13102025-LT-01.qxd 10/13/2025 12:42 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune THEATRE, ART TAKE CENTRE STAGE ON DAY 2 OF YOUTH FEST LUDHIANA GIRLS DEFEAT FEROZEPUR TO CLINCH TITLE Ludhiana girls defeated Ferozepur 6-2 to bag trophy in Junior Punjab State Baseball Championship. P2 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 30°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 19°C DILJIT TEAMS UP WITH MANUSHI FOR NEW TRACK KUFAR The second day of the youth festival was marked by creativity, celebration and community spirit. P2 FORECAST Miss World Manushi Chhillar and Diljit Dosanjh are setting screens on fire with their latest collaboration. P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 5.54 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:23 AM » MONDAY | 13 OCTOBER 2025 | LUDHIANA Diwali preparedness: 10 fire stations to remain active to tackle any urgency More than 70 fire incidents were reported on festival last year in city Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 12 As Diwali is approaching near, the Ludhiana Fire Department is gearing up to tackle any kind of urgency. Considering past incidents of fire reported on the festival in 2024, which were more than 70, fire officials are leaving no stone unturned to ensure residents celebrate the festival of lights safely this time. Staff shortage in the Fire Department may create a challenging situation for firemen and to overcome the same, it has asked the Municipal Corporation to provide 20 drivers for a week so that all vehicles can be adequately manned. At present, the department has only 18 drivers. Meanwhile, all existing fire staff have been denied leave till October 13 as part of the operational readiness plan. Firefighters have identified several densely packed old city areas as highly vulnerable to fire incidents during Diwali. These include Chaura Bazaar, Gur Mandi, Butey Shah Mandi, Akal Garh Market, Namak Mandi, Sarafan Bazaar, Chawal Bazaar, Talaab Bazaar, Kitab Bazaar, Pratap Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Wait Ganj, Tib- At present, the Ludhiana Fire Department has 25 working fire tenders. ASHWANI DHIMAN FIRE DEPT’S ADVISORY ■ Don’t store any flammable items in the open or on rooftops ■ Always keep buckets of water nearby while lighting firecrackers ■ Exercise diligence while lighting candles or diyas inside homes, ensure they are kept far away from curtains, clothing or any other material ba Road and Tajpur Road, along with their connecting lanes. The new drivers provided by the MC, will also be apprised of information about city areas so that they may reach spots on time. A critical part of the department’s preparation involves ensuring a reliable water supply network. Teams will be conducting mandatory inspections of hydrants across older market areas to confirm they are fully functional for emergency use. Furthermore, officials have specifically asked the MC to prioritise the inspection and confirmation of water availability from hydrants in markets that are inaccessible to fire tenders due to narrow lanes. While the department believes these hydrants are working, they require a physical check before the festive surge. Assistant Divisional Fire Officer (ADFO) Jaswinder Singh Bhangu affirmed the department’s readiness. “We have finalised our preparations for the Diwali night. The city is growing and unfortunately, the number of fire incidents also tends to increase each year. Residents must adopt safety measures and be extremely cautious when lighting crackers to help prevent any untoward incidents,” he said. The ADFO said at present, the Fire Department had 25 working fire tenders and two new fire tenders may be added in days to come which will strengthen the preparedness of the department. “We have seven fire stations — Hambran Road, Central Fire Station, Focal Point, Gill road, Sundar Nagar, Tajpur road and Tibba road. To ensure rapid response on Diwali, three more makeshift fire stations, including Jalandhar bypass, Samrala chowk and Ferozepur road, will be created. These forward-deployed units are designed to facilitate swift movement of the fire tenders to an incident site, bypassing traffic congestion “revealed the ADFO. Markets lack fire safety arrangements Though the authorities have designated six places where cracker shops would be established, some shopkeepers have already put up cracker stalls outside their shops and in markets illegally in the city. All such shops and vends lack fire safety arrangements and if anything untoward happens, losses would be unimaginable. The authorities need to take urgent steps to prevent any tragedy. Jail official, 2 inmates nabbed for concealing drugs, mobile phones Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 12 An assistant superintendent and two undertrials at the Ludhiana Central Jail were arrested for allegedly concealing drugs and mobile phones with an LED TV in its box by using a double-sided tape on the jail premises. The matter came to light when DSP (Security) Jagjit Singh conducted a surprise inspection of the jail on October 10. During the search, narcotics and a mobile phone were