05092025-JTR-01.qxd 9/5/2025 12:06 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune COMMUNITY GROUPS, NGOs GEAR UP TO AID FLOOD VICTIMS DESPITE SETBACKS, SPORTS INDUSTRY JOINS RELIEF EFFORTS The ongoing floods have impacted various businesses and sports goods manufacturers are no exception. P3 RAINY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C MEET THE BOLLYWOOD STARS WHO ARE REAL-LIFE TEACHERS Relief ops in flood-affected villages of Phagwara continue to provide aid to both humans and animals. P2 FORECAST Naseeruddin Shah is celebrated not just for his mastery on screen but also for his dedication to teaching. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 6.46 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:06 AM » FRIDAY | 5 SEPTEMBER 2025 | JALANDHAR HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. Kejriwal visits mand, assures help to farmers Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service INBRIEF ONE DIES, 2 HURT IN ACCIDENT Hoshiarpur: One person was killed and two others injured in a multi-vehicle collision involving a bus, tractor, car, and scooter near the Moonak railway gate. Jasveer Kaur of Moonak reported that while travelling to Tanda with her son, a speeding bus driven by Nirmal Singh struck a stationary tractor. The impact caused the tractor to crash into their car, which then collided with a nearby scooter. Tractor driver Ram Bilas lost his life, while his son and scooter rider Darshan Singh sustained injuries. The Tanda police have registered a case against the bus driver. OC DRUG PEDDLER ARRESTED Phagwara: The Nakodar police have arrested a drug peddler on the charge of selling intoxicating tablets. Thirty tablets were recovered from the accused Sunil Kumar Sharma, alias Joni, a resident of Mohalla Raunta. A case has been registered under Sections 22/ 61/ 85 of the NDPS Act against him. OC TWO HELD FOR MOTOR THEFT Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested two villagers on the charge of stealing a submersible motor from the cremation ground. Sarabjit member panchayat of Buland village, complained to the police that Shamsher Singh and Amandeep Singh of Bulanda village had stolen a submersible motor installed in the village cremation ground. A case had been registered against them and their accomplice Sandip Singh of Bulanda village. OC MAN BOOKED FOR ~3.75L FRAUD Hoshiarpur: The police have registered a case against Karnail Singh of Hoshiarpur for allegedly cheating Rajiv Kumar of ?3.75 lakh. The accused reportedly took the money under the pretense of arranging overseas travel for Kumar's brother. Investigations are underway. oc THREE NABBED WITH DRUGS Hoshiarpur: The police have arrested three individuals in separate drug-related incidents. Prabhjot Singh of Ravidas Nagar was caught with 21 gram of narcotic substance during a raid by the Sadar police. Sukhwinder Singh from Bhunga, was arrested by Hariana police with 50 gram of heroin. Aman Kumar of Mukerian, was apprehended with a large quantity of banned pills. oc WOMAN ARRESTED WITH HEROIN Phagwara: The police have arrested a woman from Nawanpind Bhatti village after recovering five gram of heroin from her residence during a raid. The police got information that Balbir Kaur, alias Babbi, was involved in drug peddling. oc Baupur/Sangra (Sultanpur Lodhi), September 4 Villagers of the flood-affected areas today met Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his visit to the mand region. In the afternoon, he reached Baupur, accompanied with RS MP Balbir Singh Seechewal and Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Mohinder Bhagat, and visited a house at Rampur Gaura village. Leaders from Baupur, Sangra, and Rampur Gauhra villages expressed satisfaction at airing their grievances to him, an opportunity they had been waiting for a long time. Ever since CM Bhagwant Mann visited them a few days ago, the villagers wanted to flag their key issues with a senior government functionary. Villagers submitted a memorandum of their demands to Kejriwal. At Sangra, farmer leader Kuldeep Singh handed over a memorandum of demands, stating that the Beas cannot be turned into a canal by making it concrete, therefore it must be allowed to remain a river and its natural flow must be ensured. He reiterated that farmers in the mand are not occupying the river’s land; rather, the river has encroached into the farmers’ fields. Baupur resident Paramjit Singh said, “We had been awaiting to be given a patient hearing for long so that our leaders may know the ground situation. We are thankful that Kejriwal has patiently heard us today. We have also taken up the issue of losses to crops and people whose homes which had fallen or damaged. We are hopeful of aid being extended to the flood-hit families as per losses suffered by them. “ Kuldeep Singh also said the compensation should not be limited to five acres, instead, every farmer should be compensated according to the extent of damage to their fields. Moreover, compensation should be given directly to actual cultivators. Kejriwal assured them that he would forward their memorandum to the Chief Minister. Kejriwal also lauded Seechewal for his help in the region. He said, “Even if someone asks for a cylinder, Baba ji makes sure the help is promptly provided. Baba ji is helping a lot in this region.” 