16092026-ATR-01.qxd 9/15/2026 10:49 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 25°C CITY SHOULD NOT BE DEPENDENT ON GROUNDWATER: EXPERTS GROWTH FAILS TO FIX DEEPENING GARBAGE CRISIS JEAN SMART, MATTHEW RHYS REWRITE EMMYS RECORDS Experts say relying on groundwater is not a sustainable option for a rapidly growing city. P2 Islamabad, one of Amritsar’s oldest neighbourhoods, continues to struggle for basic civic amenities. P3 Jean Smart has won her fifth Primetime Emmy Award for portraying a tenacious stand-up comic on Hacks. P4 » » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.31 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:12 AM WEDNESDAY | 16 SEPTEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR Drug modules busted; 8 held with over 9 kg heroin, opium Seeking blessings Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Actor Ashutosh Rana pays obeisance at the Golden Temple ahead of the screening of the play, Hamare Ram. 55-year-old dies after inhaling toxic fumes Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 15 A man died and four others landed in hospital after inhaling poisonous fumes emanating from a generator set in the Mahan Singh Gate area on Monday night. The deceased has been identified as Joginder Singh (55), a resident of FOUR OTHERS IN HOSPITAL Deceased Joginder Singh and four others were having food in a room where a generator set was kept when the incident occurred. Khasa, while the injured Heera Lal, Sukhdev, Ashish Deep and Jagjit are recu- perating. The incident took place around 7 pm at a lottery shop in the area. He promised, he delivered; his allies repaid by voting him back NEWSMAKER OF THE WEEK Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 15 The re-run of Gurpreet Singh Panesar as the president of the Amritsar Bar Association reflects the trust the legal fraternity has in his leadership. Those contesting the Bar elections are chosen on the basis of their contribution to development and say in various matters. By this standard, his performance turns out to be a huge success as Panesar won this election by a margin of 977 votes. The last time, the margin was 275. The 49-year-old advocate says the rise in the number of votes was due to development works done for the welfare of the legal fraternity. The approval of 2.5 acres for the construction of chambers for advocates, Bar chief Gurpreet Singh Panesar providing amenities with an investment of Rs 15 lakh on the Bar premises and installation of interlocking tiles in the parking area earned him the legal fraternity’s praise; and the result is out there. He secured a grant of Rs 15 lakh from the MPLAD fund from MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla to restore and repair library, conference hall, Bar president room and the canteen. The most taxing job for him was to secure an approval to get flats vacated from police officials situated next to the district administrative complex; and make way for chambers on the 2.5 acres. The construction had been hanging fire since 2015; and the headway meant a lot to the Bar members. Panesar stated that about 100 families had already vacated the flats. He divulged that he put up a demand of raising about 1,500 chambers. He has been practising at the Bar for the past 25 years. After doing LLB from Guru Nanak Dev University, he joined his father Kulwinder Singh, who has been in the district court since 1983. For the next term, his goal is to ensure that adequate chambers are built at the right place. He said two elevators, being installed at the complex, would start operating by the last quarter of this year. According to preliminary information, Joginder and four others were having food in a room where a generator set was kept. All of a sudden, their health started deteriorating and they fell unconscious. The BDivision police reached the spot after being informed about the incident and initiated an inquiry. Amritsar, September 15 The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on Tuesday claimed to have busted three drug and illegal arms supply networks with the arrest of eight persons. Officials recovered 9.549 kg of heroin, 5.459 kg of opium and a .30-bore pistol from their possession. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had links with foreignbased smugglers and were receiving consignments of heroin, opium and illegal arms through drones for further distribution. Those arrested have been identified as Rajinder Singh (27) of Indira Colony, Vinay (26) of Gawal Mandi, Pradeep Singh (37) of Varnali Harsha Chhina, Karan Singh, alias Karan, (24), Navneet Singh, alias Keeda, (18) and Jashandeep Singh, alias Dhuni, (19), all residents of Attari, Baljinder Singh (37) of Baba Budha Singh Colony and Amrit Pal Singh, alias Amrit, (25) of Boparai Baaz Singh in Police personnel with the seized contraband. COPS ESTABLISH FOREIGN LINK ■ Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had links with foreign-based smugglers and were receiving consignments of heroin, opium and illegal arms through drones. Amritsar Rural. Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said the first operation was carried out on specific information, ■ Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said the first operation was carried out on specific information, leading to the arrest of Rajinder Singh and recovery of a .30-bore pistol. leading to the arrest of Rajinder Singh and recovery of a .30-bore pistol. During interrogation, his associate Vinay was arrest- Batala SSP reaches out to locals through ‘public darbar’ BJP disputes Dhaliwal’s power cut claim Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 15 Rejecting the claim of AAP MLA from Ajnala Kuldeep Dhaliwal that the Centre was cutting Punjab’s power share, BJP national office incharge and MP Tarun Chugh called out the Bhagwant Mann government over the deepening power crisis in the state. “Industrial units in the state are facing power cuts lasting up to 14 hours. Domestic consumers and farmers too are suffering,” Chugh said. “The Bhagwant Mann government is once again trying to escape accountability by blaming the Central Government for its own failures. Explain why adequate arrangements were not made when it knew well in advance that power demand would rise. The paddy season, irrigation requirements, high temperatures and rising domestic and industrial consumption were all predictable,” he said. Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Farmers protest outside the residence of Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO. Will decide next move at meet today, say farmers as they continue protest Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 15 Farmers continued their protest outside the residence of Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO in Amritsar on Tuesday. As part of the statewide agitation launched by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, the protesters said they would hold a meeting on Wednesday to decide their future course of action. “The protest, which entered its second day, is against the Punjab government’s failure to address the demands of farmers and workers,”the morcha stated. Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, while addressing a gathering outside the minister’s residence,saidatthemeeting,they would discuss the government’s response to their demands. The morcha also announced rallies at all protest sites on Wednesday. It said the agitation would be taken to the residence of another Punjab minister in Patiala. At the Amritsar protest site, leaders of the KisanMazdoor SangharshCommittee,including Jarmanjit Singh Bandala and Baba Gurbachan Singh Chabba, addressed the farmers. The protesters said support was pouring in, with more farmers arriving at the protest sites on tractors and tractor-trailers from villages. They claimed that villagers were supplying milk, food and other essential items to the protesters, while langars were being organised at various locations. The organisation appealed to farmers, farm workers and the general public to join the protests in large numbers. Khalsa College tags flora; now scan QR code to know telling tale of trees Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 15 At Khalsa College, Ranjit Avenue, technology and environmental preservation go hand in hand. The college authorities have tagged heritage trees on the campus, which means to get in-depth information about a tree, one will have to scan a QR code through a mobile phone. Rajbir Singh, joint secretary (farms & dairy), Khalsa College Governing Council, Amritsar, installed the QRcoded identification boards, terming the initiative a significant step towards environmental conservation. “The initiative gives indi- vidual trees a digital identity, allowing their species, location, age and health status to be documented and monitored. The digital inventory can help the university scientifically manage its tree cover, track maintenance and identify old, rare or vulnerable trees requiring special protection. It can also provide valuable data for conservation planning and help assess the impact of development activities on the campus’ green cover,” he said. A horticulture expert, Rajbir Singh has previously led several green initiatives for Khalsa college institutions, including managing The authorities of Khalsa College, Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar, say the initiative is a significant step towards environmental conservation. c m y b ed and 4.2 kg of opium was recovered from him. On Vinay’s disclosure, another associate, Pradeep Singh, was arrested and 1.2 kg of opium was seized. The police also froze Rs 62 lakh lying in the bank accounts of Pradeep Singh and his wife, Gill said. In the second operation, the police arrested Karan Singh and recovered 7 kg of heroin from his possession. His alleged associates Navneet Singh and Jashandeep Singh were subsequently arrested during the investigation. In the third operation, the police arrested Baljinder Singh and Amrit Pal Singh; and recovered 2.5 kg of heroin and a motorcycle from their possession. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said the investigation was being expanded to establish the complete backward and forward linkages of the networks and identify other persons involved in the alleged trafficking. Three FIRs have been registered in connection with the operations. its organic farms and vermiculture initiatives. The concept of QR coding the trees, especially the rare and old trees on the campus, was launched by Guru Nanak Dev University back in 2024. Beyond conservation, the QR codes that the university installed on almost 90 per cent of its tree wealth, turned the university campus into a living classroom, enabling students and visitors to learn about the trees and their ecological significance simply by scanning the codes. Prof Dr Mandeep Kaur, principal, Khalsa College, Ranjit Avenue, said the initiative reflected how technology could be used not only to document a college’s existing green wealth, but also to support its long-term protection and sustainable management. “The purpose of QR codes is to create awareness among students regarding the green wealth on its campus. It creates a tree inventory: each QR code can be linked to information about a tree — its species, age, location, condition and other details, which makes monitoring easier. Our students and faculty can regularly record whether a tree is healthy, diseased, damaged or requires treatment. It turns the campus into a living educational resource,” she said. Batala, September 15 Batala SSP Dr Mehtab Singh has not only set up a special cell to deal with unscrupulous travel agents, but also done away with the traditional method of hearing grievances inside his office. The SSP has started a “public darbar” to reach out to residents in an unconventional manner which, in any case, is being appreciated by locals. People no longer have to wait in long queues. Police sources say the maximum number of complaints the official receives pertains to unscrupulous travel agents who have duped people of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of providing employment in foreign land. “Earlier, the people hesitated in bringing forth their grievances, but now they are speaking up. Ever since the SSP made it clear that a special drive is being launched, affected residents are making a beeline for the police headquarters. Such agents who dupe aspirants with fake overseas jobs, counterfeit admission letters, and illegal “donkey” immigration routes, are now under the scanner,” said Harinder Singh. He had paid Rs 45 lakh to a Sri-Hargobindpur-based man to send his son to Canada. “We receive scores of complaints every day from parents whose wards have been fleeced,” said the SSP . After getting inputs from officers working in the field, the police are now focusing on action against travel agents. Batala SSP Dr Mehtab Singh listens to the grievances of locals.