recovered in the LED TV box. The DSP said during the search, the police found 84 gm of a brown narcotic substance, 121 gm of a black narcotic substance and 10 mobile phones which were confiscated. Jail staff were questioned The Central Jail in Ludhiana. FILE about findings but none could provide any answers. According to the DSP a , thorough investigation revealed that the items belonged to two jail inmates, Firozuddin and Deepak. They had hatched the conspiracy, violating jail rules. Both were subsequently interrogated who confessed that the goods were delivered through the assistant superintendent, Sukhwinder Singh. Following this, the jail administration took the incident seriously and questioned the official regarding the matter. A case under the Prisons Act and NDPS Act was registered against the suspects and further investigation was launched. Pungrain chief reviews paddy procurement Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 12 Pungrain Chairman Tejpal Singh Gill visited Jagraon Grain Market to review the ongoing paddy procurement arrangements. Speaking during the visit, Dr Gill assured farmers and commission agents that every grain of their harvest- ed paddy would be purchased without delay and lifted promptly from mandis. “The government has made robust arrangements to ensure that farmers face no hurdles while selling their produce,” he said. Dr Gill also interacted with farmers and arhtiyas, listening to their concerns and promising swift resolu- tion. He emphasised that extensive measures had been put in place to guarantee hassle-free procurement and immediate lifting of stock from the markets. Appealing to farmers, Dr Gill urged them to bring dry paddy to the mandis and refrain from burning stubble, citing the environmental risks associated with the practice. Dispute between youths Man kidnapped from city MC records drop in water contamination leads to firing, two injured Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 12 Chaos erupted in the Iqbal Nagar area of Tibba on Saturday night when a dispute broke out between youths over making of a video of some of them smoking hookah. Afterwards, a scuffle broke out between the two groups and within moments, firing occurred. Hearing the sound of gunshots, people from nearby areas came out of their houses. Two youths received bullet injuries. Local residents took the injured to a hospital. The police questioned residents and found that firing had occurred in the area. During investigation, the police recovered six bullet shells from the scene. One of the injured youths, identified as Sarvajeet Singh, was admitted to the Civil Hospital while the other person has been referred by it to the Christian Medical College and Hospital. According to information, a religious gathering was being organised at a house in the Iqbal Nagar area before a wedding ceremony on Saturday. Some youths reached the place and started smoking hookah. Sarvajeet recorded a video of the act and posted it on social media. Following this, an argument broke out between the youths. People intervened in the matter to calm the situation. Later, the youths stopped Sarvajeet and started beating him up. During the altercation, a few of the youths fired shots. Residents said approximately eight rounds were fired. Following the incident, a Tibba police team reached Civil Hospital. The police are currently checking the CCTV camera footage of surrounding areas to identify the suspects and find out from where they procured the weapons. ASI Bhupendra Singh said persons who fired the shots were being identified. The process of recording the statements of the injured had begun. The investigation was on and the suspects would be arrested soon. — TNS Ludhiana, October 12 A man was kidnapped from the city in a Mahindra Bolero Pik-Up vehicle by some unidentified persons on Friday. The police after registering a case launched further investigation. The victim allegedly called his wife late at night on the day of the incident from his mobile phone and informed her about the matter, after which his phone got switched off. Tracing his location, officials from the PAU police station went to Bathinda but no information has been received about the man so far. The police registered a case against unidentified persons on the complaint of Taranjeet Kaur, victim’s wife, a resident of Pratap Singh Wala, Hambran Road area. Taranjeet Kaur said her husband Malkit Singh used to do shuttering work. Two days ago, he left home in the morning, saying that he was going out for work. When he did not return home till late evening, she called him. Later, her husband’s mobile phone remained switched off. Late at night, her hus- band called and informed her that some unidentified persons had kidnapped him in a Mahindra Bolero Pik-Up vehicle and were taking him through a jungle route. Investigating officer Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sukhbeg Singh said the police during the probe reached Bathinda while tracing the last found location of the mobile phone. During the investigation, it has also come to light that the victim’s mental condition was not stable. The police also