29082025-JTR-01.qxd 8/28/2025 11:33 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune KAPURTHALA ADMINISTRATION ISSUES HEALTH ADVISORY GOVT SPORTS SCHOOL HOSTEL UNDERGOES ~1-CR OVERHAUL A LOOK AT STARS WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT GAMES The civil and police administration has intensified relief, safety and public health measures to protect residents.P2 Renovation work has begun at the hostel of Government Senior Secondary State School of Sports. P3 Every year on Aug 29, India celebrates National Sports Day to honour legacy of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.P4 » » FORECAST RAINY MAX 31°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET FRIDAY 6.54 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:02 AM » FRIDAY | 29 AUGUST 2025 | JALANDHAR Army swings into action as Beas water level rises to 2.30L cusecs Our Correspondent Kapurthala, August 28 As floodwaters continue to rise around the Beas in Sultanpur Lodhi, the district administration on Thursday requisitioned the Army to assist in the evacuation of the affected families. Army jawans reached the site with boats and quickly started the relief operation, helping farmers come out to safer places. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team on Thursday evacuated 100 persons from flood-affected villages and about 60 persons were brought out by the teams of AAP MP Balbir Seechewal. The level of floodwater rose to 2.30 lakh cusecs this morning, endangering the lives of 2,000 persons choosing to stay back in the marooned villages in the mand areas. Seechewal’s team and the district administration pressed eight motor boats for relief. Seechewal said, “With the water level rising upto 8-10 feet in some locations, the affected farmers were waiting for evacuation. For the same reason, we felt that there is the shortage of motor boats and eight were insufficient to evacuate such a large number of people.” A sunny weather and no rain, however, was the only solace for the villagers and the rescue teams. Meanwhile, the breach in temporary bundh widened to 700 feet, according to official sources. Leave villages: DC to villagers As many villagers were still unwilling to come out, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, Amit Kumar Panchal has made a fervent appeal to residents of Baupur Mand to immediately move to safer locations as the flood INBRIEF MIGRANT KILLED IN ACCIDENT Phagwara: A migrant worker from UP was killed and his companion critically injured when their motorcycle was hit by a speeding truck near Harbanspur gate on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road. The deceased has been identified as Somveer. He had been staying in Puglana village. Somveer, along with his friend Sonu, was returning to his village when the accident occurred.The impact was so severe Somveer died on the spot, while Sonu sustained serious injuries. A case has been registered against the truck driver. OC YOUTH HELD WITH 6 GM HEROIN Phagwara: The police arrested a youth after recovering heroin from his possession during routine patrolling near Sant Sar Morh. The police noticed a young man acting suspiciously and attempting to turn back on seeing them. The man was arrested and on checking, six gram of heroin was recovered from him. The accused has been identified as Dhian Singh of Boot Thana village, Subhanpur, Kapurthala district. OC Congress state president Raja Warring along with MP Charanjit Channi, MLA Pargat Singh and other leaders during a ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ rally at Jalandhar on Thursday. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Declare flood as national disaster: Pargat to Centre Army personnel during a rescue operation at Baupur village in Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala district. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH Cong MLAs, MPs to donate one-month salary for flood relief Tribune News Service water level continues to rise following heavy rainfall in the hilly regions. He emphasised that the safety of people remains the administration’s foremost priority and urged those still staying in their houses in affected areas to evacuate at once. The DC said emergency relief centres have been established at Government School in Lakh Waryan, Sultanpur Lodhi, and at Gurdwara Sahib in Mand Kooka for residents of Dhilwan block. These centres have been equipped with arrangements for accommodation, food supplies, and medicines. 40 animals rescued The district administration has also intensified efforts to protect livestock in floodaffected regions. Officials confirmed that around 40 animals were rescued, using boats and safely relocated these to higher ground. Panchal said teams from the Ani- K’thala woman ‘abducted’, cash, gold missing Phagwara, August 28 A case of alleged abduction and theft has been registered in Kapurthala district after a young woman went missing under suspicious circumstances. According to police records, complainant Sukhvinder Singh of Kabirpur reported that his daughter Suprit Kaur did not return home from the college on the evening of August 21. Singh stated that Suprit had boarded the daily college bus, Jalandhar, and was scheduled to alight at Sultanpur Lodhi as usual. However, when the bus reached the stop, she did not get down. Later, upon returning home, the family discovered that cash amounting to ?82,300, a pair of gold earrings, and a gold chain were missing from their residence. The complainant alleged that Sahilpreet Singh, resident of Tibba village, was often seen interacting with his daughter. He suspects that Sahilpreet manipulated Suprit into leaving home and both of them conspired to commit the theft before fleeing. The police have registered a case under sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to abduction and theft. — OC mal Husbandry Department are conducting regular health check-ups, administering vaccinations, and asking dairy farmers to take preventive measures against water-borne diseases. The DC appealed to residents in vulnerable areas to seek immediate assistance from administration teams to safeguard their animals. Dr RP Singh, Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry Department, said six teams have been deployed round the clock for veterinary care. So far, the teams have treated nearly 512 animals and distributed over 172 quintals of fodder in affected areas. The district administration has urged people to promptly contact control rooms for any assistance. Helpline numbers are 62800-49331, 01822231990, and the Sultanpur Lodhi Sub-Division Flood Control Room at 01828222169, all of which remain operational 24/7. Phagwara Improvement Trust Chairman Jarnail Nangal rescues kids. Minister Bhagat rushes