01102025-JTR-01.qxd 9/30/2025 11:06 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune BAN IMPOSED ON STUBBLE BURNING IN KAPURTHALA GARHDIWALA’S SEWA DAL: A BEACON OF HOPE & RESILIENCE CELEBS OFFER PRAYERS AT DURGA PUJA PANDAL The decision comes in the wake of growing concerns about the harmful effects of crop residue burning. P2 Baba Deep Singh Sewa Dal provides monthly rations to over 2,000 people across 95 villages in the region.P3 Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor visited the North Bombay Durga Puja and offered prayers there. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.12 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:21 AM » WEDNESDAY | 1 OCTOBER 2025 | JALANDHAR Large quantity of narcotic capsules seized 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. Our Correspondent Deepkamal Kaur Illegal property of drug peddler demolished Tribune News Service Jalandhar September 30 The Municipal Corporation in coordination with the Commissionerate Police on Tuesday demolished an illegal encroachment belonging to a notorious drug trafficker in Basti Guzan. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur said the illegal property near Balmik Mandir had been occupied by Sachin, alias Laddi, which had been brought down. She said the occupant was a drug smuggler and had 10 FIRs registered against him under the NDPS Act. “This action is a strong message to the drug mafia. By destroying their illegal properties, we are not only enforcing the law, but also freeing our neighbourhood from the grip of drugs,” said CP Dhanpreet Kaur. She appealed to citizens to share information related to drugs through the government’s WhatsApp number 9779-100-200. Residents of the locality welcomed this initiative of the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police. City mountaineer climbs 8th highest peak Mt Manaslu Women constables in integrated control room in Jalandhar on Monday. PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH. e-challans after 10-day awareness campaign 3,768 violations detected in 8 hrs at control centre Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 30 Even as DGP Gaurav Yadav on Monday launched e-challan system for traffic violations, including red light jumping and wrong side driving, it has been decided that the process of issuing and delivering of e-challans will be started in due course which could be a week’s time to 10 days. ADCP (Operations and Security) Vineet Ahlawat said, “We have started the process of detecting violations but so far we are not issuing and delivering the challans. At 13 intersections that we are covering via the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), we detected as many as 3,768 violations in the eight-hour span between 9 am to 5 pm today”. The challan amount for red light jumping as per the Motor Vehicles Act is Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for repeat violations. The ADCP said, “Our teams of 10 cops are working in shifts. We shall deploy more or less staff as per the requirements in the days to come. We shall create massive awareness on e-challaning for the whole of this week, sensitising people that Soaked in devotion they were under watch even if a cop would not be signalling and stopping them for a violation.” Ahlawat said, “So far, we shall not be issuing e-challans for not wearing helmet. But we are telling people that it is a protective gear meant for the safety of their own lives. We want them to wear helmets voluntarily without the fear of law.” Residents have hailed the decision of the government to launch the e-challan provision saying that it shall act as a deterrent for the violators who try to hoodwink the traffic cops by taking u-turns or escaping from their reach. Phagwara, September 30 The Kapurthala police, under the supervision of ASI Divender Pal and ASI Manjit Singh, intercepted and seized a substantial quantity of narcotic capsules, arresting two individuals involved in illegal drug distribution. According to reports, acting on a tip-off, the police observed a youth roaming near Subhanpur, carrying a black bag containing concealed narcotics. The youth Amrik Singh was intercepted approximately 500 metres from the initial reference point. On inspection, the police recovered 125 capsules of illicit drugs from the bag. Further investigation led to the discovery of additional contraband concealed within coloured wrapping sheets. Officers found around 900 capsules out of which 54 were earmarked for chemical testing. The seized narcotics were primarily pink-colored, packaged carefully to evade detection. The operation was conducted under the supervision of ASI Divender Pal and ASI Manjit Singh along with other supporting police personnel, ensuring the apprehension of the accused and secure the seizure of evidence. A case has been registered under the NDPS Act at Kapurthala police station. The police have confirmed that the accused are currently in custody and that further investigation is ongoing to identify the broader network involved in drug trafficking. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 30 A city-based youth and mountaineer Gursimrann Singh Janjua (34) has climbed Mt Manaslu, the world’s eighthhighest peak, in Nepal last week. He had touched its zenith on September 22. This was the second successful climb of 8,000-metre peak for Gursimrann in a span of just five months. While Mt Manaslu is at a height of 8,163-metre, he had climbed Mt Annapurna I (8,091 m), the world’s tenthhighest peak and one of the most notoriously dangerous mountains on April 7. With two major 8,000-plus metre summits — Mt Annapurna-I in spring and Mt Manaslu in autumn — this IT project manager working with Ernst & Young has demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in highaltitude mountaineering throughout 2025. Gursimrann says that he takes leave from his job to pursue his passion. During his expeditions, he makes sure that he keeps on capturing the beautiful snow-clad peaks. “This time I captured the most iconic view. Mt Manaslu’s shadow fell on the Annapurna mountain range. It was simply breathtaking”, he showed his posts on his Instagram page. In August last year, he had scaled two 6,000-metre peaks Kang Yatse-1 and Kang Yatse-2 in the Markha valley of the Zanskar region in Gursimrann