29102025-CT-01.qxd 10/29/2025 12:53 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune POWER INFRA PUSH: ~40-CR NEW TRANSFORMERS FOR UT ARJUN’S TON IN VAIN AS MAHARASHTRA BEAT CITY EMRAAN HASHMI LEADS COURTROOM DRAMA HAQ Current infrastructure outdated, overloaded, firm tells Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission. P3 City team’s middle-order falls flat as Maharashtra win Ranji Trophy match by 144 runs. P3 Emraan and Yami Gautam are set to bringHaq,whichfocuseson MohdAhmed Khan vs. Shah Bano Begum case.P4 » » MAINLY CLEAR MAX 31°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 31.4°C | MIN 16.6°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.38 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.35 AM » WEDNESDAY | 29 OCTOBER 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE 6 mths after Cabinet nod, Zirakpur bypass still on paper ~1,878-cr project to decongest Tricity traffic faces fourth extension in bidding | Stage-2 forest clearance awaited Nitin Jain TIMELINE Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH ART WORKSHOP: To celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights, in association with Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, to organise oneday art workshop of Tricity’s young and senior woman artists; Snehalaya in Maloya, 10:30 am onwards FANCY NUMBER AUCTION: Registration & Licensing Authority (RLA) to launch e-auction of fancy vehicle registration numbers under new series (CH01DB) and leftover fancy numbers of previous series; vahan.parivahan.gov.in/fa ncy, 5 pm onwards PANCHKULA TROPHY UNVEILING: Haryana Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan to unveil winner and runners-up trophies for gully cricket tournament; Red Bishop, Sector 1, 12 noon Chandigarh, October 28 The much-awaited Rs 1,878.31crore Zirakpur-Panchkula Bypass, meant to decongest traffic in the Tricity, has been delayed yet again. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has extended the bidding deadline for the fourth time. The development assumes significance as even six months after the project received inprinciple approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it remains on paper. As per the latest amendment issued by the NHAI’s Punjab division, the last date for online submission of bids has now been pushed to 11 am on November 20, while the technical bids will be opened on November 21. The extension follows delays in the mandatory Stage-2 forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, where the proposal for ■ Project conceived: Over a decade ago ■ Cost: ~1,878.31 crore ■ Land acquired: 2020 ■ Length: 19.2 km (6.195 km elevated) ■ Cabinet panel approval: April 9, 2025 ■ Mode: Hybrid annuity mode ■ Stage-1 clearance: August 2025 ■ Executing agency: NHAI (FOUR BID DEADLINE EXTENSIONS SINCE JULY 2025) ■ Land acquisition: Completed in 2020 WHY IT MATTERS ■ Stage-1 forest clearance: Granted ■ Will decongest heavily choked Zirakpur- ■ Stage-2 clearance:Pending verification in August 2025 Panchkula stretch of NH-5 and NH-7 ■ Bid submission:By November 20, ■ Key link in Tricity’s proposed ring road network ■ Expected to reduce travel time and pollution, improve road safety ■ Will connect Mohali, Panchkula and Himachal Pradesh corridors seamlessly diversion of 17.57 hectares of forest land is still under process and verification is pending with the Forest Department. The ministry had in August granted Stage-1 or in-principle clearance, allowing the diversion of forest land for non-forestry use subject to strict conditions, including compensatory afforestation, pay- 2025 MAP NOT TO SCALE WHAT’S ON PROJECT AT A GLANCE Chandigarh, October 28 Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav has directed the Engineering Department to use bitumen material for constructing cycle tracks instead of concrete, as it provides better performance and comfort to cyclists. The DC today chaired a meeting of the District Road Safety Committee to review the ongoing road safety and infrastructure works in the city. Expressing concern over the slow progress of the cycle track work from the Hallomajra light point to the Behlana junction, the Deputy Commissioner instructed the officials to complete it as soon as possible. The Deputy Commissioner further directed that all road signage, including speed limit and traffic advisory boards, should follow the latest guidelines issued by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) to maintain uniformity and national standards. — TNS ■ Construction starts: March-April 2026 ■ Completion target: Within two years be executed under the hybrid annuity mode (HAM) and is part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. Despite land acquisition being completed in 2020, it has seen repeated delays due to procedural hurdles. Stretching 19.2 km from the Zirakpur-Patiala junction on NH7 to the Zirakpur-Parwanoo junc- tion on NH-5, the six-lane bypass will include a 6.195-km elevated section, five flyovers, one vehicular underpass, nine light vehicular underpasses, one major bridge, one minor bridge and a railway overbridge. The proposed bypass traverses through Mohali and Panchkula districts in Punjab and Haryana, providing vital connec- 17 e-carts destroyed in fire at Chhatbir Zoo charging station Chhath Puja concludes Preliminary probe cites blast due to battery overcharging Tribune News Service TREATED WATER SUPPLY SUSPENDED Use bitumen, not concrete, on cycle tracks: DC ■ Work award: Early 2026 (expected) ment of net present value, no change in land use, and ensuring that no damage is caused to adjoining forest areas or wildlife. Final Stage-2 approval will be issued only after compliance verification. Officials said the work could not be awarded until the final forest clearance is obtained. The project, conceived over a decade ago, is to APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Panchkula: Sector 25 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Chandigarh: Owing to tertiary treated water supply line repairs in Sector 31, the pumping of treated water will remain suspended from October 29 to November 15. There will be no supply to Sectors 20 C&D, 21 C&D, 22 C&D, 23 C&D, 24 &D, 25, 29 C&D, 30 C&D, 31, 32 A&B, 33 A&B, 35 A&B, 36 A&B, 37 A&B, 38 A&B, 39 A&B, 40 A&B, 41 A&B, 38 (W), Maloya, Dadumajra and Dhanas villages during this period. TNS ■ Bid opening: November 21 tivity to Sectors 24 and 25 in Panchkula and easing movement towards Himachal Pradesh. The bypass is aimed at diverting traffic from the congested overlapping stretch of NH-5 and NH-7 through Zirakpur and Panchkula, significantly cutting travel time and congestion on the Chandigarh International Airport in Mohali and Delhi-Ambala routes. It will also be a crucial component of the planned Tricity ring road network. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has described it as a flagship project under the PM Gati Shakti plan. “The bypass will seamlessly link the Tricity while removing bottlenecks on the busy Zirakpur-Chandigarh corridor. It’s an important component of the decongestion master plan,” he had earlier said. Officials now expect the project to be awarded only by early 2026, with construction likely to begin by March-April and completion within two years thereafter — provided the clearances come through in time. Devotees offer prayers to the rising sun at an artificial pond on the last day of Chhath Puja in Balongi village, Mohali, on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY (MORE PICS ON PAGE 2) Liquor contractors remove seal from two vends, probe ordered Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 28 In a blatant violation of the norms, two liquor contractors reopened shops that had been sealed by the Excise and Taxation Department for nonpayment of licence fee. The department has now re-sealed the premises and initiated an investigation. It will also take legal action against the violators. Units were sealed for fee default On Monday night, the Excise and Taxation Department had sealed 16 liquor vends across the city after their contractors failed to pay the licence fee within the stipulated time. However, traders broke the seals of two shops and resumed business in the morning. “As soon as the matter was brought to our notice early this morning, the shops were immediately resealed,” said a senior officer of the department. Officials said further penalties and possible licence cancellation proceedings against the two contractors could be initiated against the violators once the inquiry was complete. Zirakpur, October 28 Eighteen battery-operated vehicles, 17 e-buggies and a toytrain engine, parked at a charging station in Chhatbir Zoo here were destroyed in a fire around 8:20 am today. No one was injured in the accident. Eyewitnesses said the roof of the shed prevented the blaze from spreading to the forest area. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot but before they could reach the spot, most of the buggies were destroyed, said fire officer Rajeev Kumar. Preliminary investigation revealed that there was a blast in one of the vehicles due to the battery overcharging, after which fire spread to other carts made of fibre, an official said. Since the vehicles were parked closely, the blaze engulfed all carts. Eyewitnesses said there were 28 buggies and two toy-train engines which were charged and made available for visitors by the contractor daily. Staff members tried to control the fire but without much success. An investigation committee has been formed to probe the cause of the fire and damage to the property. No timeframe has been specified for the investigation. Continued on page 2 A video grab of the blaze engulfing the charging station at Chhatbir Zoo. City’s 2nd all-weather pool to be ready by year-end WORK TO UPGRADE SEC 39 FACILITY BEGINS Children in the pool at Sector 39. FILE PHOTO Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 28 City residents may have access to another all-weather swimming pool by the end of the year. Announced in 2019, the work to convert the Sector 39 swimming pool into the city’s second all-weather facility under the Sports Department has started. The work to install the heat pumps is likely to be completed by next month, while the civil work will follow thereafter. “The concrete base for installing the (four) heat c m y b pumps has been started, and it will be connected with the internal panel (heating plant) soon. The water will be filled to its full capacity and the temperature (matched to body temperature) will be checked. The civil work inside the pool will also start soon, and the project is likely to complete this year,” added a person privy to the matter. When complete, it will be the second such facility operated by the Sports Department. The authority currently operates one all-weather pool (Sector 23), while other all-weather facilities are located at Panjab University Campus (for university trainees and members) along with other private institutions including the one at the Chandigarh Golf Club. However, there have been concerns about whether the facility will cater to the professional swimmers given its shallow depth. Project conceived in 2019 The project, which was announced in 2019, got a major push last year. It was initially discussed to convert Continued on page 2 Guv orders police action in school caste abuse case Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 28 Taking cognisance of the allegations of caste-based discrimination and mental harassment levelled by two teachers of the Education Department against a school principal and a colleague, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has ordered the police to take immediate necessary action and ensure that those found guilty are brought to justice. The matter pertains to a government model school in Sector 16, where a female teacher working under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, had accused a male science teacher of using casteist remark, issuing threats of dismissal and mentally harassing her. She also alleged that the school's principal failed to take her complaint seriously, prompting her to submit a Continued on page 2