07092025-JTR-01.qxd 9/6/2025 11:01 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ADMINISTRATION CARRIES OUT EMERGENCY RESPONSE DRIVE DEVOTEES OFFER PRAYERS FOR FLOOD RELIEF AT SODAL MELA MANKIRT AULAKH PLEDGES CRORES, TRACTORS & HOPE The district administration has intensified emergency response operations in the rain-affected areas of Kapurthala. P2 Devotees and political leaders from across the region paid obeisance at Sri Sidh Baba Sodal Temple. P3 The Punjabi singer has pledged ~5 crore and 100 tractors to support flood-hit people across Punjab. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.39 PM » SUNRISE MONDAY 6:03 AM SUNDAY | 7 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. INBRIEF HEROIN SEIZED, ONE ARRESTED Phagwara: The police have arrested a man after seizing 40 grams of heroin during a routine patrol. According to reports, ASI Keval Singh and his team were conducting checks in the areas of Kishanpur, Lakhan Kalan and Hamira when they spotted a suspicious individual near Lakhan Khurd. On seeing the police, the man allegedly turned away and began walking quickly. Officers observed him remove a transparent polythene packet from his trouser pocket and throw it into roadside grass. The suspect was apprehended and identified as Lovepreet Singh, alias Love, son of Satpal Singh, a resident of Badshahpur, Police Station Subhanpur. A search of the recovered packet, conducted in accordance with legal procedure, revealed heroin. A field test confirmed the substance, and an electronic scale determined the weight to be 40 grams, including the packaging. A case was registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act. -- OC BOOK ON MEDICINE Jalandhar: Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Friday launched the Textbook of Pharmacology — An Integrated Approach, authored by Dr Jagminder Kaur Bajaj, Head of the Pharmacology Department at Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar and Dr Satinderjit Singh Bajaj, Medical Superintendent at Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Civil Hospital, Jalandhar. The launch took place during an event at the Indian Institute of Health Management Research, Jaipur, where both doctors were present. Dr Balbir Singh joined the event virtually and released the book online. — TNS BURGLARS BREAK INTO HOUSE Phagwara: An unidentified miscreant allegedly broke into a residence and stole valuables worth thousands of rupees late at night on Friday. The complaint was filed by Parmjeet Kaur, a resident of Bhilowal, at the Kotwali police station. According to her statement, the intruder made off with two mobile phones, a motorcycle, a pair of earrings and tops, a gold chain, and Rs 20,000 in cash. Police have registered a case. — OC OVERSEAS VISA FRAUD COMPLAINT Phagwara: On a complaint lodged by Balbir Ram, a resident of Piparangi, Phagwara, the city police have registered a case under section 406 and 420 of IPC and Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act against two persons accused of defrauding a local family of several lakhs in an alleged overseas visa scam. The accused allegedly failed to fulfill their promise. — OC Assess damage, safety of structures for reuse: DC Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, September 6 Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain has directed the officials to prioritise accurate damage assessment and ensure the safety of all structures before their reuse. To streamline the process, the DC has ordered the formation of joint teams in every sub-division under the chairmanship of respective SDMs. All joint teams have been asked to begin work immediately and submit preliminary reports within seven days, followed by detailed reports covering both structural certification and damage assessment. These teams will comprise officials from the Public Works Department, Water Resources Department, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, PSPCL, Panchayat Department, Education Department, Block Development and Panchayat Officers, and Executive Officers of municipal bodies. Reviewing the situation on the ground, she emphasised that all schools, anganwadi centres, hospitals, public buildings and private homes will undergo mandatory technical inspections. They will only be declared fit for use after being structurally certified. Public and private losses will be assessed as per Villagers ferry their belongings on a boat in the flooded waters of Beas river at Baupur village of Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district. TRIBUNE PHOTO; MALKIAT SINGH WHAT ADMN SAYS ■ Excessive siltation, island formation have disrupted natural flow of river Beas, causing strong currents to hit bundhs directly. ■ This has severely impacted embankments near Rarra Bridge (Sri Hargobindpur), posing threat to the bridge, villages and farm land. ■ Proposal for scientific desilting of Beas river submitted the notified SDRF norms to ensure timely and appropriate compensation. The DC directed SDMs to hold daily review meetings, ensure on-the-spot solutions and maintain inter-departmental coordination. The District Education Officer has also been instructed to conduct structural safety inspections of school buildings. Jain