Singh, a Jalandhar-based mountaineer, has climbed Mt Manaslu, an over 8,000-metre peak in Nepal. Ladakh. Son of an Army officer, Gursimrann is an athlete and trained mountaineer having completed a basic course in mountaineering from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) six years back, an advance course in April 2022, and the search and rescue course in March 2023 from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi. Hailing from Makhan Shah Lubana Nagar near here, he enjoys taking part in various adventure sports like parasailing. Gursimrann said he had planned to summit Mt Manaslu peak without the supplemental oxygen support. “The plan could not materialise as perhaps my body was not ready for that”, he beamed. Known for his resilience and multi-disciplinary training, including first-aid and air sports, the dedicated mountaineer is already setting his sights on future expeditions that will challenge his limits once again. Elegant steed performs ‘sewa’ in flood-hit mand Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Devotees offer their prayers to Goddess Durga on Maha Ashtami in Jalandhar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Sultanpur Lodhi, Sept 30 In the flood-hit mand of Sultanpur Lodhi, the silhouette of a horse rider on his steed stands out like a character in a fairy tale. As tractor-borne men brave bumpy and uneven rides across kucha tracks, Satnam Singh and his mare Rupa gallop through arduous terrains with quiet pride and determination. Satnam, a resident of Bhaini Bahadur village, and Rupa have become a symbol of resilience and “Chardi Kala” (never say die spirit) that defines the flood-affected people of the region. Rupa is the only horse to be rendering “sewa” in the testing times. Even Satnam’s father Joga Singh also went viral as the ever-smiling “Bapu”, upbeat despite the floods. A schoolbus driver by profession, Satnam refused to part with Rupa when his family decided to sell off their other two horses — Noorie and another one also called Rupa. Now, Satnam and Rupa cover miles to deliver food to drivers of earth moving machines strengthening bundhs around Baupur. This is her second flood experience, the first being the 2023 floods. The four-year-old Rupa has swum through rivers in spate, helped neighbours ferry belongings and delivered langar through 5 feet waters, when the boats weren’t available in the area. Satnam said, “Rupa follows me wherever I go.” Moved by an earth mover driver, who had to skip meals while working on long shifts on the bundh, Satnam began feeding drivers since waters receded. Satnam quipped, “My grandfather was the first in the family to keep horses. When the family decided to sell horses, I just couldn’t part with her. People think we take care of her, but it’s she who actually protects us.” “I have been going around to check on neighbours at odd hours with Rupa. She neighs when I return from school and asks me for food,” said Satnam, adding that he was giving early lessons to his five-year-old son Armandeep Singh. Satnam Singh atop his mare Rupa heads for Baupur. TRIBUNE PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH Barbrik Chowk gets new look with bow & arrow art piece in Jalandhar Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 30 After installing an artistically designed, hand-crafted clock tower at Geeta Mandir Chowk in Model Town, the Municipal Corporation has unveiled another striking landmark for the city. This time, it’s a beautifully sculpted bow and arrow made of iron, now standing tall at Barbrik Chowk in the Jalandhar West Assembly segment — a must-see symbol of craftsmanship and civic pride The striking iron art piece was unveiled on Tuesday by minister Mohinder Bhagat and Mayor Vaneet Dhir. Painted in gold and mounted on a round platform designed with open lotus petals, the sculpture depicts the legendary quiver of Veer Barbrik — the mighty warrior from the Mahabharata. It features three divine arrows, as described in the epic. Fittingly, the chowk where it stands was already named after Barbrik, the grandson of Bhima and son of Ghatotkacha. Dhir said the structure had been sponsored by Universal Sports Industries located closeby. “The sports group had shown keenness in getting it designed well. Their teams coordinated with MC officials and local artists to ready the concept and get it designed to perfection. They shall also ensure its maintenance”, he said. Anurag Chadha, owner of Universal Sports Industries, said, “We were approached by Bhagat to sponsor a landmark structure for the chowk. Our GM Ajay Aggarwal coordinated with Joint Commissioner, MC, Mandeep Kaur and artist Pragati Gupta for creating the beautiful piece which has become a head turner for all commuters passing by this busy intersection of the city”. Artists Pragati Gupta and Gurpreet Singh, who run Sculpting Together Art Studio at Rama Mandi, along with their team of craftsmen have worked for over 40 days to get the piece readied. The studio, which came up just three years ago, has to its credit the designing of 7-8 metal sculptures of Lord Shiva ahead of Kumbh Mela which found place at Shivalaya Park at Prayagraj. Says Gupta, who graduated in fine arts from Lovely Professional University, “We were consulted for designing an art piece for the chowk. We suggested that the best option would be to erect a piece which would symbolise the name of the chowk and hence the idea came up. We shared a few design concepts and finally this piece with three arrows in the quiver got selected”. The artists are also designing a ‘matka’ like structure with two-way water flow at Sri Guru Ravidas Chowk which too is set to be inaugurated any time soon. c m y b VEER BARBRIK AND HIS 3 INFALLIBLE ARROWS As per the epic, Veer Barbrik had learnt the art of warfare from his mother Maurvi. He had received the three infallible arrows from Goddess Agni, which made him so powerful that he could defeat any enemy. The warrior was heading to participate in the Mahabharata with his three arrows and directions from his mother to support the side that was losing the battle. Lord Krishna knew the power of his arrows and asked for his head, which he offered. His head witnessed the entire war and he was named Khatu Shyamji after the name of Khatu village in Rajasthan, a prominent site for worship in the Hinduism.