14092026-CT-01.qxd 9/14/2026 12:44 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MAYANK MARKANDE STARS AS AMRITSAR CLINCH T20 TITLE 11 ARRESTED AS POLICE STEP UP DRIVE AGAINST DRUGS CELEBS SHARE WHAT MAKES GANPATI FESTIVAL SPECIAL Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann inaugurated the final and participated in the ceremonial handshake. P3 The tally of arrests since the special anti-drug drive began on Sept 11 has risen to 16 in Chandigarh. P3 For these celebrities, the festival is about cherished childhood memories & lessons that they will never forget. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 36 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 9.30 am to 1 pm: Parts of Sector 44, SBI Society and Pink Rose Society in 49-B, Rose Petal Society, Custom & Excise Society, PGI Society, PEC Society, SAI Enclave, Govt High School and Govt Middle School, 49-D 10 am to 2 pm: Sectors 9, 44, 56, Aman and Chaman Colony at Dhanas, Chitkara School, cremation ground, shooting range, JNV School, Himachal Seva Sadan, Sector 25; Indira Colony and Subhash Nagar, Manimajra 2 pm to 5.30 pm: Sectors 44, 56, Bhaskar Colony, PU campus in Sector 25 11 am to 2 pm: Sector 42, Modern Housing Complex, duplex houses, Manimajra 2 pm to 5 pm: Sector 46-C ( From house No 3585 to 3752) Food safety team collects cheese samples in Dhakoli Tribune News Service Mohali, September 13 A food safety team of the Mohali Health Department collected samples of packaged cheese from a vehicle parked outside an outlet in Dhakoli today. Officials, accompanied by police personnel, said they had received information that packaged cheese manufactured in Dera Bassi was being transported to Chandigarh. “Around 40 kg of packaged cheese, packed in 1-kg and 5-kg quantities, was inspected and samples were collected following due procedure. The samples have been sent to a laboratory for analysis. The report will be available after 14 days. Based on the findings, further action will be taken,” they said. The officials said it was not yet clear whether the material was analogue cheese (made by blending vegetable oils, water, starches and proteins). Ahead of the festive season, officials reiterated that the Punjab Government had banned analogue cheese and that action would be taken against those found involved in food adulteration. Meanwhile, the Health Department and the Food and Supplies Department are yet to begin their special drives against food adulteration and unhygienic conditions at eateries and food outlets in the district. MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 34.8°C | MIN 24.9°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.07 AM /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Admn eyes solar plants at 8K pvt houses by March next Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET MONDAY 6.29 PM » MONDAY | 14 SEPTEMBER 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Chandigarh, September 13 With an ambitious push to transform the Union Territory into a model solar city before 2030, the Chandigarh Renewable Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has set a target of installing rooftop solar power plants at 8,000 private houses by the end of the 202627 financial year. According to official data, rooftop solar panels have already been installed at 1,433 private houses under the Centre’s flagship PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, while nearly 2,000 additional private residences have independently adopted solar energy. To achieve the target of 8,000 houses by March, CREST is now conducting an aggressive outreach campaign to cover more than 4,500 additional homes. Chandigarh was among the first cities in the country to achieve the target of covering all eligible government houses and buildings with rooftop solar plants. Solar panels have now been installed on all 6,366 technically feasible government offices and residen- SCHEME HIGHLIGHTS ■ Central aid: Subsidy of up to ~78,000 for residential rooftop solar systems of up to 3 kW. ■ Easy finance: Low-interest bank loans at rates of up to 6 per cent through participating public sector banks. ■ Single-window support: CREST-facilitated vendor selection, technical assistance, grievance redressal and direct benefit transfer of the subsidy HOW TO APPLY ■ Residents can apply online through the PM Surya Ghar portal or visit designated CREST help desks at the ongoing city camps. tial complexes, with a total installed capacity of 18.1 MWp (megawatt peak). These installations are estimated to generate 23.5 million units of clean power annually. As a result, around 1,400 government houses have achieved net-zero power consumption. On the residential front, 148 beneficiaries have already achieved zero electricity bills under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, which