to flood site Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat visited flood-affected areas in Baupur to oversee ongoing relief operations. Accompanied by Seechewal, the minister travelled by a tractor to evaluate the government’s flood response efforts. Bhagat issued direc- tives to expedite the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to safer locations. The minister instructed officials to enhance facilities at relief camps established at Lakha Varyan and Mand Kuka gurdwara, focusing on adequate shelter, medical supplies, and food ration. Villagers work tirelessly to protect bundh in Lohian Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 28 Even though the flood situation remains under control this year in the Lohian block of Shahkot subdivision, the wounds of the devastating floods of 2019 and 2023 are still fresh among residents of low-lying villages such as Dhakka Basti and Gatta Mundi Kasu. Many families in these areas are still grappling with the aftermath, with some homes yet to be rebuilt. In Gatta Mundi Kasu, where the danger of flooding remains a threat, villagers are working round the clock to reinforce the advance bundh. Community members, driven by fear and past trauma, are placing sandbags and taking all possible precautions to prevent another disaster. Sohan Lal, a teacher from Mandala, has also been delivering sandbags to the site. “I cannot forget those horrifying days when floods devastated our region,” he said. “This time, we are putting in our best efforts to protect the area. I also hope more youngsters come forward and contribute.” Daler Singh, a farmer from Gatta Mundi Kasu, recalled the destruction of his fields during the last two floods. “We are praying to the Almighty that such a tragedy does not strike again,” he said. Dr Bhupinder Singh, a teacher and resident of Gatta Mundi Kasu, has already sent his family to a safer location. “Most families have shifted women and children to safer places. The next few days will be crucial,” he said. Although the region is safe from flooding, the painful memories of past disasters continue to inspire vigilant efforts, with the community standing united in its commitment to safeguard their homes and land." Villagers put sandbags to protect advance bundh from flood water in Gatta Mundi Kasu. c m y b JALANDHAR, August 28 Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Thursday said the flood situation in Punjab is a result of the collective collaboration of the Centre and the state government. On the sidelines of the PCC’s Samvidhan Bachao rally held in Jalandhar, Warring said, “We have already been saying that CM Bhagwant Mann is working in sync with the BJP-led Centre. We have seen it when Mann had sought the separate land for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha after the Centre had announced to grant separate Assembly for Haryana diluting the state’s claim for Chandigarh. Let’s see how he reacts as the CISF tries to take over the BBMB control from the state police”. Warring also blamed the Centre for its indifference towards the flood situation by not taking timely precautions Warring blames state, Centre for floods in Punjab while releasing extra water from dams to keep a provision for rain waters. He said, since the floodgates of the Bhakra Dam had been opened, it posed grave danger to large parts of Punjab, which are at the risk of getting submerged. The PCC president said he had wanted to reschedule the today’s rally in view of the flood situation. But the local leaders insisted on holding it since it had been postponed several times in the past. Warring announced that all MPs and MLAs of the Congress would donate one month’s salary for the flood relief. AICC secretary Pargat Singh demanded that the Centre should immediately declare the floods in all three affected states a national dis- aster and announce a special package to compensate families, farmers, livestock owners, and property owners for losses and ensure full rehabilitation. “Warnings were issued well in advance. Yet, no plan was prepared. Instead of managing water releases in time, lakhs of cusecs were suddenly discharged, drowning thousands of villages. This is not just a natural calamity — it is an administrative failure.” He recalled that after the 2023 floods, Punjab was again suffering in 2025 due to the same negligence. The AAP government has learned nothing, and the people are paying the price,” he said. Prominent Congress leaders who attended the rally MLAs Bawa Henry, Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia, Vikramjit Chaudhary, DCC urban chief Rajinder Beri, halqa in-charges Dr Navjot Dahiya, Surinder Kaur and Rajinder Singh. Mobile phones recovered from jail Phagwara, August 28 The Kapurthala Central Jail authorities have seized prohibited items during routine checks, exposing attempts by inmates to use mobile phones behind bars. Two separate recoveries within a span of three days led to the registration of cases under Section 52-A of the Prison Act. Assistant Superintendent Dheeraj Kumar led a surprise check at the Central Jail. Inmate Paras, a resident of Jhuggi area near Geeta Bhawan, Gurdaspur, was found in possession of banned items. Along with him, another accused, whose arrest is still pending, was also booked. Officials recovered two mobile phones, one SIM card and a battery from their possession. On the basis of a report filed by ASI Lakhwinder Singh, an FIR was registered. Meanwhile, a raid was conducted by Assistant Superintendent Satpal Singh. This time, two undertrials were found with mobile devices. Kamal Nath, resident of Indira Colony, Jalandhar, and Mithun, alias Mishu, resident of Jalandhar Cantt, were booked. — OC DC Amit Kumar Panchal talks to 100-yr-old Bachan Singh. 100-year-old man rescued from flood-hit village Our Correspondent Phagwara, August 28 Among those evacuated from flood-affected villages in Sultanpur Lodhi was 100-yearold Bachan Singh, who was brought to safety by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Rising water levels in the Beas prompted Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal to appeal to residents to move to safer locations. Following this, several people contacted the administration’s helplines for urgent assistance. Bachan Singh’s family reached out for help, after which an SDRF team was immediately dispatched to rescue him. Once safe, Deputy Commissioner Panchal spoke with the elderly survivor to check on his condition and directed officials to provide him with a medical aid as well as necessary ration and relief support. The authorities continue to urge residents in low-lying areas to remain vigilant and seek timely assistance through official helplines as rescue and relief operations remain underway.