07092025-ATR-01.qxd 06-09-2025 22:49 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY GOODS GUTTED IN FIRE AT HANDLOOM GODOWN SEVEN BOOKED FOR IMMIGRATION FRAUD MANKIRT AULAKH PLEDGES CRORES, TRACTORS & HOPE A fire broke out in the godown of a handloom shop located in the tehsil bazaar in Tarn Taran. P2 The police have booked seven persons for duping residents on the pretext of sending them abroad. P2 MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C The Punjabi singer has pledged ~5 crore and 100 tractors to support flood-hit people across Punjab. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.46 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6.09 AM » SUNDAY | 7 SEPTEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Medical relief begins in flood-hit areas Teams from AIIMS, Delhi, Health Department set up medical camps: 6,800 patients treated Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 6 Medical support and relief operations have begun in the next phase of relief operations for families affected by the floods in many districts of the state. Today, a team of 22 healthcare professionals, including doctors and senior staff nurses, visited Chamiari, Siddhiwala and Bhindi Saidan villages in Ajnala. They set up medical camps at the Ajnala Civil Hospital and schools, offering their services to walk-in patients of nearby villages that were cut off from healthcare service for the last 12 days. Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney has directed to set up a largescale medical camps fearing the outbreak of water-borne diseases caused by stagnant water in flood-affected areas. Today, teams of doctors reached at various places, where people were living, by using boats, tractors and other means. Additional Deputy Commissioner Rohit Gupta said A team of AIIMS (Delhi) doctors examines patients at a temporary medical camp set up at a govenrment school in Ajnala on Saturday. the Health Department organized medical camps at 22 places in Ajnala and Ramdas and at six places, the camps were organized by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). About 6,800 patients were provided immediate medical services and consultation and tested for any infection. Dr Amrinder Singh Malhi, leading the AIIMS (Delhi) team, said AIIMS, New Del- hi, will set up a 24/7 helpline number for telephonic consultation on medication and other ailments. “We remain committed to treating as many people as we can and today, we have treated patients with allergies, waterborne infections and respiratory issues. We will again visit more villages, preferably areas that no one has reached till date,” he said. Meanwhile, Rohit Gupta said yesterday, an eight-yearold child, Abhijot Singh, was found to have a kidney problem in Talwandi Rai Dadu, who was admitted to the paediatric ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital by the Health Department. He said that this child is undergoing treatment there and the Punjab government will bear all the expenses of the treatment as far as possible. He also appealed to people that they can take the services of doctors sitting 24 hours in these flood relief camps in any emergency. If someone is bitten by a snake, they can reach there and get the patient vaccinated. More teams of docs to reach needy: Jasbir Jassi Singer Jasbir Jassi, who has been continuing to support relief efforts since day one, said they are helping to mobilise more medical teams from across Punjab and country to reach people in flood-affected areas of Ajnala, Ramdas, Fazilka and Gurdaspur. “We will facilitate more support for the AIIMS team of doctors till the time they are here. Also, another team of doctors will soon be arriving here from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. The medical camps will continue for the next few days to help people who need immediate medical support,” he said. Jassi said he does not have a team of his own on the ground. “There is no team and I have been coordinating and connecting people through my network and through calls. I receive 500 calls every day and messages to ensure I do not miss out on any call for help. By now, everyone in Punjab or elsewhere in the world have my phone number. Those volunteering for us have been strictly told not to get any photos clicked, because once you start doing that, the actual work gets forgotten,” said the singer. Cabinet review meet on floods cancelled due to internal rift: Channi Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 6 Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party here on Friday, saying it was not just the Chief Minister who was unwell, but the entire party and its government in the state was ill and hospitalised. He alleged that the Punjab Government is not serious about helping flood-hit families, claiming that the crucial Cabinet review meeting on GOVT NOT SERIOUS ABOUT HELPING NEEDY ■ The Punjab Government is not serious about helping flood-hit families, claiming that the crucial Cabinet review meeting on the calamity was cancelled because of ‘internal rift’, not due to CM Bhagwant Mann’s poor health. Channi's comments came as he accompanied Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, who is on a two-day visit to Punjab. the calamity was cancelled because of ‘internal rift’, not due to CM Bhagwant Mann’s poor health. Channi’s comments came as he accompanied Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, who