23092025-ATR-01.qxd 9/22/2025 10:32 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST SUNNY LITTLE ‘LANGOORS’ LIGHT UP HISTORIC TEMPLE IN CITY STUDENT GIVES HOPE, HOME TO DISPLACED FAMILIES PANKAJ KAPUR TO BE SEEN IN HARRY BHATTI'S RAAVI DE KANDE With commencement of Navratras, famous Langoor Mela began at Bada Hanuman Mandir. P2 Amaira Mehra of Class XII donates a ‘container home’ for flood-affected families in Ramdass. P3 Three decades after Marhi da Diva, acting powerhouse Pankaj Kapur makes a comeback to Punjabi cinema. P4 » » » MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.35 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:16 AM TUESDAY | 23 SEPTEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR Curbing farm fires in district’s veggie belt a herculean task Due to limited window, farmers start clearing fields of paddy residue Manmeet Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 22 With the harvesting of shortduration paddy varieties underway in vegetable belt of the district, the administration is having a tough time in tackling farm fires. So far, 32 incidents of stubble burning have been reported only from these areas, where farmers have been clearing their fields of crop residue to sow vegetables due to a limited window. Officials said the situation was worrisome as farmers cultivating vegetables required a quick turnaround time to prepare the land. Unlike wheat, which can be sown after some gap, vegetables such as cauliflower, peas and potatoes must be planted almost immediately after harvesting paddy. This compulsion is driving growers to resort to residue burning as it’s the fastest and cheapest method of clearing fields. The administration has appealed to farmers to use happy seeders, rotavators and mulchers to manage Thieves decamp with ~5K from Jaura village Tarn Taran, September 22 Amritpal Singh, a resident of Jaura village, complained that robbers ransacked his house and decamped with Rs 5,000 on Saturday. He told the Sarhali police that his family came to know about the incident on Sunday morning. He said two unidentified persons could be seen entering the locality on a CCTV installed nearby. A case under Section 305 and 331 (4) of the BNS has been registered against the suspects. — OC Two held with illicit liquor Tarn Taran, September 22 The Goindwal Sahib police have arrested two brothers with 22 litres of illicit liquor on Sunday. The accused have been identified as Labh Singh and Harmeet Singh, both residents of Kallha village. ASI Harjinder Singh said the accused had stored the liquor in a plastic cane. The police have registered a case under Section 123 of the BNS and Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act. — OC So far, 32 incidents of stubble burning have been reported from these areas. TRIBUNE PHOTO crop residue. Officials said subsidies were being provided on these Tarn Taran, September 22 The Khalra police have recovered a damaged drone at Rajoke village on Sunday. ASI Shingara Singh said Balwinder Singh, a farmer, told the police about a drone stuck in a tree at his cattle farm. environmental damage caused by farm fires. “We are making every effort Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, September 22 Last week, the Pathankot police nabbed two persons and clamped stringent sections of the NDPS Act and subsequently sent them behind bars. The Division No. 2 police station had arrested Rahul Mehta with 21 grams of heroin. The investigation revealed that he was working along with Aman Sharma, who was using his car to sell drugs. Officers said these two boys could had been directly sent to the rehabilitation centre but for the fact that a large quantity of heroin was recovered from them. The police have developed a modus-operandi wherein any person caught with barely 1 or 2 grams of heroin is sent to the rehabilitation centre with the permission of the court. In other cases, the cops are fanning out into villages to identify addicts who are then sent to de-addiction centres where they are detoxified and sent back to mainstream society. Although there are no official records available, yet senior officers admit that Pathankot has the lowest number of addicts in the state. SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon said, “In other districts, villagers give a safe Those held with 1 or 2 grams of heroin are sent to de-addiction centre. haven for people carrying heroin or who are finding a place to hide the drugs. In Pathankot district, people have been sensitised about the dangers of providing shelter to addicts. Nobody in villages, particularly those located near the International Border (IB), now give shelter to such people,” he said. Another factor that works in favour of the police is the huge concentration of ex-servicemen in and around the city. “These ex-army men are very strict about giving shelter. On the contrary, they inform us if they see any person selling heroin in or around their village or if anyone is seen consuming the powder, even if it means he belongs to their village,” said an officer. So far, 700 youngsters have been treated at 10 Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) centres in the district. The anti-opium drug, Buprenorphine, is available at these centres. The Pathankot police have enforced a three-pronged strategy of “enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation” to eradicate drugs. As a part of the strategy, cops have been promoting and creating awareness about Section 64-A of the NDPS Act, which gives an opportunity for a drug consumer caught with a few grams of heroin or narcotic powder for rehabilitation instead of sending them to prison. Section 64-A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, provides for immunity from prosecution for addicts who voluntarily seek treatment for their de-addiction. This provision aims to decriminalise drug