was launched in February 2024. CREST is conducting awareness camps across various sectors of the city. Area councillors, resident welfare associations, representatives Boy drowns as rainwater floods Kharar house, residents blame civic body Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, September 13 A two-and-a-half-year-old boy, Deva, son of a migrant labourer, drowned after sewage water gushed into his house in Ward No. 16 of Kharar during heavy rain on Sunday afternoon. Eyewitnesses said a sudden surge of sewage water came rushing down a street in the low-lying area and entered several houses. The boy’s mother, who was working upstairs, was shocked to see waist-deep water entering the house and rushed to rescue her child. However, it was too late. The boy was taken to the Kharar Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors Deceased Deva declared him dead. Local residents alleged that the civic authorities had failed to address the drainage problems. Several ground-floor houses in the street remained submerged in waist-deep sewage water even four hours after the incident. Irate residents raised slogans against the Kharar Municipal Council and alleged that haphazard construction in the area had choked the flow of rainwater. Residents, activists and Opposition councillors showed copies of applications submitted to the Kharar Municipal Council over the issue on several occasions. Activist Amandeep Ammu criticised the area councillor over the death of the child, describing the incident as a “blot on humanity and Kharar city”. Kharar MLA Anmol Gagan Maan and MC president Anju Chander remained unavailable for comment. of Punjab National Bank and Punjab & Sind Bank, and 12 CREST-empanelled vendors are participating in the camps to facilitate on-thespot registration. Under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Central Government provides a subsidy of up to Rs 78,000 for residential rooftop solar systems of up to 3 kW capacity. Beneficiaries can also avail themselves of low-interest bank loans at rates of up to 6 per cent through participating banks. The subsidy is transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Officials said residents could apply online through the PM Surya Ghar portal or visit CREST help desks at the camp venues for guidance and assistance. Chandigarh is also expanding its solar capacity through water-based projects. Having commissioned North India’s largest floating solar plant — a 2.5-MWp facility at the Sector 39 waterworks — the authorities have completed another 3-MWp floating solar plant, which is slated for commissioning soon. Sept 15 restricted holiday in city Chandigarh, September 13 The UT Administration today notified September 15 as a restricted holiday in all government offices, boards, corporations, institutions and industrial establishments, on account of Samvatsari, a key festival of the Jain community. The notification was issued by the Home Department on the directions of UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. Unlike a gazetted public holiday, a restricted holiday is optional — employees may opt for it if they wish, subject to prior approval, while offices otherwise continue to function as usual on that day. Samvatsari marks the culmination of Paryushan Parva, an important period of the Jain calendar. — TNS A man struggles to cross a waterlogged road in Mohali after heavy rain on Sunday. One-hour heavy rain spell hits power supply, traffic IAF airport records highest rainfall in Punjab-Hry region Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 13 A one-hour spell of heavy rain experienced across the Tricity on Sunday afternoon brought relief from the heat but triggered widespread waterlogging, traffic and power supply disruptions. The IMD evening bulletin showed the Chandigarh IAF airport observatory receiving 121 mm, the highest rainfall recorded at any listed station in the Punjab-Haryana region. The Chandigarh weather observatory recorded 38.3 mm rainfall, while Panchkula received 18.5 mm. The downpour affected lowlying stretches, roads, streets, markets, parking lots and busy junctions across the Tricity. The railway underpass in Industrial Area, Phase I, Tribune Chowk, GMCH-32 chowk, Madhya Marg, ISBT17, parts of Sector 18 and the ISBT-43 parking area and approach road were among the affected stretches. Water accumulation was also reported around the Zirakpur junction, while several parts of Mohali and Panchkula along the Sukhna Choe were inundated. Some stretches were submerged under knee-deep water, forcing the closure or diversion of routes. The situation once again highlighted shortcomings in the Tricity’s storm-water drainage. The vehicle stuck in a road cave-in at Mohali on Sunday. Close shave for 3 as SUV falls into roadside pit Tribune News Service Mohali, September 13 