300 houses damaged in Jalandhar Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 4 More than 300 houses in Jalandhar district have suffered full to partial damage due to recent heavy rainfall as per the preliminary assessment made by the district administration. There are four incidents of roof collapse at the Abadpura locality. Seven houses have suffered damage at Gahir village of Nakodar. Three house have collapsed at Dakoha locality. A house in Christian mohalla came down crumbling on Thursday. Several houses in even posh colonies, including Model Town, too have suffered massive damages owing to old construction. Aged woman Mehngi of Abadpura shared her woes. “I was at home on Tuesday when I could spot a pillar of my two-room house sinking in. I immediately alerted my daughter Asha Rani and granddaughter Deepika. We immediately took out whatever cash and precious items we had at home and rushed out. Within a short span, everything came down. Thankfully, we were all safe.” Mehngi said her house had been constructed 60 years ago. “Some youths from the locality helped us take out our belongings and shifted us to a neighbour’s house. We were already hand-to-mouth. My daughter does a private job and I am dependent on her. I do not think that I can rebuild this house”, she said. Santosh Rani and her daily wager husband Ranvir are putting up in a gurdwara of the Abadpura locality. The roof of their two-room house has fallen. They have shifted their belongings to a verandah, covered it all with a tarpaulin and moved out to be safe. “We cannot even use our kitchen. We have set up our burner in the gurdwara and are cooking there with our ration. We are not in a position to rebuild our house. We are looking forward to some help from the government”, said Santosh Rani. The story of Resham Lal of the same locality is even more tragic. The aged man is already undergoing dialysis and now roof collapse has left him shattered. His wife Kaushalya said she had appealed to administrative officials to provide her some relief. The couple is currently putting up in a single room of his brother. Ex-Congress MLA Rajinder Beri said he had visited the houses and promised them help. Satpal Monu, a Congress leader from the locality, said, “I am preparing their cases to help them seek some compensation from the government. At our personal level too, we are trying to pool in some money to help the families in distress.” Dr Navjot Dahiya, Congress leader, also visited the houses of families at Gahir village of Nakodar, where roofs of houses have given way. Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal said, “We are keeping a track of all complaints of house collapse coming to us. Our officials shall be making assessments. We shall present their cases to the government”. A resident of Abadpura shows the damaged house in Jalandhar on Thursday. PHOTO SARABJIT SINGH NDRF, divers clear blockage No show as Randhawa joins as JIT Chairman at Shahkot rail bridge Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 4 Unlike his predecessor, Aam Aadmi Party leader Ramneek Singh Randhawa joined as the chairperson of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust in a no-frill manner. Randhawa came in straight without even informing his party seniors, colleagues or the local media about his joining. He simply offered his prayers to the Almighty and took to the chair in a humble manner. He is learnt to have chosen to this no-glitz joining because of the prevailing flood conditions in Punjab. The government has announced his name for the Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 4 Getting sufficient time after the first inflow of waters from the Bhakra dam, the administration on Thursday got removed the vegetation that was stuck under the crucial Gidderpindi railway bridge. The bridge criss-crosses the Sutlej at Shahkot and, if clogged, becomes a hindrance in the flow of gushing river waters, making embankments along it vulnerable to breaches as in 2019 and 2023. The teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local divers have removed all vegetation caught up in the tracks and under it ensuring the smooth flow of 2 lakh cusecs water. Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal and SSP Harvinder Singh Virk supervised the operation, which continued under strict monitoring. Along with the NDRF the , railway team was also called in immediately by the district administration. Officials highlighted that the wild vegetation had been obstructing the natural flow of the river and posed a potential risk of blockage at the site which had earlier resulted in breaches and flooding of villages. Dr Aggarwal lauded the relentless efforts of local divers and the NDRF teams, stressing that their timely action averted a possible hazard. The Bein and Sutlej converge before Gidderpindi. The bridge is observing its peak flow water levels at this point of time as the Sutlej waters sometimes flow back to it after touching the confluence point at Harike. post on August 9 replacing Rajwinder Kaur Thiara within a span of six months. The notification regarding his appointment, however, was issued a few days