crore for a three-bedroom flat, Rs 1.85 crore for a twobedroom one, Rs 99 lakh for a one-bedroom unit and Rs 68 lakh for a one-room flat for group ‘D’ employees. In contrast, the launch rates in 2008 were Rs 34.70 lakh, Rs 24.30 lakh, Rs 13.53 lakh and Rs 5.75 lakh respectively. The employees had deposited Rs 57 crore as earnest money with the CHB. A total of 957 applicants challenged the CHB decision to increase the land price from Rs 7,920 per sq yd to Rs 74,131 per sq yd in 2013. Panel finds coaching classes at school illegal Tribune News Service Docs differ on drawing parallel between poor AQI, smoking Chandigarh, November 19 The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the City Beautiful, which touched 425 last Thursday, worst ever for the city and higher than New Delhi (423), moderated to “poor” (203) today. Fresh memes on AQI have flooded the social media with one of them suggesting “smoking in Bangalore is healthier than doing yoga in Delhi’. Prof Ashutosh N Aggarwal, Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, PGI, said, “There is no simple formula to draw an equivalence between air quality and smoking tobacco. However, full day exposure to an AQI greater than 400 (categorised as ‘severe’) with PM2.5 (particulate matter) con- MAX 24°C | MIN 12°C YESTERDAY MAX 27°C | MIN 11.2°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:52 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD In sync National Silk & Wool Expo: Himachal Bhawan, Sector 28; on till November 20 Naturally: An art exhibition by 13 artists; 105 Arts, Sector 11; on till November 22 TFT Winter National Theatre Festival: Play “Kanak Di Balli”, directed by Gurpreet Singh Bains to be staged, mini auditorium, Tagore Theatre, 6:30 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 and 52 Panchkula: Sector 25 Mohali: Phase11 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.25 PM » WEDNESDAY | 20 NOVEMBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST PM2.5 concentration of 22.5 μg/m³ is roughly equivalent to smoking one cigarette. That said, it is incorrect to compare air pollutants with cigarette smoking because it can create a false perception that smoking is less harmful. Smoking a sin- gle cigarette exposes a person to over 70 known harmful chemicals/carcinogens at once. While raising awareness about the dangers of high levels of air pollution, using AQI and PM2.5 calculators is important, equating it with smoking risks normalising tobacco use can be counterproductive.” Not all doctors hold the same opinion. Contrary to the PGI doctors, Dr Robin Gupta, consultant pulmonology, Paras Health, Panchkula, confirmed that exposure to “poor” air quality is akin to smoking cigarettes, posing significant risks to lung health. He said, “The AQI levels above 100 can cause irreversible damage. AQI between 101 and 200 is comparable to smoking 4-10 cigarettes per day. It goes up to 10-20 cigarettes per day for 201300 level and around 20 cigarettes per day for 300 level.” Common harmful pollutants in AQI >100 are particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO). Chandigarh, November 19 Taking suo motu cognisance of a complaint, the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) conducted an inspection of Stepping Stones School, Sector 37, today. During the inspection, it was found that coaching classes of FITJEE were being conducted in the school premises for non-medical students of classes 11th and 12th during the school hours without appropriate authorisation. The commission observed several violations of the Affiliation Bylaws, 2018, of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). These violations raise serious concerns regarding the proper functioning and adherence to CBSE guidelines by the institution. The school has violated the conditions of the affiliation bylaws. During inspection, it also came to the notice of the commission that some students, who were not officially enrolled with the school, were studying in class taken by faculty members of FIITJEE on its premises. This practice is highly irregular and appears to be in contravention of CBSE guidelines. Commission members levelled allegations of misbehaviour against the school management and said they were manhandled. The members reported the matter at Helpline 112. A PCR team visited the school. The commission has written to the CBSE, Secretary Education, Chandigarh Administration, as well as the Senior Superintendent of Police for taking necessary action against the school.