is on a two-day visit to Punjab, PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and other local Congress leaders. Baghel, a former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, is here to visit six flood-ravaged bor- der districts of the state and submit his report to Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. He flagged off relief material and said the flood devastation was the result of failures at both the state and Central Government levels. He accused authorities of withholding data on deaths, livestock losses and crop damage. How could the state government and the Centre be so ‘insensitive’, he questioned, while adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not even posted a single tweet regarding the miserable situation in Punjab. They all had left Punjab’s people to fend for themselves, he alleged. Meanwhile, Channi claimed that every Congress worker and leader was on the ground to help the flood victims. He said the senior leader might also visit Punjab soon. PPCC president Warring said questions on how the calamity occurred and who was at fault would be answered in the coming days after the relief operations. He said this was not the right time to play blame game. Today is the time to help the flood-affected people. Later, they flagged off four trucks of relief material to be distributed among the floodhit victims in Ajnala and Ferozepur areas. Raj Kumar Verka, former cabinet minister, said the Central Government has, so far, not announced any relief for Punjab, which has been battling floods for the past 10 days. Institutions, social bodies provide help to people in distress Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 6 Relief work for flood-affected families in the district has received a major boost as several institutions, social organisations and educational bodies extended generous support. At an event in Ajnala, The Service Club Amritsar, led by president Sukhdev Singh Chinna, presented cheques worth Rs 3 lakh to Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney through the Red Cross Society. The All-India Punjab National Bank Officers’ Association also contributed Rs 1.51 lakh, while Punjab National Bank staff and management in Amritsar added Rs 2.5 lakh. The Jai Ho Club Amritsar, under president Vicky Dutta, distributed essential household items—includ- Amritsar DC flags Gurdaspur braces up to deal with aftermath of floods ‘hoarding’ concerns, issues advisory Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 6 With NGOs, religious deras and teams of volunteers of the district administration amplifying relief work, trying to provide ration, medicines and other essentials like tarpaulines to those still stranded in remote areas of Ajnala and Ramdas, DC Sakshi Sawhney has issued advisory against “hoarding” and stocking of relief material by some shopkeepers. Issuing directions to mediapersons, volunteers and organisations working on the ground at Ajnala and Ramdas, the DC said, “In case you get any complaint that relief has not been given to any individual, kindly take their contact details and location so that it can be verified. We have been maintaining a stock register and are getting complaints of hoarding of relief material, so we would be in a position then to check the veracity of the complaint and also ensure equitable distribution. “We are also checking at our own level, but since all of you are also in the field it would be a great service to humanity and help us ensure equity. We need to ensure that no person is left out and also that unscrupulous elements do not make profit of this great devastation.” Even reports were received that some of the families in remote villages along the International Border in affected areas have still not received any help. People from remote villages like Pachian and Saharan Kasowal in Ramdas, which are just 2-3 km away from the Pakistan border, have stated they have received no relief so far as people from villages ahead, relatively safer, have “grabbed” the aid. While volunteers, who are helping in relief operations, have shared videos online of the ‘loot’ of relief and ration aid from trolleys by certain people, who claim to be flood victims, there has been no official verification of the same. The NGOs and volunteers have also urged the donors to not send dry ration supplies in abundance as there is no storage facility to keep such huge amounts. Instead, they are encouraging volunteers and donors to first enquire about what kind of relief material is required and then contribute to avoid any wastage or distribution disruption. Gurdaspur, September 6 Water is the elixir of life and is essential for the survival of human beings. However, as the recent floods have proved, water can prove to be a highly destructive force too. The recent inundations and downpours have resulted in innumerable deaths, with Gurdaspur being the worstaffected district in the state in terms of fatalities of humans and livestock and the total number of people affected. Such events increase the chances of spreading waterborne diseases, such as Hepatitis A and cholera. Receding floods can create stagnant pools of water which, in turn, provide a perfect breeding-ground for leeches. These leeches transmit malaria and dengue. Civil Surgeon Dr Jaswinder Singh said Gurdaspur district was ready to face any sort of eventuality. “We have set up a permanent