20092026-ATR-01.qxd 9/19/2026 10:47 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune PLANS AFLOAT TO TURN RAILWAY STATION INTO MUSEUM NEW CARS TO MAKE DIWALI EVEN MORE BRIGHTER As brands look to cash in on the festive tradition, the first half of September sees the launch of many cars. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 22°C ACTRESSES LEND SUPPORT TO NEW MOTHERS A century-old railway station close to the India-Pakistan border could soon be given a new lease of life as a museum. P2 FORECAST Celebs question body shaming and trolling over postpartum phase, lending support to new mums. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 6.26 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 6:14 AM » SUNDAY | 20 SEPTEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR In Case of An EMERGENCY We are READY FOR YOU! 24*7 Emergency Ready Hospital 9915133330 Scan the QR code to download the MyFortis app Canal water enters residential areas as pipeline drilling causes breach Raghav Chadha stops for chai pe charcha at Giani’s Charanjit Singh Teja Amritsar, September 19 Stepping away from the political hullabaloo for a brief moment, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha stopped by the city’s famous “chai pe charcha” spot — Giani Tea Stall. In Punjab for the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Yatra, Chadha interacted with locals over tea, turning a heavy conversation around his switch from the Aam Aadmi Party to the BJP into a lighthearted banter. Sharing his experience on X account, Chadha tweeted: “Nashe mein naash hai,Chai par vishwas hai. Kuch logon mein bhram hai, Lekin chai mein dum hai!"(“In addiction lies destruction, in tea lies true conviction. Some people may live in a illusion, but tea is the ultimate, powerful solution!”). The MP who joined the , BJP along with six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs earlier this year, has since been at the centre of a political confrontation with his former party. The choice of venue was Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 19 Panic triggered among locals after water from the Upper Bari Doab Canal entered residential areas in Sultanwind and along the Tarn Taran road this afternoon. The breach was reportedly caused during the laying of a pipeline under the Surface Water Supply Project, submerging parts of Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Nagar and Bhai Man Singh Road. The pipeline was to be routed beneath the canal without disrupting the water flow. But during the managed pressure drilling, water entered the drilled passage, making way to the low-lying residential areas. Sandbags were placed to plug the breach, with the residents joining workers. Taking stock of the situation, Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla alleged that the incident appeared to have resulted from negligence during the execution of the project. SGPC chief condemns assault on Sikh man in Thailand Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 19 SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Saturday condemned the alleged assault on an elderly Sikh man and removal of his turban in Thailand. Reacting to a video of the incident circulating on social media, Dhami said assaulting an elderly man and deliberately removing and dishonouring his turban had hurt the Sikh sentiments. “A turban is a symbol of Sikh identity and dignity and any act insulting it was unacceptable,” he added. Dhami urged the Union External Affairs Minister to take up the matter diplomatically with the Thailand government. He also appealed to the authorities there to conduct an impartial investigation and take legal action against those responsible. He further asked the ministry to obtain details of the incident through the Indian Embassy in Thailand and provide the victim with necessary legal and consular assistance. The governments concerned had a responsibility to ensure the safety, religious identity and dignity of Sikhs living or travelling abroad, Dhami stated, while also condemning an alleged incident at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where Sikh children, who had gone to watch a continued on page 2 WHAT WENT WRONG The breach was reportedly caused during the laying of a pipeline under the Surface Water Supply Project, submerging parts of Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Nagar and Bhai Man Singh Road. IThe pipeline was to be routed beneath the canal without disrupting the water flow. IBut during the managed pressure drilling, water entered the drilled passage, making way to the low-lying residential areas. I << Water from the Upper Bari Doab Canal entered parts of Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Nagar and Bhai Man Singh Road in Amritsar on Saturday. He said the role of L&T and the department concerned would be examined. The Surface Water Supply Project aims at supplying canal water to the city through pipelines connected to around 57 overhead water tanks under construction. The objective is to provide clean drinking water to residents as the quality of groundwater in the city has deteriorated. “This is a matter that needs to be investigated. It will be ascertained at what level the lapse occurred and who was responsible,” Aujla said. As the water started spreading towards residential areas, officials reached the spot. The task at hand was to stop the flow towards the residential areas and assess the damage caused by the waterlogging. The incident also disrupted the vehicular movement on the route. The stretch from Taranwala Pul towards the Tarn Taran road was closed as a precautionary measure, causing inconvenience to daily commuters and those leaving nearby. MLA Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar also visited the site to know the ground situation. Neha Saini Tribune News Service Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha at Giani Tea Stall in Amritsar. perhaps fitting. And, so were the carefully chosen words Chadha used to describe his experience. A political message, perhaps, when the conversation around his Punjab visit has mostly been focused on his former party’s AAP calling him a “traitor”. Giani Tea Stall on the Cooper Road is not merely known