23082026-LT-01.qxd 8/23/2026 12:50 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune NEW ARTISTES RECLAIM WARMTH OF HARYANVI MUSIC This shift also highlights a broader truth: Haryanvi dialect has always been flirty and humorous. P3 » ACTORS DRAW INSPIRATION FROM GREEN ETHNIC WEAR ARJUN MARRIES LONG-TIME GIRLFRIEND GABRIELLA Traditionally associated with growth, the colour perfectly captures the lush and vibrant feel of monsoon. P4 After eight years of dating, Arjun Rampal married model Gabriella Demetriades at a simple ceremony in Goa.P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6:57 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:54 AM » SUNDAY | 23 AUGUST 2026 | LUDHIANA THE TRIBUNE SPECIAL TAKING STOCK OF YEARS OF INVESTMENT TO TACKLE LUDHIANA’S BANE Bit cleaner, but battle far from over Buddha NullahPollution declines at some points |Dairy waste & CETP gaps keep challenge alive Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 22 Years of investment in sewage treatment and common effluent treatment plants have brought a measurable improvement in some pollution parameters in the Buddha Nullah but the latest monitoring data show that the battle is far from over. A comparison of samples taken in January 2025 and April 2026 at 13 locations along the Buddha Nullah shows a sharp fall in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) and suspended solids at several points. However, the improvement is uneven. At important locations downstream of sewage treatment plants and dairy complexes, faecal pollution remains high and, at some places, it has actually increased. The data points to a mixed problem rather than the failure of one single component. The treatment plants have clearly reduced the organic load at several stretches but the lower reaches continue to receive a heavy bacteriological load from sewage and dairy-related discharges. The CETPs, meanwhile, show a recurring problem with dissolved salts, or TDS, and occasional failures in BOD, COD and bioassay tests. The official comparison report records a major improvement before the CETP zone. At the point downstream of dairies at Bhukhri and upstream of the Sahnewal STP BOD fell from , 190 mg/l in January 2025 to 5.4 mg/l in April 2026 while COD dropped from 458 to 36 mg/l and TSS from 166 to 16 mg/l. Total coliform also fell sharply, from 9.2 lakh to 17,000 MPN/100 ml. A similar improvement was recorded downstream of Bhamian Pulley, where BOD fell from 93 to 4.6 mg/l and COD from 312 to 32 mg/l. Total coliform dropped from 2.1 lakh to 3,200 MPN/100 ml. It indicates that the sewage-control and treatment measures have made a real difference at some stretches. But the picture changes as the nullah moves through the city. Stream still under stress, despite city’s biggest STP At the sampling point downstream of the 225-MLD Jamalpur STP disposal point, dissolved oxygen fell from 6.4 mg/l in January 2025 to 4.3 mg/l in April 2026. BOD, meanwhile, increased from 47 to 66 mg/l and total coliform rose from 14,000 to 39,000 MPN/100 ml. The figures suggest that the stream is still under stress after the discharge point, despite the presence of the city’s biggest STP . The Balloke stretch presents another concern. Downstream of the Balloke STP , BOD improved from 185 to 55 mg/l and COD from 534 to 190 mg/l between January 2025 and April 2026 but total col- April 16, 2026, sample recorded BOD at 24 mg/l and COD at 192 mg/l, within the prescribed limits, but TDS was 4,405 mg/l, more than twice the 2,100 mg/l limit. Earlier samples were worse, including BOD of 133 mg/l and COD of 408 mg/l in February 2026. The 50-MLD CETP’s April 2026 monitoring was comparatively better on BOD, COD and TSS, with values of 12, 90 and 30 mg/l respectively. But TDS was still 2,602 mg/l against 2,100 mg/l while the April PBTI sample recorded a COD of 265 mg/l and TDS of 2,694 mg/l. More worrying, the bioassay result in that sample showed only 70 per cent fish survival against the prescribed 90 per cent. At key locations downstream of STPs, faecal pollution remains high and, at some places, it has actually increased Treating organic matter alone is not enough The Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project was launched in January 2021, with original target of completing it within two years. ASHWANI DHIMAN iform increased from 35 lakh to 43 lakh MPN/100 ml. At Haibowal dairy complex, BOD fell from 285 to 48 mg/l, but total coliform increased from 28 lakh to 35 lakh. The problem becomes stark at Walipur, where the nullah meets the Sutlej. BOD declined from 155 mg/l in January 2025 to 45 mg/l in April 2026 and COD from 438 to 152 mg/l. Yet total coliform increased from 48 lakh to 54 lakh MPN/100 ml. The monitoring report itself notes a notable improvement in the overall results at the confluence, but the bacteriological load remains high. For perspective, the CPCB criteria for outdoor bathing prescribe total coliform of not over 500 MPN/100 ml while even the Class C criterion for a drinking-water source after conventional treatment allows up to 5,000 MPN/100 ml. The Walipur figure of 54 lakh is, therefore, many times above those benchmarks. PPCB Chief RK Rattra said: “We are having all infrastructure and now, it is responsibility