conducted a late-night visit to the flood-affected villages of Harta and Badla in Chabbewal area to assess the damage caused by heavy rainfall and flooding. During her inspection, she expressed serious over erosion along the Beas river and noted that excessive siltation and island formation have disrupted the river’s natural flow, causing strong currents to strike embankments directly. This has severely impacted the embankments near Rarra Bridge (Sri Hargobindpur), posing threats to the bridge, villages, and land. The administration has submitted a proposal to the Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, for scientific desilting of the Beas river and construction of approximately 13 kilometers of embankments on priority. The work will be executed under the supervision of the Forest and Wildlife Department to ensure natural flow and biodiversity conservation. Flood relief operations pick up pace Four-member Central team in K’thala for inputs on losses Our Correspondent Phagwara, September 6 A four-member Central team sent by the Government of India to survey the flood-affected areas of Punjab visited Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district on Friday evening. The team includes RK Tiwari, CEA, Ministry of Power, Laxman Ram Buldak, Director, Agriculture, Sudeep Dutta, Under Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, Prakash Chand, Deputy Director, Ministry of Jal Shakti. On reaching Sultanpur Lodhi, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, Amit Kumar Panchal briefed the team about the flow of the Beas river and the badly affected Baupur island. The members of the Cen- AAP leader visits Sultanpur Lodhi Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh distributed relief to people in Sultanpur Lodhi on Saturday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Phagwara, September 6 With devastating floods continuing to disrupt life across Punjab, relief operations have intensified as political parties and the district administration rally to assist thousands of affected families and safeguard livestock. In Nakodar and Shahkot constituencies, torrential rains have submerged farmland and destroyed homes, leaving residents in critical need. BJP district president (Rural) Munish Dhir met Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, urging the Delhi government to release urgent financial aid. “Sufficient Youth distribute langar using boats in Mand area of Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district. TRIBUNE PHOTO; MALKIAT SINGH funds are required to carry out relief and resettlement so that flood victims can receive immediate help and reconstruction can begin,” Dhir emphasised. Relief efforts are gaining traction on multiple fronts. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) dispatched a minitruck loaded with ration, clothes and tarpaulins from Phagwara and Goraya to border villages in Amritsar. State BSP president Avtar Singh Karimpuri, who flagged off the consignment, commended grassroots party units for their swift action and called on both the Punjab and Central governments to announce compensation without delay. “Timely aid is critical for displaced families to rebuild their lives,” Karimpuri stated. Relief and rehabilitation efforts continue to expand as authorities and political representatives coordinate to mitigate the impact of the floods and restore normalcy across affected regions. tral team went by boat and interacted with the affected families at Baupur and Sangra to get information about the damage caused. The team also inspected the government school at Baupur. Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal gave detailed information to the Central team about the damage caused by floods in Kapurthala district and said that crops have been damaged in an area of about 35,000 acres in the district. Apart from this, the infrastructure has also been damaged. He said that the flood waters have caused huge losses to the people in the villages of Sultanpur Lodhi, Bholath and Kapurthala tehsils. The Deputy Commissioner also informed that the administration has been carrying out relief work since Jalandhar, September 6 Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Saturday reviewed the flood-affected areas at Sultanpur Lodhi. Halqa incharge Sajjan Singh Cheema and Additional Deputy Commissioner Varinderpal Singh Bajwa accompanied him. He visited the flood-affected areas at Mand Inderpur and also interacted with the families. He assured that the Punjab government stood with the flood-affected people with determination in this difficult time. He said due to the floods in Punjab, there has been a huge loss to the crops and livestock of farmers as well as to the com- mon people. The Rajya Sabha member also said that while the Punjab government is providing compensation for the losses suffered by the people, appeals have also been made to the Central government to announce a large-scale financial package to get the people of the state out of this difficult time. He said the government was committed to ensuring that people resume their normal lives again. Sanjay Singh also said that whenever the country has faced any difficult time, Punjab has always