08012026-LT-01.qxd 1/8/2026 12:56 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune FOG, FROST THREATS TO AGRI, DAIRY SECTORS Experts recommend preventive measures to shield against the adverse weather. P2 » PARKS DESERTED AS BITING COLD POSES HEALTH HAZARDS DHURANDHAR GROSSES OVER ~831 CR, SETS BENCHMARK Doctors caution elderly, ailing people against early morning or late evening walks. P3 Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar has become the only Hindi film ever to gross over ~831 crore. P4 » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 14°C | MIN 6°C YESTERDAY MAX 15°C | MIN 7°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5.38 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:20 AM » THURSDAY | 8 JANUARY 2026 | LUDHIANA Intense cold weather prevails as max temperature witnesses decline of 7.2°C Maximum was recorded at 10.4°C while minimum hovered around 8°C DENSE FOG, CHILLY WINDS TO CONTINUE FOR TWO DAYS Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 7 Residents have been experiencing biting cold weather conditions in the city as the maximum temperature witnessed a considerable decline of 7.2°C. The maximum temperature recorded by the PAU on Wednesday was 10.4°C, which is 7.2°C below normal while the minimum temperature hovered around 8°C. A weather expert at the PAU, Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, said the next two days, the weather would be foggy and chilly winds will continue. There would be dense fog in many areas. As the maximum temperature is dipped, it has forced residents to stay indoors during early morning and late evening hours. Dense fog reduced visibility at several places, though later the sun appeared for some time giving much needed A weather expert at the PAU, Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, said for the next two days, the weather would be foggy and chilly winds will continue. There would be dense fog in many areas. Students cover themselves with woollens during the National School Games in Ludhiana on Wednesday. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN warmth to residents. Chilly winds added to the discomfort, making mornings difficult for commuters, labourers and students. At the same time, students and parents were demanding that seeing the prevailing weather conditions, the government should extend the winter break for a few more days as it would be too difficult for the students, teachers and staff to reach the schools amid dense fog. Later, the Lal dora: Assembly poll on mind, govt begins surveys to provide property rights to residents Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 7 As the Assembly elections are scheduled for 2027, leaving no stone unturned to woo the masses, the state government has started surveys to provide property rights to about 5 lakh population staying in “lal dora” areas. For the same, surveys are being conducted in villages to get information about properties and number of people staying in such areas as the AAP government plans to complete the entire process within next three-four months. Talking to The Tribune, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said surveys were being done by different teams. “It is basically done to provide property rights to the population, who are staying in Lal Dora areas for the past several decades but were not being provided with the property right, the right which will provide them NOCs from various departments, loans, etc”, Officials during a survey of lal dora areas in Ludhiana. said Jain, adding that as per rough estimates, there are around 5 lakh persons, who are staying in such areas. The Deputy Commissioner said the scheme had been named ‘Mera Ghar Mere Naam’, in which the district administration is actively conducting ground truth (field verification) to validate drone-surveyed maps. The initiative aims to confer formal ownership rights on occupants of residential properties in these historically underserved urban zones, enabling them to access loans, sell properties and secure economic benefits. The ongoing survey covers 6,147 houses across eight villages under the municipal jurisdiction of Kakowal, Gehlewal, Salem Tabri, Sherpur Khurd, Sherpur Kalan, Daba, Lohara and Giaspura. The survey work in several villages has been completed, with remaining areas nearing finalisation. To ensure precision and authenticity, 16 dedicated survey teams – comprising local revenue officials and MC employees working in close coordination — are meticulously carrying out on-ground verification of Map-1 prepared through advanced drone surveys. After completing the surveys, objections from residents will be invited regarding ownership claims. And afterwards, the long-awaited property security to thousands of families in Lal Dora areas will be provided. winter holidays in schools were extended till January 13. “We welcome the move of the government to extend the winter break. Otherwise, it would be too harsh for small children going to schools in extreme cold conditions”, said Sonia, a parent. At the same time, AQI levels have also increased to 340 due to the cold weather. Experts maintained that winter winds reduce the dispersion of pollutants, allowing them to accumulate. Hence, the AQI levels were bound to witness an increase. Six booked for selling soil extracted from leased land Ludhiana, January 7 The Ludhiana police registered a case against six persons for selling soil extracted from a land taken on lease and also trying to take possession of the land illegally by putting boards claiming ownership on it. The suspects were identified as Jaskaranjit Gill, Amarpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar, Jaspreet Singh and Sukhwinder Singh and Balwinder Singh. The complainant in the case, Parminder Singh Bajwa, a resident of Sector 32, Chandigarh road, in a statement to the police stated that the suspects had taken his land at Kuliawal village and another land in Jamalpur village, on lease for five years, of which they sold the soil in the land at Jamalpur and took possession of the remaining land by putting up a board in their name. After he got to know about the matter, he lodged a police complaint and after probe, a case was registered. — TNS Passengers