Three members of a family had a narrow escape after the SUV they were travelling in fell into a road cavein near Manav Mangal Smart School, Phase X, this afternoon. The family remained stuck at the spot for some time as heavy rain continued to lash the area. “It is sad that despite paying road tax, vehicle owners have to suffer losses due to the poor condition of roads and negligent authorities,” said Harkesh Virdi, a local resident. Residents said several road cave-ins and uneven patches had developed on the stretch and were difficult to spot when rainwater accumulated on the road. Local residents complained that the stretch along the ChandigarhMohali border had remained neglected for several years. “Local residents know the prevailing conditions and are mindful while traversing this stretch, but outsiders often become victims. It does not matter to the authorities that several school buses pass through here daily,” said Rajinder Kaplish, a resident of Sector 63. Meanwhile, a flight coming from Kolkata to Chandigarh had to be diverted to Jaipur due to bad weather. Chandigarh Marathon registration opens, event to be held on Nov 22 Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 13 With an aim to secure recognition from World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation, the UT Administration and the Sports Department are gearing up for the second edition of the Chandigarh International Marathon to be held on November 22. Registration for the event has opened, with a 69-day countdown under way. The Sports Department has also begun preparations, including inviting tenders for various works related to the marathon from September 14. The department has approached the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to pursue recognition of the Chandigarh International Marathon by World Athletics and its inclusion in the global athletics calendar. The move is aimed at attracting greater Administration seeks Athletics Federation of India’s support to get global calendar listing ~1 CRORE PRIZE PURSE ■ The event will carry a total People take part in the 1st Chandigarh International Marathon held in March. FILE PHOTO international participation. “Registration for the full and half marathons, 10-km run and 5-km fun run has started. We are aiming at making this international event a signature feature of Chandigarh and making every effort to attract the attention of World Athletics. c m y b This will help the event draw more international participants and expand its global footprint. This year too, national and interna- prize purse of ~1 crore. Medals and certificates will be awarded to all finishers in the 10-km and 5-km events. ■ Full-marathon: The top three finishers in both the men’s and women’s categories will receive ~7 lakh, ~5 lakh and ~3 lakh, respectively. ■ Half-marathon: The top three finishers in both categories will receive ~4 lakh, ~3 lakh and ~1.5 lakh, respectively. ■ Cash prizes will also be awarded in the 18-30, 3140, 41-50 and 50-plus age categories for both men and women. tional runners will participate and compete on the same route,” said Sorabh Kumar Arora, Director, Sports, UT Administration. The AFI is scheduled to organise the third Asian Relay Championships in Chandigarh in May next year. The first edition of the Chandigarh International Marathon was held in March this year. Initially scheduled for November 2025, the event was postponed to March 1 this year following a reported circular directing UTs to seek prior approval for new projects and acceptance of tenders. Nearly 3,500 runners, including 38 international participants, took part in the inaugural edition. The minimum age for the full and half marathons is 18 years, with participants required to have been born on or before November 1, 2008. For the 10-km run, the minimum age is 15 years, with participants required to have been born on or before November 1, 2011. The 5-km fun run is open to participants of all age groups. The full marathon will follow a looped course starting and finishing at the Chandigarh Club. The route will pass through the High Court junction, Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake and Lake Club before turning towards Matka Chowk and Transport Area light point, and then returning via Rock Garden, PGI Gate No. 3 and Leisure Valley roads. The half marathon will follow the same route. The 10km run will cover Chandigarh Club, Sukhna Lake, Matka Chowk, the Air Force Museum and Government Art Gallery roads before finishing at the Chandigarh Club. The 5-km run will be held on the Chandigarh ClubSukhna Lake stretch. The event is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). The full marathon (42.195 km), half marathon (21.0975 km), 10km and 5-km courses were officially measured and certified last year by an AIMS/IAAF-accredited course measurer.