18072025-ATR-01.qxd 7/17/2025 11:01 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLOUDY RELEASE SALARY OF 5,178 TEACHERS: DTF TO GOVT ACTOR SALMAN KHAN READY FOR BATTLE OF GALWAN ISHAAN’S HOMEBOUND SET FOR TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL The Education Department is facing delay in releasing the full pay arrears for 5,178 teachers. P2 Superstar Salman Khan is pouring his heart and soul into his upcoming war drama Battle of Galwan. P4 Director Neeraj Ghaywan described film as a deeply personal story about friendship, dignity and survival. P4 » » » MAX 29°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 27°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7.35 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5.37 AM FRIDAY | 18 JULY 2025 | AMRITSAR City improves its Swachh ranking, lauded for managing wastewater Stubble Protection Force to be set up ahead of paddy harvesting season Admn gears up to prevent crop residue burning, officials asked to hold meetings Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar has secured the 30th rank in the category of over 10 lakh population cities, improving by two positions as compared to last year in the cleanliness survey. Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 17 Amritsar has registered a little improvement in its cleanliness ranking at the national level, securing 30th position in the latest Swachh Survekshan 202425. This marks a two-rank jump compared to last year’s position, reflecting small efforts by the MC in areas of sanitation and waste management. The Swachh Survekshan is conducted annually by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), evaluating the cleanliness standards of cities across India. Amritsar participates in the category of cities with a population exceeding 10 lakh. Over the past five Cops carry out raids, seize illegal liquor Tarn Taran, July 17 Cops from different police stations in the district conducted raids at different places on Wednesday and recovered 66,000 ml of illicit liquor and 40 litres of lahan. Two women were among six persons arrested in connection with the recovery while one of the accused absconded. Police said the Sarhali police arrested Harman Kaur, Harpreet Kaur and Partap Singh, residents of Thatha village with 29,250 ml of illicit liquor. In another case, the Patti Sadar police arrested Harpreet Singh Nikka of Toot village with 11,250 of illicit liquor while the Khalra police recovered 6,750 ml of Illicit liquor from the residence of Heera Singh of Mari Megha. The Sadar police recovered 18,750 ml of illicit liquor buried near the cremation ground in Jodhpur village. Charanjit Singh, a resident of Rasulpur Kalan, has been booked in this regard. — OC years, Amritsar’s ranking has gradually improved. In 2019-20, the city was placed at 39th rank, followed by 34th in 2020-21, and 32nd in 2021-22. However, in 2022-23, after a change in the ranking methodology that compared cities with populations above one lakh, Amritsar slipped to 142nd position out of 446 cities. With renewed focus and strategic interventions, the city regained momentum and improved its position to 30th in 2024-25. Alongside its rise in the cleanliness rankings, Amritsar has also achieved the Water+ certification. This certification is awarded to cities that successfully manage their wastewater, ensuring that no untreated water is discharged into the environment and that recycled wastewater is reused effectively. Municipal Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh attributed this achievement to regular sanitation drives, better waste disposal systems, increased public participation and the adoption of modern waste management practices. He emphasised that achieving the Water+ certification is a significant step towards sustainable urban sanitation. Dr Kiran Kumar, MC Health Officer, said efforts will continue to focus on improving sanitation infrastructure and strengthening community participation to achieve even higher rankings in future surveys. Amritsar, July 17 The Clean Air Punjab’s first air monitoring centre at Khalsa College for Women has been collecting real- time air quality data and in its recent findings, it stated that all Punjab cities, especially Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar, breached the safe limits of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the first six months of 2025. The high particulate matter in the city’s air quality might not be a new development as Amritsar has been struggling to breathe easy, with its average air ambient quality recorded between 70 to 125 last month. The rains though brought respite with AQI recorded at 62 (good). But Clean Air Punjab and the air care centre at Khalsa College for Women has been directing its efforts on pushing for sustainable disposal of stubble before the onset of winter, which is when AQI across the region touches dangerous levels. “Air Care Centre Punjab is working to improve air quality through practical, community-driven solutions. We are supporting efforts to reduce stubble burning by engaging directly with farmers, under- The stubble protection force would work to prevent fire incidents up to the level of each village. FILE standing their challenges and encouraging crop diversification as a sustainable alternative. The focus is on enabling informed decision-making and fostering long-term change. We’re