ago. His predecessor Thiara had joined the post with a lot of dhol-dhamaka. Party bigwigs, including AAP state Khurampur villager assaulted, hospitalised Vegetation beneath the Gidderpindi railway bridge was removed by the NDRF for clearing the passage of waters. A TRIBUNE PHOTO ARMY DEPLOYED AT GATTA MUNDI KASU After the Sutlej waters had started seeping out from the dhussi bundh along Gatta Mundi Kasu and Dhakka Basti areas of Shahkot, the district administration got deployed the Army for strengthening of the bundh. The teams along with officials of the Drainage Department and local volunteers started working at the site after receiving instructions from DC Dr Aggarwal. PARGAT VISITS VILLAGES, DISTRIBUTES RELIEF ■ Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh on Thursday supervised a large- scale distribution of ration kits, tarpaulins, and other essential relief materials in flood-affected villages of the constituency. Demonstrating hands-on leadership, Singh personally drove a tractor through waterlogged areas to deliver aid to families stranded by the floods. ■ Relief camps and material distribution were organised in Khurlan Kingra, Chitteani, Diwali, Daduwal, Chachowal, Khun-Khun, and other affected villages. ■ AICC secretary Pargat Singh also coordinated with senior district officials on the phone, directing them to ensure adequate arrangements in the affected zones. c m y b Phagwara, September 4 A resident of Khurampur village was seriously injured and admitted to the Civil Hospital, Phagwara, following an assault allegedly by four men last evening. The victim named the accused as Manpreet Singh, Baljot Singh, Parmit Singh, and Rajesh Saini. The incident occurred when Harjeet was at his home preparing to take his vehicle out for refuelling. He alleged that Baljot Singh struck the driver’s side window of his car with force, shattering the glass. When the victim stepped outside to question the act, the confrontation turned violent. Harjeet Singh claimed that Parmit Singh grabbed him by the arms while Baljot Singh attacked him with a heavy iron bangle, striking his head and face. Manpreet allegedly joined in, wielding an iron rod and delivering further blows on his head. Rajesh Saini is accused of pushing and manhandling the complainant, leaving him unconscious on the ground. The victim was rushed to hospital by his brother Jarnail Singh and wife Kamaljit Kaur, where doctors later issued a medico-legal report confirming the injuries. — OC chief Aman Arora, Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh, Mayor Vaneet Dhir and local AAP MLAs, were among those who attended her joining. The entire city was covered with hoardings when she took over the position. There was a stream of countless visitors to her room to congratulate her on her joining with bouquets. Elaborate arrangements for a brunch too had been made for her upon her joining. There was an anti-climax to Thiara’s big fat joining as she was removed unceremoniously. Wary of the party’s unexpected actions, Randhawa seems to have chosen to tread cautiously from the very beginning. He is the third JIT chairperson in AAP’s tenure, the first one being party’s spokesperson Jagtar S Sanghera. Randhawa said, “I will fulfil my responsibility with utmost sincerity and dedication. I pledge to work wholeheartedly for the welfare of people of Jalandhar and for the progress of Punjab. In the days to come, I shall plan my priorities for the city”. Over keeping it simple, he said, “Punjab is currently facing the hardships of floods. I did not want any celebrations at such a crucial time. The real need for everyone at this hour is to come together in the service of Punjab and its people.” Phagwara mobile shop gutted, owner, friend hurt Our Correspondent Phagwaral, September 4 A massive fire broke out late last night at NS Mobile World, a mobile shop located near the Rattanpura railway crossing, causing extensive damage and injuries. The blaze rapidly engulfed the entire store, reducing it to ashes within minutes. The shop owner, Nitish Kumar, a resident of Vikas Nagar, shared that he had stepped out with his friend to purchase medicines from a hospital. Upon returning, he checked the CCTV footage of his store and was alarmed to find the cameras turned off — raising serious suspicion. Nitish, accompanied by his colleague Deepak Kumar, rushed to the shop to investigate. As they opened the door, a powerful explosion occurred, leaving both men with burn injuries. They were immediately taken to a nearby private hospital for treatment. Nitish reported a financial loss amounting to several lakhs of rupees, as the entire shop was destroyed in the fire. The Fire Brigade team responded promptly after receiving the alert just past midnight and managed to bring the blaze under control. Fire Officer Kamal confirmed the swift response but stated that the exact cause of the fire remains unknown. Investigations are currently underway. Fire Officer Kamal confirmed that the shop’s shutter had been severely damaged by the blast, which was possibly caused by a mobile phone or related device. While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, initial reports suggest that a short-circuit could have played a role in the outbreak.