07082025-ATR-01.qxd 8/6/2025 10:31 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune UGC SECY STRESSES QUALITY RESEARCH AT GNDU SESSION PREET NAGAR: FORGOTTEN CRADLE OF CREATIVITY Founded by Gurbaksh Singh Preetlari, it the artistic hub now struggles to preserve its creative heritage. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C NAT’L HANDLOOM DAY: CELEBS’ SUSTAINABLE FASHION Prof Joshi urged the academic community to move beyond the outdated focus on the quantity of publications. P2 FORECAST Several Bollywood actresses have been making conscious choices to support the weavers. P4 » SUNSET THURSDAY 7.12 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5.45 AM » » THURSDAY | 7 AUGUST 2025 | AMRITSAR Combine harvester that reaps paddy, sows wheat alongside Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 6 In a ground-breaking innovation that could resolve the issue of crop residue burning after paddy harvesting, at least partially, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has developed an attachment for combine harvesters that enables farmers to harvest paddy and sow wheat simultaneously. Partially, because it would be most suitable for farmers whose paddy crop is late for harvesting and coincides with the small window period for sowing wheat. These farmers mostly resort to burning of paddy straw, reasoning that they don’t have enough time to manage the The combine harvester equipped to harvest paddy and sow wheat simultaneously. TRIBUNE PHOTO residue, as delay would cause a decrease in the yield of the next crop, wheat. The new technique which is a mix of surface seedingcum-mulching techniques has already been tested in the fields of farmers in Gur- daspur. At present, PAU is working to spread it in other districts, including Amritsar. In this new technique, the Nov 2026 deadline for firm to clear Bhagtanwala site Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 6 Work on the long-pending bio-remediation work at the Bhagtanwala dump site is all set to take off again with the Local Bodies Department awarding the contract to a Noida-based firm, Eco Stan Infra Private Limited. The company has been asked to clear the legacy waste from the dump site by November 2026. Gurpreet Singh Aulakh, Municipal Commissioner, said the company has already started the process by setting up the machinery for bioremediation of waste from Bhagtanwala dump. It is expected to start the process in the next two weeks. Separate tenders would be floated for waste collection, transportation, processing and disposal, he added. It is pertinent to mention here that a case regarding the dump site was already underway at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) after a major fire was reported in May 2024. Initially, the MC authorities had committed to clear the legacy waste by May 2026 but after the company involved in the operations backed off, a new tender was floated. The NGT has directed the MC authorities to submit a fresh affidavit confirming adherence to the new timeline while the next date of hearing has been scheduled for November 4 this year. The tender for bio-remediation of legacy waste, at an estimated cost of Rs 46.34 crore, received bids from four companies — BVG, Eco Stan Infra, Green Tech Environ and Akansha Enterprises. Eco Stan Infra emerged as the lowest bidder, quoting Rs 36.54 crore, nearly 21 per cent below the projected cost. The work has now been awarded to the company with a revised deadline of November 2026. The company would dispose of around 11 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste from the Bhagtanwala dump site by bio-remediation process. Within a month, it would submit its plan to dispose of the garbage to the Municipal Corporation which would take daily or monthly reports of the bio-remediation process from the firm. It would also have to adhere to the solid waste management and NGT guidelines. Man dies of electrocution at police station Councillor’s Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 6 A man, plumber by profession, died of electrocution at Goindwal Sahib police station on Wednesday. He was identified as Gurpreet Singh (28), a resident of Dhunda village. The deceased who belonged to the SC category was called to the police station by SHO Balraj Singh to remove some defect in the water supply system. He had touched the iron pipe and was electrocuted. He was brought to the Civil Hospital, Khadoor Sahib, in a serious condition but died soon after. The deceased is survived by his elderly parents besides his wife and two minor daughters. The Goindwal Sahib police have lodged a daily diary report (DDR) under section 194 of BNS. Dharam Singh, father of the deceased, said negligence on the part of the police was allegedly responsible for the death of his son as the police failed to give him timely medical treatment. The family members of the deceased lodged a protest against the police at the hospital. spouse booked Amritsar, August 6 Division B police have booked Rajiv Chhabra, husband of a Congress councillor, for allegedly threatening and making derogatory remarks against the caste of a MC employee at Sultanwind Road area here. The police confirmed the registration of an FIR. — TNS wheat seed is sown on the surface of soil with an attachment fixed just behind the blade. Super SMS, at the rear of the combine harvester, evenly spreads the paddy straw on the seeds. “The seeds germinate only after the field has been irrigated and the mulching of paddy straw helps it retain moisture and prevent growth of weeds,” said Dr Jasvir Gill. Director (Extension) at PAU, Dr MS Bhullar said, “We are also conducting trials to use the technique for sowing other Rabi season crops.” He said that after harvesting of paddy, a large area of land is used for cultivating vegetable crop. “Vegetable farmers, due to shortage of time often resort to the quickest and easiest method, which is burning,” he said. Dr Bhullar said, “The farmers in Gurdaspur had used the technique even last year and it had given better yield and less problem of weeds.” He said that the university is holding events in villages to acquaint the farmers and combine harvester operators with the new technique. As part of this outreach programme, events were held in Chinna Bidhi Chand village of Tarn Taran and Wadal Johal village of Amritsar by Dr Gurbax Singh from Khalsa College, and regional scientists of PAU, including Dr Parminder Singh Tung, Dr Parminder Singh Sandhu, Dr Raminder Kaur and Dr Rajan Bhatt. Amid threats, security at SGRD airport tightened GNDH nursing staff protest against assault on colleague Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 6 Following an alert from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) regarding potential threats from terrorists or anti-social elements, the airport authorities and CISF have enhanced security at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport here. All the Indian airports have been put on maximum alert following intelligence inputs warning against potential threats from terrorists or antisocial elements. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that coordination meetings have been held and adequate security measures were in place to thwart any untoward incident. Sources at the airport said that after BCAS warning, the security wing of Civil Aviation ministry had recently issued an advisory for heightened security and surveillance measures across all aviation installations including airports, airstrips, helipads and training institutes. Apart from airports, the advisory was also issued to airlines and state police for ensuring round-the-clock monitoring and strict checking of the identifications of staff and visitors. It also asked to ensure that CCTV cameras were operational. Nurses stage a protest after one of them was manhandled by the kin of a patient at GNDH on Wednesday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 6 The employees at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) led by the Nursing Association held a protest against the assault on a staff nurse by the relatives of a patient admitted to the medicine ward of the hospital last evening. The protesting staff sat outside the office of the Medical Superintendent, demanding better security arrangements in the hospital. The nursing staff expressed their discontent, stating that they are there to serve the people, not to be subjected to Khalsa College remembers its creator, Bhai Ram Singh Tribune News Service Amritsar, August6 The historic Khalsa College, known for its architectural excellence, today paid rich tributes to Bhai Ram Singh, the man behind the iconic design of the college. A seminar was organised on the college campus to celebrate his life, legacy and unmatched contribution to Indian and Sikh architecture. Eminent speakers and college faculty remembered the service of the legendary architect, who was one of the most prominent architects in colonial India and played a key role in blending traditional Indian, particularly Sikh and Mughal architectural styles, with British colonial architecture. “Ram Singh’s name is deeply etched in the heritage of Punjab and he is known as an architect par excellence, visionary who blended Sikh artistry with Indo-European styles to craft what stands today as A view of the iconic Khalsa College in Amritsar. It is a blend of Indian and British colonial architecture. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR one of the most iconic educational campuses in the country,” said Principal Dr Atam Singh Randhawa. Dr Mehal Singh, Khalsa University Vice-Chancellor, highlighted how the architecture of Khalsa College is not just aesthetically pleasing, but educational with each structure teaching values of symmetry, strength and cultural pride. “The stairway in front of the main entrance to the building is c m y b over 120 years old and is carved out in Victorian style of architecture. Several areas and spaces in the main building are reminiscent of a bygone era with Italian marble pillars inspired by Mughal architecture, huge French glass frames and rosewood work on the windows,” he shared. The seminar also featured a guest lecture by Prof Rawal Singh Aulakh, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Guru Nanak Dev University, who presented an insightful walkthrough into Ram Singh’s design ideology and his unique ability to create timeless spaces that represent both heritage and innovation. Adding a public communication perspective, Inderjeet Singh Harpura, DPRO, Gurdaspur, who belongs to Rasulpur, the native village of Bhai Ram Singh, stressed on the importance of celebrating such figures through public dialogue and collective memory. His presence brought valuable insights into how architectural heritage connects with people’s identity and civic consciousness. physical abuse. They appealed to the hospital management to ensure proper safety measures for the staff and doctors, particularly female staff, to provide services in a secure environment. The incident occurred late last evening when relatives of a female patient allegedly manhandled a female nurse posted in the ward. During the protest, Director-Principal of Government Medical College, Dr Rajiv Devgan, and Medical Superintendent Dr Karamjit Singh, reached the spot and pacified the nursing staff. They described the incident as unfortunate and assured the staff that strict action would be taken against the culprits. The Nursing Union demanded proper security and strict legal action against the perpetrators of the incident. Dr Devgan assured the staff that police action would be taken soon, and the culprits punished. After this assurance, the employees called off their protest, conditional on receiving a copy of the FIR lodged against the culprits on the same day. They warned that if no action is taken, the protest would resume. ASI booked for tampering with date of birth in certificate Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 6 The local city police have booked an Assistant SubInspector (ASI) for cheating the police department by tampering with his date of birth to get the job. The accused have been identified as Anokh Singh, a resident of Dharar village. The irregularity was unearthed when his relative Karnail Singh, a resident of the same Dharar village, lodged a complaint with the police two years back. The complainant alleged that the date of birth of ASI Anokh Singh is mentioned as May 20, 1962, in his Class 10 certificate but he tampered with the record and got the job with the document showing his date of birth as May 20, 1965. The police department conducted an inquiry into the matter and on the basis of its report, ASI Anokh Singh has been booked under section 318 (4), 338, 336 (3) and 340 (2) of the BNS on Tuesday. The accused is absconding, said police sources. Miscreants open fire at trader’s house Tarn Taran, August 6 Two armed men opened fire at the house of a shopkeeper in Dhotian village on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. The shopkeeper Jagroop Singh, in his complaint to Sarhali police, said the family was asleep when the miscreants opened fire. The armed men fled from the spot after the incident. A case under section 125 and 3(5) of the BNS and section 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered by the Sarhali police. — OC