of all stakeholders to fix responsibility for not allowing any pollution into the Buddha Dariya. However, the PPCB is also putting enviornmental compensation to STPs and CETPs wich are not functioning properly”. The CETP data tells a similar story of improvement with a significant unresolved gap. At the 40-MLD CETP BOD , fell from 54 mg/l in April 2024 to 17 mg/l in April 2026, and COD from 262 to 145 mg/l. Both were within the prescribed 30 mg/l BOD and 250 mg/l COD limits in April 2026. However, TDS remained high at 3,680 mg/l against the 2,100 mg/l general limit. The CETP also recorded a BOD of 78 mg/l in the CPCB sample of February 2026, showing that performance has not been consistently stable. The 15-MLD CETP also shows improvement in organic parameters but persistent high TDS. Its The recurring TDS problem is important as it shows that treating organic matter alone is not enough. The national CETP standards prescribe 30 mg/l BOD, 250 mg/l COD, 100 mg/l TSS and generally 2,100 mg/l TDS for discharge into inland surface water. The evidence points towards three continuing pressure points — sewage/STP discharge, dairy waste and industrial effluents. The strongest unresolved signature is bacteriological pollution: Total coliform remains in lakhs at Haibowal, Balloke and Walipur and even rises downstream at some loca- tions. At the same time, the CETP data shows that dissolved salts remain a persistent problem and treatment performance can fluctuate. This is also why merely measuring the quality at the final CETP outlet is not enough. The 2024 national CETP rules require monitoring of upstream and downstream conveyance, online monitoring, checks for bypass or unauthorised discharge and action against non-complying member industries. The rules also require CETP operators to monitor the receiving water and maintain adequate conveyance and laboratory facilities. The Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project was awarded for about Rs 840 crore, with STPs, CETPs, dairy ETPs and interceptor infrastructure forming its major components. It was approved by the state government in 2020 and formally launched in January 2021, with the original target of completing it within two years, by December 2022. The project was later given extensions as several components remained pending, with deadlines subsequently fixed for August and December 2023. The project included new sewage treatment plants, upgrading of existing STPs, dairy effluent treatment plants, pumping stations and sewer networks. Another road cave-inleaves Factory owner found murdered in Haibowal Role of absconding commuters worried in city employee suspected Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 22 Another road cave-in in the city has added to a growing list of such incidents, with a portion of the road near the Sharma Halwai chowk sinking and raising fresh questions over the condition of Ludhiana’s roads and underground infrastructure. The latest cave-in was reported in front of Timmy Baker, opposite City Plaza, on the Suman Hospital road. The incident comes after similar road cave-ins at Saggu Chowk, Kitchlu Nagar and Mint Gumri Chowk while a major cave-in was also recently reported at the busy Model Town Chowk. The recurrence of such incidents at different locations has left residents questioning whether the civic body is addressing the root cause or merely repairing the visible damage. At the Sharma Halwai chowk, the problem is not entirely new. Residents said a small cavity had appeared at the same spot earlier and the Municipal Corporation had been informed. The portion was filled with soil and repaired but the road has now sunk again, with the affected area becoming considerably larger. “This is not the first time the road has sunk here. Earlier, the cavity was smaller and it was filled but the prob- The cave-in that occurred on the Suman Hospital road in Ludhiana. lem has returned in a bigger form. It raises a question about what is happening underneath the road,” said Jaskaran Singh a resident. Another resident Amanpreet Singh said a proper inspection was required before the road’s repair. “If there is a damaged sewer line, water leakage or seepage underneath, filling the cavity will only provide temporary relief. The road could sink again and it will pose a threat to many,” he said. The repeated cave-ins have also brought the condition of underground infrastructure into focus. Residents said roads in busy commercial and residential areas could become accident-prone if cavities continue to develop without warning. The recent incident at Model Town Chowk is particularly significant as the area witnesses heavy movement of vehicles and pedestrians and is surrounded by hospitals, a gurdwara, schools, temples and the main market. A resident, Arvind Sharma, said the latest cave-in should be seen as part of a wider problem rather than an isolated incident. “After Saggu Chowk, Kitchlu Nagar, Mint Gumri Chowk and Model Town Chowk, we now have another road cavein near the Sharma Halwai chowk. When the same problem keeps appearing at different locations, the civic authorities need to look beyond repairs and examine the underground infrastructure,” he said. “A road should not keep sinking at the same place