been at the forefront and has made a valuable contribution in protecting the country and its people. August 11, under which dry ration packets, medicines and other necessary items have been delivered to the people through boats. The administration is also working on four relief centres for the accommodation of the people. Similarly, more than 1,500 people were brought out safely from the floodaffected areas by the SDRF and the Army. After this, the Central team held a meeting with the officials at the local rest house. During the meeting, the team received information about the damage from officials of various departments. Additional Deputy Commissioner Navneet Kaur Bal, Chief Engineer, Public Works Department, Ramtej Singh Bains, SDM Alka Kalia and others were present on the occasion. Minister, DC distribute aid to rain-hit families Jalandhar, September 6 Punjab Horticulture and Defence Services Welfare Minister Mohinder Bhagat, along with Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal, on Saturday disbursed financial assistance to families who suffered losses during the recent spell of rains. Handing over cheques to the affected, the minister said the Punjab government had released funds to combat the natural disaster. Of this, Rs 5 crore has been earmarked for Jalandhar district, he added. They also handed over a cheque for Rs 1.20 lakh to Meenu Walia, whose entire house in Basti Gujan had collapsed in heavy rains that lashed the city this week. Dr Aggarwal informed that the district administration had already conducted an extensive assessment of damage caused by heavy rains. He said that 573 houses have been surveyed by his teams and more than Rs 1 crore is under the process of disbursement. He also offered support to the affected family in Basti Gujan which suffered roof collapse due to rains. He urged people to report their losses on the WhatsApp number 9646222555 for response from his relief teams. — TNS Haryana teacher brings ‘light’ to flood-hit on Teacher’s Day Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 6 On Teacher’s Day, September 5—which also marked his birthday—a teacher from Charkhi Dadri in Haryana was busy bringing light, quite literally, to rain-affected villages in Sultanpur Lodhi. On the evening of September 1, 36-year-old Sandeep Kumar, a young teacher from a coaching centre in Badhra village, boarded a bus to Punjab with a singular mission: to help those impacted by recent inundations. With his own savings and donations from the 200 students at his Tagore Coaching Centre, where he prepares youth for Haryana entrance tests such as CET and police recruitment, Sandeep spent days in Baupur, distributing Sandeep Kumar (in white shirt and glasses), a teacher from Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, has been distributing solar lights among the flood-affected people. A TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH solar-powered equipment to affected families. His visit is a moving example of how the devastation in Punjab has resonated with people across the country—even in its c m y b remotest corners. Unlike many others who have arrived at Baupur bandh with truckloads of rations, Sandeep took a different approach. He first conducted on-ground research to identify what the villagers truly needed. He distributed solar lights, solar torches and solar panels to households across various affected villages in Sultanpur Lodhi. Sandeep said, “I saw a moving report on Punjab and the next day, I was on a bus— just on pure instinct. Many relatives didn’t know, lest they ask me to send money instead of going. Even my students didn’t know. I just told them to keep studying with discipline while I was away. On the way, I sent them requests to contribute for Punjab’s support. I just wanted them to be empathetic and involved.” Even small contributions— Rs 5 or Rs 10—came pouring in from his students, he said. Travelling through the night, he arrived on September 2 and spent the entire first day surveying the situation and speaking to locals. “At first, I thought I had come in vain,” he said. “There were already stockpiles of rations and fodder at the bandh. Langars were being held for everyone. But I wasn’t going to take back my students’ money unused.” Sandeep then met Sarpanch Paramjit, who took him deeper into the villages. “At most homes, people were struggling due to frequent power cuts. Some worried they wouldn’t even be able to tell if water levels started rising again in the dark,” he added. Over two days, he distrib- uted solar lighting in villages including Baupur Jadid and Baupur Kadim. “In Haryana, villages are closely packed with thousands of homes across acres,” he said. “But here, across 10–20 acres, you’d find only two homes. Most wiring was damaged, poles had fallen and walls were damp or crumbling. I had brought a torch for the sarpanch, but ended up giving it to a girl in Class 12. Kids are enjoying the lights, but older students are worried about how their education— especially board exams—will be affected.” Though he is heading back to Haryana today, Sandeep is determined to return in about 10 days. “People will need diesel once the water recedes further. I’ll be back soon,” he said with resolve.