28082025-TT-01.qxd 8/27/2025 11:23 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 237 | 12 PAGES | ~6.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH INDIA MUST PREPARE FOR LONG-DURATION WARS, SAYS RAJNATH NATION /thetribunechd SILVER SURGES ~2K, HITS FRESH PEAK OF ~1.20L/KG BUSINESS CABINET OKAYS BID TO US PRESIDENT TO CHAIR HOST COMMONWEALTH MEET ON POST-WAR GAMES IN 2030 SPORT GAZA STRIP WORLD thursday | 28 august 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Vaishno Devi toll mounts to 34, more feared trapped in debris Manali remains cut off for second day, tourists stranded Mandi, August 27 The popular Himachal Pradesh tourist destinations of Kullu, Manali and the Lahaul valley remained cut off for the second consecutive day on Wednesday following extensive damage to the Kiratpur-Manali and Manali-Leh highways. The situation has paralysed transportation and severely impacted thousands of residents, tourists and farmers in the region. An estimated 2,000 vehicles are currently stuck at various points. In a few areas, large portions of the road have been completely washed away by the Beas. INSIDE Worst-ever tragedy at shrine | Jammu gets highest 24-hr rain in century Arjun Sharma Jammu, August 27 Following record-breaking rainfall that caused widespread disruption in Jammu and Kashmir, the death toll from the landslide en route to the Vaishno Devi shrine rose to 34 on Wednesday, as rescue operations continued into a second day. At least 23 pilgrims were injured in the incident. With more people feared trapped, rescue teams of the Army, CRPF Vaishno Devi , Shrine Board personnel and the J&K police are continuing to dig through the mounds of rubble to look for survivors. While 32 bodies were recovered from the debris, two of those injured died in hospital in what was the worst-ever tragedy at the shrine. Jammu recorded 380 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday, which is the highest for a 24-hour period since 1910 when the observatory was set up in the city. The pilgrimage remained suspended for the second day. While the yatra had been Gangwal,familytrustto sell 3.1% IndiGo stake A car stuck on a retaining wall of a house while motorcycles lie amid slush following a flashflood in a locality near the Tawi in Jammu. PTI WHY WEREN’T PILGRIMS STOPPED, ASKS OMAR J&K CM Omar Abdullah asked on Wednesday why pilgrims were allowed to proceed towards the Vaishno Devi shrine despite multiple warnings about bad weather. The pilgrimage is managed by the Shrine Board, which is chaired by the Lieutenant Governor. TELECOM SERVICES COLLAPSE ACROSS KASHMIR Reminiscent of the 2014 floods, Kashmir witnessed a major telecommunication breakdown starting late Tuesday afternoon, disrupting mobile and Internet services across the region. INSIDE stopped on the Himkoti trek route since morning on Tuesday, it was going on from the old route till afternoon when the authorities decided to suspend it as a precautionary measure. The landslide took place on Tuesday near Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Ardhkuwari, approximately halfway along the 12-km trek from Katra. In a statement on X, PM Narendra Modi said, “The loss of lives due to a landslide on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi temple is saddening. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. The administration is assisting all those affected. My prayers for everyone’s safety and well-being.” Heavy rain had forced some pilgrims to take shelter under a shed in the area where the landslide occurred. It is mandatory for all pilgrims to carry Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. Katra, the pilgrimage’s base camp, remained deserted on Wednesday as landslides on the Jammu-Srinagar NH prevented vehicles from Jammu from reaching the town. The injured are being treated at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in Katra, where medical teams have been instructed to provide specialised care. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the continued on page 8 DARING ROOFTOP RESCUE Chandigarh, August 27 More than 30 years after Faridkot state’s last ruler Harinder Singh Brar died, Justice Deepak Gupta of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed an order whereby Rajkumari Amrit Kaur’s share “in property in dispute” was reduced to 33.33 per cent from the earlier share of 37.5 per cent. The dispute in the heritage case reportedly involved property valued at about Rs 20,000 crore at one point of time. Amrit Kaur is one of the three daughters of Harinder Singh Brar. Among other things, Justice Gupta’s Bench was told that the impugned order dated August 14 was passed by the UT Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division) in his capacity as