traced the Bolero vehicle but it was found that the vehicle driver had come to Bathinda to deliver flour, the ASI said. complaints: Minister Chandigarh, October 12 The Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, has achieved significant progress in curbing incidents of water contamination, said Punjab Local Government Minister Ravjot Singh here on Sunday. The exercise aimed at improving the water distribution network has started yielding positive results with complaints of water contamination dropping from 608 in 2022-23 to 318 in 2025, so far. He affirmed that all complaints have been resolved permanently. Dr Ravjot said providing safe drinking water to resi- dents remains a top priority for the Local Government Department. He said 12.6 km new water supply lines were laid in 2024 while over 20 km had been laid in 2025 by replacing old and damaged pipelines. These projects have ensured a steady improvement in water quality and reliability across the city. He pointed out that while the civic body continues to replace old supply lines, instances of contamination often arise from rusted private connections and illegal sewer linkages, which are now being identified and rectified on priority. — TNS Union minister visits flood-affected villages in district Man lands in police Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 12 Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya continued her official visit to the state on Sunday by undertaking an extensive tour of flood-affected villages in Ludhiana district, meeting with local residents, assessing ground realities and distributing ration kits and Distributes ration kits,reviews relief measures essential supplies among affected families. The minister visited Sasrali, Boothgarh and Raur villages, which were among the worst-affected areas. During her visit, BJP Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya visits a flood-hit village in Ludhiana on Sunday. spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal and district president Gagandeep Singh Kainth briefed the minister about extensive losses caused by the floods in the constituency. Baliawal informed her that the breach of the Sasrali embankment had not only destroyed crops but also resulted in nearly 450 acres of farmland being eroded into the Sutlej. The minister personally handed over ration kits containing essential food grains and daily-use items to the affected families, emphasising that the Union Government, under c m y b the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is working tirelessly to ensure that relief materials and assistance reach every household in need. Addressing officials and local representatives at the site, she highlighted the importance of timely and transparent surveys for assessing damages to houses, farmlands and livestock. The minister also reviewed the condition of village roads, culverts and public infrastructure, many of which were damaged in the floods and directed the district administration to expedite repair and restoration works. She also apprised the people about several welfare initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat and PM Vishwakarma Yojana, calling them transformative pro- grammes designed to provide health protection and livelihood support to millions across the country. Earlier in the day, the minister chaired a comprehensive review meeting with district administration officials. The meeting focused on assessing the progress of flood-relief operations, reviewing the implementation of the Union Government schemes, and discussing the distribution of assistance to those affected by the recent natural calamity. She also appreciated the efforts of the administration, local bodies and frontline workers who have been tirelessly engaged in providing relief to affected areas. She encouraged them to continue their dedicated efforts with compassion and commitment. net with illicit liquor Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 12 The Ludhiana rural police have taken action against two individuals involved in the illegal transportation of alcohol, resulting in the arrest of one suspect and the seizure of 480 bottles of illicit liquor from a BMW car and a Mahindra Scorpio vehicle. The suspect was identified as Deepak Bansal, a resident of Shakti Nagar in Jagraon. The other person, who managed to evade arrest, was identified as Parveen Singh Nikka from Malak village, Jagraon. The police initiated the operation after receiving a tip-off regarding a significant quantity of liquor being brought into the region from other states. The illicit consignment was reportedly being transported via a link road connecting Aligarh village to the Kotha Khanjuran railway line in two highend vehicles. Acting on the tip-off, the police set up a checkpoint near a local private school in Jagraon. When the two vehicles arrived, the police stopped them for checking. During the search, the 480 bottles of illicit liquor were confiscated. Deepak was arrested on the spot. The police seized both vehicles and are now continuing investigation to determine the origin of the liquor consignment and its intended recipients.