01072025-CT-01.qxd 7/1/2025 12:45 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune COMMUTERS HARASSED AMID STRIKE BY BUS STAFF UT ADMINISTRATION HIKES MC SHARE IN COW CESS LET’S CELEBRATE HEALERS THROUGH LENS OF CINEMA Commuters and road users face inconvenience as PRTC and Punbus workers strike work. P2 Administration has enhanced share of cow cess to be given to MC on sale of vehicles, power consumption. P4 On National Doctors’ Day, India takes a pause to thank the docs who keep the country going. P6 » » GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 30.7°C | MIN 24.1°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.28 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:25 AM » TUESDAY | 1 JULY 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE At 213 mm, city gets highest June rain in decade, 37% above normal 70.7mm fresh spell hits normal life, heaviest in region for second day in a row Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 30 Before the miseries caused by previous night’s 119.5mm downpour could be healed, the city was lashed by another spell of 70.7mm rain coupled with thunderstorm and lightning till 8:30 am on Monday. The weathermen confirmed that it was the heaviest in Punjab and Haryana for the second day in a row. With this, Chandigarh received 213mm rainfall during this month, the highest in the past decade and 37% more than the normal precipitation. The heaviest monsoon rainfall during the past 48 hours brought respite from the sweltering heat but left major parts of the tricity region comprising Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula inundated. Roads continued to cave in, trees and poles were uprooted at several locations, damaging the public property, and power and water supplies were disrupted, throwing the normal life out of gear for the second consecutive day. The ill-preparedness and indifference of the civic TRICITY MERCURY CITY Chandigarh Mohali Panchkula YELLOW ALERT FOR TODAY The IMD has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain coupled with thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Punjab may also receive rain on Wednesday. << A cave-in at the Sector 46/47 roundabout in Chandigarh on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY authorities were once again exposed with the residents continuing to fend for themselves in the waterlogged roads and streets, and cavedin road portions clogged drains and road gullies. Uprooted trees and poles fell on vehicles besides power and water supply remained suspended for hours. The residents once again experienced long power out- ages besides voltage fluctuations and frequent tripping in major parts of the tricity. Electricity officials attributed the major disruption to breakdown due to rain and thunderstorm. Sharing the monthly data, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Chandigarh received 213mm of rainfall between June 1 and 30, which was 37% more than the normal rainfall of 155.5mm. The previous highest rainfall of 251.5mm in Chandigarh during the month of June was recorded in 2013. The year-wise data for June showed that the city got 43.7mm rain in 2014, 63.9mm in 2015, 133.6mm in 2016, 103.1mm in 2017, 142.9mm in 2018, 24.8mm in 2019, 131.1mm in 2020, 119.4mm in 2021, 60.9mm in 2022, Sukhna water Rain wreaks havoc on city roads level 4.5 ft short Cave-ins reported at various places, close shave for biker of danger mark Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 30 The water level of the picturesque Sukhna Lake increased to 1,158.5 feet following rain today. It is just 4.5 feet away from the danger mark of 1,163 ft. The water level in the lake increased by nearly a foot since yesterday. The UT Engineering Department has now started a 24x7 control room and installed CCTV cameras to monitor the water level of the lake. An official said if the water level crossed the danger mark, the floodgates of the lake would be opened to release the excess water into Sukhna Choe. Due to evaporation amid intense heat, the Continued on page 2 WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29 and 56, and Dhanas Panchkula: Sector 15 Mohali: Sectors 68 and 71 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 8 am to 10 am: Parts of Indra Colony, Shubhash Nagar, Bank Colony, Bhagwanpura village, Kishangarh, 220 KV Kishangarh, IT Park and Water Works -3 of Manimajra MAX MIN 30.7°C 24.1°C 30.6°C 24.3°C 31°C 24.7°C Toddler, mother die as LPG cylinder explodes in Mohali Tribune News Service Mohali, June 30 A nine-month-old toddler and her mother died while two others were injured in a fire at the Industrial Area here on Monday. The incident took place after a portable LPG cylinder exploded in the pantry cabin of a tool-making unit in Phase 5, near Shahimajra, around 9.30 am. The toddler, Dhimanshi, was lying on a bed in the pantry while her mother Babita, a helper, was making tea for the employees. The owner of the unit, Varinder Kumar, too sustained injuries in the incident. Another injured employee, Sandeep, is being treated at the Phase 6 Civil Hospital. The fire engulfed the entire building soon after the explosion, resulting in panic in the area. “After the fire officials and the police doused the flames, Babita was found injured. The toddler’s charred body was found only after the blaze was extinguished completely. Ruckus in civic body House over ‘scam’ in free booking of community centres Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service A bike being taken out of the pit formed by a cave-in on Monday. many roundabouts. The Municipal Corporation received 15 complaints of broken branches of trees impeding traffic movement. Roads were damaged at vari- ous areas posing threat to lives of commuters. Many of these roads have not been recarpeted for years