also involving young people in the clean air movement—through initiatives that promote sustainable transport, environmental education and community-led solutions,” shared Sanam Sutirath Wazir, Convener, Clean Air Punjab. The teams comprising students of environment sciences from Khalsa College for Women have been visiting villages across the district to conduct workshops and share scientific methods for disposal of crop stubble. Despite Amritsar not being an industrial city, the air quality breach for PM 2.5 and PM 10 was recorded at an average of 44 μg/m and 90 μg/m, which is way above the WHO limit. While noting the seriousness of the situation, the Deputy Commissioner today convened a meeting and announced the formation of a Stubble Protection Force. Ahead of the onset of the infamous ‘stubble season’, Deputy Commissioner Sak- shi Sawhney, while holding a meeting with officials to prevent incidents of stubble burning in the upcoming paddy season, directed that a Stubble Protection Force be formed to prevent stubble fire in the district, which would work to prevent fire incidents up to the level of each village. The DC said that efforts to prevent burning of stubble during the season can be successful only if the units that use the stubble, use it properly. “Our efforts are to provide maximum places to store stubble during the upcoming paddy season. We have asked the Chief Agri- culture Officer to set up a call centre to prevent fire incidents, from where information about the machines to be provided to the farmers can be provided. Farmer awareness camps should be set up in every village and they should be made aware of the harm caused by burning stubble,” she said. The Deputy Commissioner directed all the SDMs to hold meetings with farmers at the village level and explain that due to fire, many types of diseases spread and friendly insects of the earth also get destroyed, which makes a big difference in crop yield. Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Baljinder Singh Bhullar said that 4,316 machines, including Super Seeder, Happy Seeder, Smart Seeder, Mulcher, Baler and reversing solutions have been provided to the farmers and more machines will be provided. He said that two Super Seeder and 17 Zero-Till Drill machines have also been provided to the small and marginal farmers at the block level. The Agriculture Officer said that 187 farmer awareness camps will be set up in the district where farmers will be made aware about the losses caused by stubble fire. Dysfunctional for over a year, water ATMs Free Wi-Fi facility restored at start functioning at Heritage Street again city airport on public demand Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 17 The Amritsar Municipal Corporation has finally restored the long-defunct water ATMs installed along the Heritage Street leading to the Golden Temple. These machines, set up under the Smart City project, had been lying non-functional for over a year, causing inconvenience to visitors. As of now, seven water ATMs have been made operational, while the work of reviving three more is in progress. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, who has been actively monitoring the Heritage Stage regularly, stated that the repair work of water ATMs is part of broader improvement efforts initiated under the road adoption proposal suggested by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. The proposal aims to ensure cleaner, safer and obstruction-free roads through coordinated action Women drink water from the repaired water ATMs installed at Heritage Street in Amritsar. between various departments. During her latest inspection of the Heritage Street, Sakshi Sawhney noted a significant improvement in sanitation levels, attributing it to consistent efforts of MC staff. She emphasized that the functioning of water ATMs will offer a relief to thousands of visitors who walk this stretch daily. In a special review meeting held today, the DC discussed inspection reports from across city roads with officials from multiple departments. Thanking the public for their active feedback, collected via Google forms, she highlighted that hundreds of citizens participated and shared suggestions, which are now guiding priority actions. She directed officials to prioritise drainage of stagnant rainwater from roads, operationalise non-functioning streetlights and address blocked sewerage manholes, especially during this monsoon. Emphasising public safety, she ordered the immediate removal of fallen trees and unauthorised street encroachments obstructing pedestrian pathways and traffic movement. Officials were also instructed to trim overhanging branches affecting visibility and smooth traffic flow. Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 17 After years of consistent appeals to the authorities concerned, including the Airports Authority of India, the long-awaited WiFi facility has finally been restored at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar. This marks a significant step toward improving the passenger experience, particularly for international travelers who have long expressed frustration over the absence of this essential digital service. The FlyAmritsar Initiative and the Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) have repeatedly raised this issue in the media and through direct representations to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the district administration. Over the years, both organizations have received numerous complaints from travellers about the non-functional Wi-Fi service, which has become a basic necessity in today’s connected world. Sameep Singh Gumtala, Global Convener of the FlyAmritsar Initiative, stated, “Restoring Wi-Fi at the airport was a longstanding and much-needed step. We had raised this concern time and again because it impacts passengers’ ability to stay connected, especially those arriving from abroad who need to access flight, transport, or accommodation details online. We’re glad to see this finally addressed. Such improvements are vital for an airport serving a large international diaspora.” “Restoring Wi-Fi at the airport was a long-stand- ing and much-needed step. We had raised this concern time and again because it impacts passengers’ ability to stay connected, especially for those arriving from abroad who need to access flight, transport, or accommodation details online. We’re glad to see this finally addressed.” Yogesh Kamra, Convener (India) for the FlyAmritsar Initiative and general secretary of the AVM, added, “We thank the authorities for responding to public feedback. This development demonstrates that sustained civic engagement can bring about meaningful change. We also appreciate the proactive role played by Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, Sakshi Sawhney, who has been actively involved in airport-related coordination meetings.” Gold worth ~96.75 lakh seized Satellite Hospital faces cleanliness, infrastructure issues Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 17 The Customs Department at the Amritsar international airport foiled a significant gold smuggling attempt, seizing nearly one kilogram of gold from two passengers. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Customs officials intercepted the two passengers, who had arrived from Kolkata on IndiGo flight 6E 201. According to officials, a total of 968.47 grams of gold, valued at approximately Rs 96.75 lakh, was recovered from the two passengers. The gold was cleverly concealed to avoid detection, but alert Customs staff detained the suspects on suspicion and carried out a detailed search. During interrogation, the passengers failed to provide any credible explanation regarding the origin of the seized gold. Authorities suspect that the smugglers are linked to a larger organised smuggling network that is exploiting domestic flight routes to avoid stringent checks commonly applied on international passengers. Both passengers are currently being interrogated as officials attempt to trace the source and potential handlers of the gold consign- ment. The Customs Department has registered a formal case under relevant sections and seized the gold under existing regulations. Officials confirmed that as per government protocols, the confiscated gold will be deposited in the national treasury and further legal proceedings will follow. Investigations are underway to determine whether the accused have previously been involved in similar smuggling activities. Authorities are also exploring the possibility of a wider smuggling racket operating on domestic flight routes to bypass detection. Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 17 The Bhai Dharam Singh Urban Primary Health Centre, widely known as Satellite Hospital, located at Ranjit Avenue, continues to draw a large number of patients due to its reliable medical services, yet it struggles with issues of sanitation and poor infrastructure maintenance. The hospital, which provides general OPD services, child deliveries and even dental care, is popular among not just economically weaker sections but also patients from well-off families. Deployment of a full-time gynaecologist has further improved its rep- c m y b The wild growth of weeds inside the hospital in Ranjit Avenue in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR utation among locals. “Usually, government hospitals cater to poor patients who cannot afford private health- care. But here, even patients from affluent backgrounds prefer this centre due to better services,” said a visitor. However, concerns about cleanliness and its upkeep have been consistently raised by visitors. During recent rains, part of the hospital’s boundary wall collapsed, allowing stray dogs to roam freely inside the premises. Overgrown wild grass and weeds have taken over much of the hospital’s open spaces, providing shelter to animals and even attracting addicts due to cannabis growth. The growth of congress grass, a plant known to cause respiratory problems, has also been spotted on the hospital grounds. Waterlogging near the main entrance during the rainy season has added to visitors’ woes. “The hospital services are good, but its appearance and maintenance are poor. Private hospitals never allow such wild grass in their compounds. Here, the broken wall and roaming stray dogs make the place look neglected,” said Ravi, a patient’s attendant. When contacted, Civil Surgeon Dr Kirandeep Kaur said, “Satellite Centre is one of the best hospitals in the city in terms of services. But yes, the boundary wall collapse is an issue. I have written to the higher authorities and it will be repaired soon. Growth of wild grass is more than usual this monsoon season, but we are regularly clearing it. Waterlogging is the responsibility of the MC.”