29122024-CT-01.qxd 12/29/2024 12:09 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune TAVISH, SHATAKSHIKA WIN CLTA-AITA MEET TITLES AKUL, ANURAG SHINE WITH 230-RUN PARTNERSHIP MALLICK BROTHERS PERFORM IN JALANDHAR Haryana’s Tavish, Shatakshika of Uttar Pradesh win trophies for boys and girls respectively. P5 Chandigarh gain commanding position against Himachal Pradesh at Vijay Merchant Trophy. P5 Prashant and Nishant speak about their roots, journey and intricacies of Dhrupad tradition. P6 » » WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Hemant Utsav: By Pracheen Kala Kendra, from December 27 to 29, 6 pm, ML Koser Indoor Auditorium, Sector 35-B. Rang Parampara 2024: Seven-day theatre festival, Mini Auditorium, Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, from December 25, 6:30 pm Heritage Week Celebration: Opinder Kaur Sekhon showcases her exquisite collection of antiques, on till December 30, House No. 38, Sector 2, 11 am to 1 pm, and 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm Book Launch: ‘The Time Capsule’ by Lehnaaz Rana and Noor Dhillon, December 29, 3 pm, Bahrisons Book Café, Sector 8-C APNI MANDI Chandigarh: 34, 37 and Dadu Majra Mohali: Dasehra Ground, Sector 62 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com MAX 19°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 15.1°C | MIN 12.1°C SUNRISE MONDAY 7.18 AM /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Diljit show organisers face ~15L penalty for noise norm violation Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 28 The UT Administration is gearing up to impose a maximum of penalty on the organisers of the Diljit Dosanjh show for the violation of noise-level restrictions. The concert was held at the Exhibition Ground in Sector 34 on December 14. The noise level during the concert exceeded the 75decibel limit mandated by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It ranged between 76.1 and 93.1 decibels at three locations. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of the area has submitted a detailed report to the Environment Department, which has forwarded its recommendations under the Environment Protection Act to the Administration. According to officials, a notice will soon be issued to the organisers to seek their response before a final decision is made. They emphasised that giving the organisers a hearing is mandatory under the Act. The Administration is likely to recommend a maximum penalty of Rs 15 lakh for this violation. The High Court had issued Noise level during the show exceeded 75-decibel limit. FILE RULE ALSO FLOUTED AT AP DHILLON CONCERT The Administration will also initiate action against the organisers of the AP Dhillon concert for a similar violation during the show in Sector 25 on December 21. An official said for a maximum time, the noise level remained 80 decibels and reached 85 decibels for a short period. strict instructions ahead of the shows, capping noise levels at 75 decibels. Despite the restrictions, noise level at both events of Diljit Dosanjh and AP Dhillon exceeded the permissible limits. In an affidavit submitted before a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the UT Administration had stated that the noise levels exceeded the permissible limits during the Diljit Dosanjh concert on December 14. Action under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Noise Pollution Rules had been proposed. To prevent similar issues in the future, it has formed a committee, led by the Deputy Commissioner, to draft a standard operating procedure (SOP) for large gatherings. The SOP will address noise monitoring, traffic management and minimising inconvenience to residents, said the Administration. The authorities will also initiate action against the organisers of the AP Dhillon concert for a similar violation during the show in Sector 25 on December 21. An official said for a maximum time, the noise level remained 80 decibels and reached 85 decibels for a short period. Following complaints from residents and traders in and around Sector 34 about severe traffic congestion, noise pollution and loss to businesses during the Karan Aujla and Diljit Dosanjh concerts, the UT Administration shifted the venue for the AP Dhillon event from Sector 34 to the Rally Ground in Sector 25. It is unlikely to allow any huge gathering in Sector 34 in the future. Fire breaks out at Max Hospital Tribune News Service Mohali, December 28 Panic gripped people when a fire broke out on the first floor of the Max Hospital in Phase 6 this evening. Smoke engulfed several rooms of the building and windows began to cracking soon after the fire. Onlookers said the fire broke out in the duct of the first floor and spread to a portion of the nearby area around 8:01 pm. Three fire Patients shifted to another part of the building engines were rushed to the spot. It took around 2 hours to bring the situation under control. As smoke had filled the entire floor, a few glass windows had to be broken to