and have become prone to mishaps as rain further eroded them. Chandigarh, june 30 The MC General House meeting today witnessed uproar during a discussion on the agenda of the proposed hike in booking rates of community centres. AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra made a personal comment on Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla which ruffled BJP councillors who sought an apology from him. During the meeting, Dhingra alleged that no action was taken in the alleged scam of free booking of community centres except for the transfer of some employees. However, MC Commissioner Amit Kumar refuted the allegation and stated that the local government has already sent a letter to the Vigilance Department for an inquiry into it. As Dhingra demanded an inquiry by the CBI or any other agency, Kumar said no parallel inquiry into the allegation could be conducted. Councillors hold a protest over the issue during an MC House meeting in Chandigarh on Monday. Dhingra also demanded that the transferred employees should be suspended. As per rules, councillors can recommend booking of the community centres free of cost for wedding of girls belonging to BPL families. AAP councillors had alleged a scam of over Rs 100 crores in the name of free bookings and demanded an inquiry into it. They alleged the free bookings were done by MC employees, who conspired with middlemen for those who were not eligible for such benefit. The MC today Urban estate project hits roadblock as farmers say no to land pooling Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, June 30 The Punjab Government’s land pooling scheme hit a roadblock as several landowners and farmers from Siaun, Kurdi, Patton, Kishanpura and Naraingarh villages have decided against giving their land to Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA). The development authority had invited farmers and landowners from seven villages to offer their land under the land pooling policy for Aerotropolis Phase-2 near Aerocity and IT City. The Another cylinder used for welding purposes was also inside the building,” said Sub Fire Officer Suresh Kumar. The police said the toddler was found charred in the corner of a makeshift pantry cabin in the unit where a bed and stove with some household items were kept. Officials also found loose electricity cables in the unit. The victims were rushed to the hospital but Babita died during treatment at the PGIMER. Varinder’s condition was stated to be critical. AAP councillors seek CBI probe; already written to Vigilance Dept, says official Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 30 Rain disrupted normal life in the city for the third consecutive day on Monday. Roads caved in at some places while rainwater accumulated in market parking lots and entered several houses, causing inconvenience to people. Incessant rain caused cave-ins at the Sector 45 /46 roundabout, the Sector 47/48 road, Manimajra and Sector 54. A biker fell into a pit created by a cave-in on the Sector 47/48 road. Passersby informed the police. Later, fire brigade employees reached the spot and rescued the biker. The motorcycle was taken out of the pit. Rainwater entered many houses at Manimajra. Sumit Kumar, a resident of Manimajra, said the condition of roads had deteriorated at many places. The underpasses at the Sector 11/15 dividing road and the Industrial Area, Phase 1, were blocked with knee-deep rainwater. Traffic chaos was witnessed at 142.9mm in 2023 and the decade’s lowest of 11.9mm rainfall last year. Meanwhile, Chandigarh recorded the maximum temperature of 30.7°C and minimum of 24.1°C on Monday, 0.5 degree more than a day before and below normal by 4.8 and 3 degrees, respectively. The weathermen have predicted a generally and partly Continued on page 2 Firemen at the unit where the cylinder blast occurred at the Industrial Area in Mohali on Monday. authority plans to create urban estate by acquiring 3,535 acres in the area. The team led by the Land Acquisition Collector Sanjeev Kumar, GMADA patwari Parminder Singh and others had a difficult time convincing landowners as negotiations hit a dead end. The officials had called the meeting at Bari to discuss the issue with farmers and landowners from the village first, but members of panchayats and farmers of Kurdi, Patton, Siaun, Kishanpura and Naraingarh also reached the spot. Kumar was handed over a letter of disagreement by the five panchayats. They refused to give their land to the government. The document carried signatures of farmers, sarpanches, nambardars and panches. The development authority officials tried convincing landowners and heard their reservations, but could not iron out differences. Farmers said they felt cheated when GMADA last acquired land for another project. “We were given residential and commercial places of lesser importance. Families were not given plots together. Continued on page 2 c m y b Landowners and farmers after a meeting with the Land Acquisition Collector at Bari village. brought the agenda for an increase in the booking charges of community centres. However, all councillors opposed it following which the agenda was deferred. The meeting also saw another controversy when Continued on page 2 Shimla girl found dead in Zirakpur Zirakpur, June 30 A 20-year-old girl was found dead under mysterious circumstances outside a PG accommodation near Nabha Sahib Gurdwara here on Sunday night. The police suspect that the girl, Usha, a native of Sanjauli in Shimla, fell from the third floor of the PG accommodation though no note was found on her. She was wearing a band on her wrist, indicating that she had visited a club or a disco or a show. The police said she was pursuing her studies at a university in Himachal Pradesh and had recently shifted to the PG. — TNS