the Executing Court. INSIDE RuchikaM Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August27 The flood situation in Punjab worsened today with gushing waters from the Ravi breaching its embankments and advancing several kilometres inland in Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts, inundating villages and huge tracts of agricultural land. Three floodgates of the 150- year-old Madhopur Headworks were washed away as 2.12 lakh cusecs of water reached there after heavy rain in the Ravi’s catchment area in Jammu. The authorities had requisitioned 90 people from all over the state to open some of the 54 floodgates here late last evening. These were stuck because of massive silt deposition. While they continued Kuldeep Singh Tribune News Service No stamp duty on small plots in Hry Courtstaysorder cuttingAmritKaur’s shareinF’kotestate Punjab flood situation worsens, Ravi inundates border districts work, the several-foot-high silt deposits made it impossible for them to open the floodgates. As the water level continued to rise and three of those working on the gates fell in the gushing waters, the operation was called off and 60 personnel working on the job were airlifted by the Army. While two of those who fell continued on page 8 edit: punjab deluge India warns Pak of fresh flood surge; 2nd alert in 3 days New Delhi, August 27 India on Wednesday issued a fresh flood warning to Pakistan, alerting it about the release of excess water from its reservoirs into downstream rivers — the second such communication in just three days. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad formally conveyed the message on “humanitarian grounds” even as the Indus Waters Treaty remains in abeyance. — TNS India eyes 40 nations for exports amid tariffs New Delhi: InterGlobe Aviation promoter Rakesh Gangwal and his family trust are likely to divest up to 3.1 per cent stake for ~7,027.7 crore in IndiGo on Thursday, according to a term sheet. Gangwal, the co-founder of IndiGo, has been selling his equity in a phased manner, following a bitter fallout with cofounder Rahul Bhatia. — PTI Chandigarh: Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday announced that no stamp duty would be charged on the registration of residential plots up to 50 sq yards in urban areas and up to 100 sq yards in rural areas allotted under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Mukhyamantri Shahri Awas Yojana and Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Yojana. INSIDE Devotees move to safety as floodwater enters Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, on Wednesday. PTI An Army Aviation helicopter (left) lands over the rooftop of a building near Madhopur Headworks in Gurdaspur district of Punjab on Wednesday. The flooded building collapsed as soon as the helicopter rescued the stranded people, among them 22 CRPF personnel and three civilians. ARMY, NDRF RESCUE 400 NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA STUDENTS, 40 STAFF MEMBERS IN GURDASPUR DAY AFTER CRITICISM FOR ‘ABSENCE’ FROM PUNJAB, CM MANN VISITS DINANAGAR VILLAGES New Delhi, August 27 The Ministry of Commerce is set to hold a series of consultations with exporters from various sectors to strategise diversification of shipments to new markets to protect industries from the 50 per cent US tariff, a senior official said. The government is also planning dedicated outreach programmes in 40 countries, including the UK, Japan, Turkey and South Korea, to boost exports of textile and apparel, which face an estimated $10.3-billion exposure to the US market, the official said. The 50 per cent US duties, which came into effect on Wednesday, will impact USbound shipments worth more than $48?billion. Key export sectors such as textiles, leather and footwear, gems and jewellery, and chemicals will bear the brunt. The official emphasised the need for a long-term strategy, stating, “Diversifying markets and export baskets is TRUMP AIDE HOPEFUL OF COMMON GROUND US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has expressed optimism about finding common ground. In another development, government sources said the communication channels were open between India and the US to resolve the dispute over tariffs, calling the issue a temporary hiccup in ties. BACK PAGE critical to maintaining competitiveness, especially given the uncertainties caused by the US tariff.” “The ministry will meet stakeholders from various sectors such as chemicals, electrical components, marine, leather and footwear, and gems and jewellery in the next two-three days to push for diversification of exports,” the official said. On textile and apparel export, the official said the shortlisted 40 countries, including those in the EU, Africa, Latin America and