wait for their trains at the Ludhiana railway station on Wednesday. INDERJEET VERMA Fog hits railway operations, passengers face trouble Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 7 The inclement weather conditions in the region continued to affect the railway traffic with several trains running behind schedule by half-an-hour to nearly five hours on Wednesday. The delay in train arrivals coupled with cancellation and rescheduling of trains due to various reasons have become a cause of inconvenience for thousands of passengers at railway stations amid the cold weather. During a visit to the city railway station, many passengers were spotted waiting for trains and some were even sitting around the bonfire to keep themselves warm. Several passengers were seen at the enquiry counter checking updates about their trains. It is found that PNBEFZR Humasafar Express was running five hours late, Durgiana Express by 2.46 hours, Saryu Yamuna Express by 3.23 hours, Durg-UHP-SF-Exp by 4.30 hours and Sachkhand Express by 2.43 hours, besides other trains. Passengers sitting at the city railway station said: “Since it is too cold, it becomes difficult to wait PEOPLE RUE LACK OF FACILITIES AT RLY STATION Passengers sitting at the city railway station said: “Since it is too cold, it becomes difficult to wait for trains in the cold weather conditions at a public place. Especially when we are travelling with families, the situation becomes more challenging. Railways need to build more waiting rooms so that passengers could not face trouble in adverse weather conditions.” for trains in the cold weather conditions at a public place. Especially when we are travelling with families, the situation becomes more challenging. Railways need to build more waiting rooms so that passengers could not face trouble in adverse weather conditions.” Another passenger said since a construction work was going on at the city railway station, there was insufficient sitting arrangements due to which passengers are fac- ing inconvenience. The authorities should install heaters on the platform and in waiting rooms. A senior railway official said fog was a routine issue during the winter season and the railways try to make all neccessary arrangements so that passengers should not face any inconvenience. Regular announcements were being made at stations regarding train delays so that they get frequent updates about movement of their trains. Punjab’s Harshita, Jashita clinch gold in tae kwon do 10 masked men open esty and discipline. They further added that food prepared for the athletes was being highly appreciated. Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana January 7 On the second day of the 69th National School Games, being organised by the School Education Department, at the PAU, here, exciting matches were witnessed Extreme weather and nailbiting cold has put challenging conditions before students. Interestingly, on Wednesday, many students after seeing a bonfire rushed towards the same to get themselves warm. They were seen covered in woollens before the start of events. “Since we have come all the way from Gujarat where temperature is relatively high than Punjab, our students are facing a tough time in adapting themselves to the extreme weather here. I believe the extreme weather to some extent affect the performance of the players,” said a coach of the Gujarat team. Boys’ — First round winners: Chandigarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir; second round winners: Delhi, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh. Athletes show enthusiasm despite extreme weather conditions despite the extreme cold weather conditions. District Education Officer (Secondary), Ludhiana, Dimple Madaan, and Youth Sports Coordinator Kulvir Singh Saloudi encouraged players, stating that participating in sports keeps the body disease-free and healthy. included SP Shukla from the Tae Kwon Do Association and principals. Gatka results (U-19) NAT’L SCHOOL GAMES Tae kwon do results (U-14) Players in action during a tae kwon do match during National School Games in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN They emphasised that children should be motivated to participate in sports right from childhood. While visiting various sports venues in the city, they noted enthusiasm among athletes, who are competing with hon- c m y b Under 16-kg category: Punjab’s Harshita secured the first position, while Tamil Nadu’s Jayshri secured the second place; Under 18-kg category: Punjab’s Jashita secured the first position while Haryana’s Meenakshi secured the second spot. Prominent personalities who played a key role in successfully conducting events Challenging conditions before athletes fire at bizman’s house Ludhiana, January 7 Ten masked assailants fired bullets and threw stones at the house of a travel agent in Shahi Mohalla here. The incident spread panic in the residential area. The attackers came on motorcycles. After hearing screams outside the house, the assailants opened fire. The Police Division 8 on Tuesday registered a case against the unidentified assailants. The attackers fired at least seven rounds, many of which pierced the main gate. The glass of the house door was also shattered. The miscreants also threw bricks and stones outside. The victim, Deepak Kumar, told the police that the incident occurred around 1:15 a.m. “I heard loud noises and gunshots from the street. When I went out, I was shocked to see bullet holes on the main gate. Glass panes inside the house were broken and bullet residue was found in the courtyard.” Later, neighbours told him they saw at least 10 masked men gathering outside his house, throwing stones and firing indiscriminately. Afterwards, the assailants fled the scene. Deepak said he informed the police, adding that there were no CCTV camera installed in his entire street. Otherwise, the attackers could have been easily identified. The complainant expressed shock and fear, saying his family had no enmity with anyone and he had never received any threat or ransom call, due to which he was suspecting that the attack might had been a case of mistaken identity. The family had appealed to the police for protection, fearing further attacks. — TNS