users and prioritise rehabilitation over punishment. Fire breaks out at Civil Hospital, staff battle flames for hours No casualty reported EMPLOYEES WERE TRAINED RECENTLY Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 22 Panic spread in the Amritsar Civil Hospital today morning after a fridge kept at a blood bank situated next to the children’s ward caught fire. Seeing situation getting out of control, alert staffers broke glass windows to let the smoke out and moved 15 children from the ward to a safer place. All children were rescued without injury. With the help of fire extinguishers, the hospital staff managed to bring the flames under control. Civil Surgeon Dr Dhawan said a fridge caught fire due to a short circuit. Other electrical equipment also suffered minor damage, he said. Hospital employee Manjinder Singh, who helped control the blaze, said, “The fire was spreading fast and children’s lives were in danger. We immediately began rescue work and somehow managed to save the patients.” He added that the staff collected fire extinguishers from all floors and fought the flames for nearly an hour. Damaged drone, pistol recovered Our Correspondent machines and awareness campaigns had been launched to highlight the to guide farmers. Teams are visiting villages on daily basis to spread awareness about penalties and the availability of machinery,” said an Agriculture Officer. Farmers said the cost of hiring machines and shortage of equipment during peak season makes it difficult for them to follow the guidelines. “We cannot afford delays. If we miss the sowing window for vegetables, our income will suffer,” said a farmer from the Jandiala area. Another farmer Harman Singh said, “Sometimes farmers sow vegetable crop on the same day after harvesting paddy. Alternative measures require a lot of time and resources.” He said farmers burned paddy residue as it’s the cheapest and quickest way. As a result, the administration has intensified monitoring in sensitive areas and warned of strict action against violators. Yet, striking a balance between farmers’ livelihood and environmental protection continues to be the biggest challenge. Pathankot cops fan out in villages, identify addicts The ASI said they recovered a damaged drone along with a glock pistol. A case has been registered under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act and Sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Aircraft Act. The ASI said the drone entered into the Indian territory from Pakistan. had ❝ The hospital staff in recently been trained fire safety, which helped them act quickly. As it was early morning, both night and day-shift employees were present, making the rescue easier. ❞ — Dr Rashmi, SENIOR MEDICAL OFFICER CHILDREN’S LIVES WERE IN DANGER ❝ The fire was spreading fast and children’s lives were in danger. We immediately began rescue work and somehow managed to save the patients. The staff collected fire extinguishers from all floors and fought the flames for nearly an hour. The staff rush towards a blood bank, which is situated next to the children’s ward. A total of 15 children were moved to a safer place without any injury. VISHAL KUMAR Vandana, another staffer, said she and others ran upstairs as soon as they heard about the fire. “We all worked together, broke windows and tried our best to stop the fire from spreading. It took us about two hours to control it,” she recalled. Senior Medical Officer Dr Rashmi said the hospital staff had recently been trained in fire safety, which helped them act quickly. As it was early morning, both night and day-shift employees were present, making the rescue easier, she added. By the time fire and emergency services ❞ — Manjinder Singh, HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE teams reached the spot, the hospital employees had already brought the situation under control. Auto driver drags stray dog, booked 12 booked for firing in Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 22 An FIR has been registered at Sadar police station following a complaint regarding cruelty towards a street dog. Deepak Kumar, a volunteer with PEA, an NGO and manager of AWCS Dog Shelter, submitted a written complaint to the SHO stating that on the evening of September 17, a video sur- faced showing an auto driver named Kocha, a resident of Baba Deep Singh Colony, Fatehgarh Churian, committing cruelty towards a dog. According to the complaint, the auto driver allegedly called a stray dog towards him, tied it to the back of his auto-rickshaw and abandoned it at an unknown location. The condition of the dog remains unclear, with fears that it c m y b may have died. Acting on the complaint, ASI Gurbhajan Singh along with other police personnel registered a case under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Police officials said that after registering the FIR, a copy was handed over to the investigating officer for fur- ther inquiry. The control room and senior officials were also informed about the case. Animal welfare groups have condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the accused. Police said the investigation is underway and further details will be shared once the condition of the dog and the role of the accused are verified. air, uploading video Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 22 The Bhikhiwind police have booked 12 residents of Frandipur village for firing in the air and uploading the video on social media on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. ASI Kulwinderpal Singh said the accused had gath- ered at a house of Ravinder Singh Rubi of Farandipur village and fired indiscriminately into the air. Later, they uploaded the video on social media to terrorise the residents, said the ASI. The police have registered a case under Section 125 of the BNS and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.