continued on page 8 edit: tariff overload Textile to basmati, Punjab exporters brace for impact Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 27 The 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods imposed by the US, which came into effect on Wednesday, has come as a jolt to exporters in Punjab. From textiles and auto components to leather goods and basmati, key industrial sectors in the state are facing an uncertain economic future. This tariff hike, a response to India’s purchase of Russian oil, threatens to significantly reduce exports, damage the financial health of local manufacturers and potentially trigger large-scale lay-offs. Talking to The Tribune, Rajinder Gupta, chairman emeritus of the textile behemoth Trident Group, which exports over Rs 3,000 crore worth of goods to the US annually, said they were still Pressure mounts on key industrial sectors, risking losses and layoffs analysing the situation. “The implications of the high tariff will be serious. We have a little hope for policy changes that could help mitigate the losses,” he said. Most exporters in Punjab fall under the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) category and operate on very thin profit margins. They say the new tariffs will erase these margins entirely if they are to continue supplying the US market. In Jalandhar, the hub of the leather goods industry, units with turnovers of less than Rs 100 crore that manufacture leather tool kits for the continued on page 8 Day after IAF Chief opposed proposal to set up Centre approves Justice Pancholi’s theatre commands, Admiral Tripathi backs it elevation, will become CJI in 2031 Satya Prakash Tribune News Service Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Mhow (Mp), August 27 A sharp difference of opinion has emerged among the military top brass on the proposed structure of “theatre commands”. Navy Chief Admiral DK Tripathi today batted in favour of “theatrisation” while the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Anil Chauhan, acknowledged “dissonance” on the issue, saying that it will be resolved with openness. The development comes a day after the Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, cautioned against having theatre commands for now. Speaking during Will resolve dissonance with openness in best interests of nation: CDS ABOUT THEATRISATION Theatrisation is a military jargon for creating a geographically defined area of operations, with a military commander heading it and controlling all war-fighting assets such as planes, copters, guns, tanks, equipment and manpower. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, >> CDS Gen Anil Chauhan and Air Force Chief AP Singh in Mhow. PTI “Ran Samwad”, a two-day brainstorming seminar at the Army War College here yesterday, the IAF Chief had suggested a different format for military coordination at the level of the service chiefs. Speaking at the seminar today, Admiral Tripathi said, “The Navy is committed to theatrisation as the ultimate goal.” He said it was also committed to synergising its continued on page 8 c m y b New Delhi, August 27 The Centre on Wednesday notified the appointment of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi as judges of the Supreme Court, barely two days after the CJI BR Gavai-led Collegium recommended their elevation. “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Justice Alok Aradhe, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, to be a judge of the Supreme Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of FACED DISSENT AT COLLEGIUM MEETING Justice BV Nagarathna, the lone woman judge in the Collegium, had reportedly opposed Justice Pancholi’s elevation to the top court, saying it would be “counterproductive” to the administration of justice and would erode the credibility of the Collegium system. his office,” a Department of Justice notification read. A similar notification was issued about Justice Pancholi who would be in line to become the CJI in October 2031 after the retirement of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and would occupy the top judicial position for one and a half years. Once the two judges take the oath of office, the working strength of the Supreme Court will reach 34. Currently, the top court is functioning with only 32 judges against its sanctioned strength of 34, including the CJI. The Collegium’s decision to recommend the names of Justice Aradhe and Justice Pancholi was taken on Monday by the five-member Collegium headed by CJI Gavai. The other members of the Collegium include Justice Surya Kant, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice BV Nagarathna. Justice Nagarathna, the lone woman judge in the Collegium, had reportedly opposed continued on page 8