after being repaired. The cause has to be identified and rectified,” Sharma said. The MC sub-divisional officer Randeep Singh said the private water connection had developed a leakage, which caused the soil erosion, and the road caved in at that point, adding that they had disconnected the same now. Ludhiana, August 22 A 40-year-old man, owner of a textile printing factory at Ravinder Nagar in Haibowal here, was allegedly hacked to death with a sharp weapon. Role of an employee of the factory, who also happens to be a friend of the deceased, was suspected. He has been absconding since the incident occurred. After receiving information about the crime, the Haibow- al police and forensic teams rushed to the scene and began a probe. Police sources said the deceased’s throat was reportedly slit by the culprit. A search operation was already launched to trace the suspect. The factory employee’s mobile phone had also been switched off since the incident. The deceased has been identified as Jatinder Rajput. His wife and two children stay in Delhi. As per information, the incident occurred on the interven- Jatinder Rajput, the deceased ing night of Friday and Saturday. Jatinder was consuming alcohol with the suspect at his factory when he got into an argument with him over some issue. The argument took a ghastly turn after which the suspect allegedly attacked Jatinder with a sharp weapon and slit his throat. Jasvir Singh, SHO of the Haibowal police station, said the incident came to light when the deceased’s brother came to the factory in the morning and was shocked to see Jatinder lying dead on the first floor. He informed the police after which senior police officers and a forensic team reached the scene. The SHO said the police identified the suspect and raids were being conducted to nab him. However, the police were conducting a thorough investigation to find out the cause behind the dispute between the two. At present, the police shifted the body in the mortuary of the Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Statement of family members of the deceased will be recorded after their arrival. Woman found dead at Worker dies in blast at home, spouse missing village furnace unit Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 22 A woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the Salem Tabri area here. She was found hanging at her residence. The victim was identified as Priya. The victim’s husband, Akshay, works at a cloth shop. After the incident, he left their four-year-old son at his sister’s house and fled the place. As per information, Akshay was staying with his wife and their son in a rented house in a Salem Tabri locality. On Friday night, a heated argument broke out between the couple over a domestic matter. Fol- c m y b lowing this, the woman died by suicide by hanging herself. After the incident, Akshay locked the room from outside. He kept the key near it, took his son with him and left the child at his sister’s house. Before fleeing the city, Akshay called Priya’s maternal family in Ferozepur, telling them that she died by suicide by hanging herself. He had taken the body down from the ceiling fan and placed it on the bed. He also informed them of the location of the room’s key over the phone and switched off his mobile before escaping from the place. On receiving information, Priya’s relatives from Ferozepur rushed to Ludhiana. When they opened the room, they were shocked to see her body lying on the bed. Following which, they informed the police. A police team reached the scene and sent the body to the Civil Hospital mortuary for autopsy. ADCP-1 Sameer Verma said preliminary probe found that it could be a case of suicide not murder. So far, inquest proceedings were initiated in the case and further action would be taken after the arrival of the autopsy report. Meanwhile SHO, Salem Tabri, inspector Harshvir Singh said: “I don’t know what has happened and what proceedings are being initiated”. He hung up the phone, saying call him later. Ludhiana, August 22 A tragic accident at the furnace unit in Alaud village on Bhadla Road in Khanna has raised serious questions about the safety of workers in industrial units. Six workers suffered burns in the incident. One of them, Rakesh Kumar, died during treatment. The mishap occurred between 9 am and 10 am when iron was being melted in the furnace. Sources said a pipe, shocker or some other piece left in the molten material caused gas formation, leading to a sudden boil-over. Hot molten material then spilled onto the workers. A blast-like sound triggered panic in the unit. All injured workers were taken to Khanna Nursing Home. Three of them were referred to the DMCH in a serious condition after primary treatment. Rakesh succumbed during treatment. Mill owner Gaurav Chopra said ingots and billets were being prepared during the heating process. A small piece such as a pipe or shocker remaining in the molten material led to gas formation and a sudden boil-over, causing splashes of hot material to fall on workers. SHO of Sadar Khanna, Pavitar Singh, said six workers were injured in the accident and one had died. Statements of the injured would be recorded and further action would be taken on the basis of the probe. — TNS