ventilate the area. Firemen said the situation was brought under control immediately but since it was a hospital, there were many considerations. “It was scary as black smoke billowed out of the building. Visitors came out safely and the floor was evacuated well in time,” said Rashmi Bhardwaj, a visitor to the hospital. Fire officials said the exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. Senior officials of the hospitals reached the spot and oversaw the rescue operations. “A minor fire broke out on the 1st floor at the Max Hospital, Mohali, earlier in the evening today. The fire service and the hospital’s firefighting systems were able to bring the fire under control immediately. As a precautionary measure, some patients had to be shifted to another part of the hospital. No one has sustained any injuries in this incident. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained,” said a spokesperson for the hospital. Jhuriwala keeps Panchkula down in the dumps government department had sanctioned permission to issue new tenders to complete the project. Meanwhile, the MC continues to operate from three separate locations — Sectors 4, 12A, and 14 — at the cost of administrative efficiency. Adding to the political drama, elections to the posts of Deputy Mayor and Senior Deputy Mayor were unexpectedly deferred in November after the Returning Officer took ill, triggering allegations of foul play from the Congress. Akashdeep Virk Tribune News Service Panchkula, December 28 The district witnessed an eventful year, anchored by dramatic political stories unfolding and the local population reeling under persisting local challenges and a series of unsettling crimes. The unexpected defeat of long-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Gian Chand Gupta in the Haryana assembly poll was one of the big upset stories of the election season. Chander Mohan Bishnoi of the Congress, who had held the seat for multiple terms in the past, made a surprise comeback into the winners’ circle. His victory signalled at an end to BJP’s dominance in Panchkula and the public’s growing dissatisfaction with local governance, particularly issues such as infrastructure, unemployment and stagnation in development. The Congress leader’s campaign, centre around “change”, meanwhile, resonated with the fatigued voters. Meanwhile, in the neighboring Kalka constituency, the BJP captured a win, with Shakti Rani Sharma securing a decisive win over the incumbent Congress MLA. The split in outcomes under- MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET SUNDAY 5.31 PM » SUNDAY | 29 DECEMBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Vehicles dump garbage at the Jhuriwala dumping ground in Panchkula. FILE PHOTO A year of violent incidents scores the complexity of Haryana’s electoral politics, where local issues, candidate appeal and party strategies often determine the outcome. Dump a burning issue Despite numerous promises from local authorities and heightened media attention, the Jhuriwala Dumping Ground continues to be a point of major contention. Residents from Sectors 23-28, 31, and the Sangram Jhuriwala Dumping Ground Committee have led multiple protests throughout the year, demanding action to address severe environmental concerns. Local candidates had in the lead-up to the assembly polls been invited to discuss the issue, but Gian Chand Gupta and INLD’s Kshitij Chaudhary failed to attend, leading to protests from residents who vowed not to vote for them in retaliation. The Municipal Corporation (MC) had announced plans to build a material recovery facility (MRF) on a 3.5-acre plot in Alipur village, situated 18 km from the city. The move was met with resist- ance from Congress councillors, who argued that the new facility should be located farther away from residential areas. Locals, already plagued by issues related to nearby poultry farms, also voiced concerns that the new dumping ground would exacerbate their problems. A tale of delays Significant delays were also witnessed in the construction of the MC building. Originally scheduled to be completed by April 2021, the Rs 29.49 crore project faced delays after a dispute between the corporation and the contractor, which led to a subletting issue. By December, the local c m y b The triple murder on December 23, that saw Vinit Gahlot, a man facing five cases of murder, dacoity and Arms Act in Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh and Panchkula, being shot dead with two others outside a resort on Morni Road was one of many shocking crimes that rocked Panchkula this year. Days have gone by but the police are yet to arrest the perpetrators. On a more positive note, justice was served in the 2017 murder of Varinder from Saketri village. After a lengthy trial, the Sessions Court of Ved Parkash Sirohi convicted seven individuals for their involvement in the Continued on page 5 Visitors at Sector 17 plaza in Chandigarh on Saturday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY Dense fog likely for 3 days Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 28 Dense to very dense fog is likely over the city during the next three days, said the Meteorological Department. The city has received 34.1 mm rainfall in the past two days. Apart from light rain in the morning, the weather remained cloudy throughout the day. The department said the weather conditions caused by Western Disturbance were most likely to abate during Brace for cold wave conditions from today the next 12 hours and thereafter, there will be mainly dry weather over the next five days. Dense to very dense fog has been predicted on December 29 and 30, and dense fog on December 31. The weather will be partly cloudy on January 1 and 2. The cold wave conditions are likely to prevail from December 29 to January 3 in Golf Club may pick president unanimously Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 28 Voting for the Chandigarh Golf Club (CGC) election is unlikely to happen as Ravibir Singh Grewal, the present president of the club, is likely to be picked unanimously for another term, said sources. The club released its annual election schedule recently. The new 11-member executive committee is likely to have some new faces. As per the practice, the elected president picks the 11-member committee in case of no voting. Recently, the CGC had announced that the elections would be held on January 25 and the results declared the next day. “The winning margin was 401 votes last year. Considering this huge victory, no one is willing to contest the election this time. The club members are already aware of this, and now the hustle is all about picking the 11member executive. Everyone has started lobbying for the same. However, the voting is surely not going to happen and Ravibir will continue for another term,” said the sources. The development has been confirmed by many members of the club. If a unanimous election happens, it will be for the second time that Grewal will be chosen for the top post this way. In 2021, he was chosen president unanimously. In 2019, Sandeep Singh Sandhu was unanimously elected for one term. Owing to the Covid pandemic, he continued on the same post for 2020. The CGC has 1,800 registered members. As per the election notification, the filing of nominations will start on January 3 (10 am) and con- EXECUTIVE BODY TO HAVE NEW FACES ■ New 11-member executive is likely to have some new faces. As per the practice, the elected president picks the 11-member committee in case of no voting. ■ Recently, the CGC had announced that the elections would be held on January 25 and the results declared the next day. tinue till January 9 (5 pm). The scrutiny will be held on January 10 (5 pm), followed by withdrawal of nominations by January 11 (5 pm). In the last election, threetime president Grewal defeated four-time former chief of the club Birinder Singh Gill by a margin of 401 votes. The election witnessed a record voter turnout. Of a total of 1,800 registered voters, 1,183 members cast their vote, the highest polling in the past five years. Grewal polled 790 votes and Gill bagged 389. Four votes were declared invalid. In the 2023 election, Lt Col HS Chahal (retd), popularly known as Bobby Chahal, was re-elected as CGC president for the second term. He defeated Major Rajinder Singh Virk (retd) by 29 votes. Chahal had secured 591 votes, while Virk polled 562 votes. Three votes were declared invalid. the city. A fall of 3-5 degrees in the minimum temperature is expected in next 48 hours. According to the department, the maximum temperature in the city was recorded at 15.1° Celsius, which was 4.7 degrees below normal. The average maximum temperature dropped by 0.8 degree today. The minimum temperature was 12.1° Celsius, which was 5.4 degrees above normal. Also, the average minimum temperature rose by 2.7 degrees in the past 24 hours. Thieves decamp with ~50K from two temples Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 28 Thieves continue to target temples in the city. In the latest incident, Rs 50.000 was stolen from two temples in Ram Darbar on the night of December 26. A total of five temple thefts have been reported this month. In a complaint lodged with the police, Pawan Tiwari said thieves broke into the “Shiv Mandir” around 2:50 am on the night of December 26. They also scaled the wall of an adjoining temple and stole about Rs 50,000 from five donation boxes of the two temples within 30 minutes. The incident was captured on the CCTV cameras installed at the temple. The police have registered a case at the Sector 31 police station and started an investigation. A similar theft was reported at a temple in Sector 46 on December 13, followed by another at Hallo Majra on December 14. Thieves also targeted a temple in Sector 38 on December 16. While investigations into these thefts are going on, the police have failed to make any arrest. A CCTV grab of a thief stealing money from a donation box at a temple in Ram Darbar, Chandigarh.