medical camp in the cluster of seven villages across the Ravi river and located adjacent to the International Border (IB) with Pakistan. Our staff has also completed fogging and spraying in these villages.” This development assumes significance as this cluster of villages is considered to be the most backward area in this district. Seldom in the past have medical teams Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh, along with others, supervise arrangements in Gurdaspur. been stationed there. In the recent floods, the cluster suffered extensive damage with hundreds of cattle heads, the main source of income for these villagers, disappearing. The Civil Surgeon said four ambulances, stocked with medicines, had been requisitioned from the IMA, Jalandhar, and an equal number from the IMA, Gurdaspur. Doctors say floods can lead to an increase of some forms of zoonotic disease, which are an infectious disease transmitted naturally from animals to humans. Dr Prabhjot Kalsi, Assistant Civil Surgeon, Gurdaspur, said 20 new medical teams of MBBS doctors have been stationed at strategic places. These are those particular places where floods were at c m y b their severest. “This district has 16 hospitals, including the Gurdaspur Civil Hospital, Batala Sub-Divisional Hospital and 14 Community Health Centres (CHCs). All of them are fully stocked with medicines. We have formed 83 teams of doctors which have already fanned out in the villages encircled by water. The timings of the Aam Aadmi Clinics have been extended till 5 pm. This has been done to make sure nobody goes back without being treated,” she said. In Gurdaspur, flooding has forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes and relocate to relief camps. Many have been given shelter in these camps. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dal- winderjit Singh has been personally supervising the operations of these camps. He has strictly asked the health authorities not to be lax “as the real problems start after the water starts receding”.” Like in the 1988 floods, the trauma of losing loved ones, homes and livelihoods takes a severe toll on the mental health and emotional well-being of the affected population. Schools and colleges have been closed for a prolonged period of time, consequently disrupting the education of students. Doctors are of the opinion that waterborne diseases are sure to disrupt essential services and cause significant harm once the water level starts going down. “The overall impact is often severe economic hardship and psychological distress for affected populations,” said a medical officer. An agricultural officer, who saw the destruction caused during the 1988 floods, said, wildlife habitats can be destroyed by floodwater. “This means the ecological balance at the Keshopur wetland will be badly affected. Contaminated flood water will also pollute rivers and habitats while silt, sludge and sediment may potentially destroy crops. Plants that survive the initial flood may die after being inundated with water for an extended period of time. Farmers, who are already under debt, tend to develop suicidal tendencies as their possessions have been washed away,” he said. He said the biggest negative factor was that the crops are destroyed. “Agricultural land becomes infertile due to saturation and erosion,” he added. Doctors opine floodwaters can carry pollutants like pesticides, sewage and oil, contaminating freshwater sources and harming aquatic life. All in all, after facing the fury of the angry Ravi river, which led to the floods, Gurdaspur is now all set to deal with the deluge’s aftermath which, experts say, is bound to be more dangerous than the floods itself. ing cylinders, beds, utensils and mattresses—to 50 affected families. Meanwhile, Vishwaas Foundation, Panchkula, donated 2,000 bedsheets, 2,500 sanitary pads, 500 tarpaulins and 400 bags of cattle feed for distribution in the worsthit villages. Khalsa College and Khalsa College Public School also stepped forward. Principal Dr Atam Singh Randhawa handed over a cheque of Rs 2.35 lakh to the Deputy Commissioner, while school principal Amarjit Singh Gill flagged off buses carrying rations and food supplies. Thanking all donors, Deputy Commissioner Sawhney said their collective efforts would accelerate recovery from the disaster. She praised the institutions for standing with society in times of hardship. 1 more suspect arrested in six-month-old murder case Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 6 Acting swiftly on the forward and backward linkages of an assailant arrested earlier in May in connection with the murder of Jagdeep Maula, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) arrested one more assailant here on Friday. Sources in the AGTF said here on Saturday that the second assailant has been identified as Arashdeep Singh Arash, a resident of Bath village (Tarn Taran). The sources revealed that the arrest of Arash could be possible with the help of information given by Rahul Singh who was arrested in May. Jagdeep was murdered in the month of March. Both suspects had allegedly killed Jagdeep Singh Maula, a resident of Jarmastpur near the local Darbar Sahib, in broad daylight in March. Riding a motorcycle, the two suspects, armed with a weapon, reached the spot and shot dead Jagdeep. Both have prior criminal records and are facing charges for extortion, attempt to murder, killings, etc.