for its tea and kachoris, it has also acquired a distinct political identity MC claim of fixing garbage crisis false, situation even worse: Locals Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 19 With heaps of garbage dotting most parts of the city, the civic body’s claim of fixing the crisis has fallen flat on its face. Raising questions over the regularity of door-todoor collection, bulk waste management and garbage lifting from temporary collection points, locals say the situation had only worsened with time.The new solid waste management company has been working in the city for nearly a year now. It had earlier promised to streamline the waste management system within six months. But nothing of the sort happened and complaints of irregular garbage lifting kept pouring in. In The new solid waste management firm had promised to streamline system in 6 months some colonies along the Bypass Road, the residents said no garbage collection vehicle had come for the past four days. Sanitary inspector Vijay Gill said at times, due to snag, vehicles were unable to reach garbage collection points. However, the residents said such disruptions often resulted in waste piling up along streets and at collection points.One of the major concerns is the emergence of temporary dumping sites across the city. “After complaints, garbage is lifted from one place and shifted to another,” a local said. Heaps of garbage can be seen near parks in Ranjit Avenue. Ditto is the situation in colonies along 88-Foot Road, where the residents allege that waste lifting receives inadequate attention. The presence of garbage near Beant Park in the otherwise posh Ranjit Avenue area also highlights negligence and slackness on the part of the authorities. Social activist Pawan Kumar Sharma said waste at several dumping spots indicated that bulk waste management was not being properly implemented. He alleged that many hotels and restaurants were dumping waste at such locations instead of ensuring its proper disposal. Sharma also questioned the enforcement of the ban on Crackdown on unauthorised colony Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 19 In a crackdown against an unauthorised colony being developed near Pannu Dairy on the Chabhal Road, the civic body today demolished structures at the site and installed a board, warning the public against purchasing plots or entering into any financial transaction related to the property. According to the Municipal Town Planning Department, development and construction activities at the site were not stopped despite warnings A board warning the public against investing in the property near Pannu Dairy. and notices issued by the civic body. The enforcement team, comprising ATP Varinder Mohan, building inspector Navjot Kaur and other staff members, inspected the site and took action against the violators. The officials advised residents to verify the legal status of any colony or property and ensure that all necessary approvals are in place before making any investment or purchase. Citizens have specifically been advised not to purchase plots or undertake construction or other activities The Municipal Town Planning Department warned that developing an unauthorised colony, subdividing land, undertaking construction or carrying out other continued on page 2 c m y b single-use plastic, saying a large quantity of plastic waste could still be found in garbage heaps across the city. He said the continued presence of such waste indicated gaps in enforcement. Municipal Health Officer Dr Kiran Kumar, however, said there had been considerable improvement in garbage lifting and processing. He said around 8.5 lakh metric tonnes of waste had been processed at the Bhagtanwala dump site and that the civic body expected to soon start the processing of waste generated on a daily basis.He added that regular processing of fresh waste would further reduce the accumulation of garbage and help address the problems being reported from different parts of the city. Woman killed in clash; 4 booked Tribune News Service Four arrested with pistols Our Correspondent Heaps of garbage can be seen near parks in Ranjit Avenue and other locations in Amritsar. Tarn Taran, September 19 The police have arrested four persons and recovered two pistols, along with magazines, during a checking drive near Farandipur. ASI Baljinder Singh said the accused had been identified as Varinder Singh, a resident of Mari Gaur Singh, Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Kakkar Mohalla Bhikhiwind, Manikaran Singh and Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Bhai Ladhu. A case under sections 25, 25 (6), 25 (7), (1), 25 of the Arms Act had been registered against the accused and the vehicle (Bolero) they were in was impounded, the police said. 160 Ajnala villages to get Illegal cattle clean drinking water: MP pounds razed Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 19 The Chatiwind police have booked four persons after a clash claimed the life of a woman at Pandori village. The complainant, Sukhdev Singh of Pandori village, said he entered into a scuffle with one Kunnan Singh around 11 pm on Thursday. As the altercation escalated, Kunnan Singh, along with Arshdeep Singh, Manjit Kaur and Akashdeep Singh, climbed atop the roof of their house and continued on page 2 over the years, with Chadha being the latest addition to the list of political figures, including Parkash Singh Badal, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Captain Amarinder Singh and Arun Jaitley, visiting the place. The tea stall has turned out to be an every-day public space, where politicians run into traders, professionals and ordinary residents and engage in no-holds bar political conversations. Amritsar, September 19 As many as 160 villages will be supplied treated drinking water through a 285-km pipeline network, said Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla during the inspection of an under-construction water treatment project at Kaddowali near Majjupura in the Ajnala constituency here. Aujla said the project, covering villages in three blocks, aimed at addressing the problem of water contamination, particularly during the monsoon. He said the project included a water treatment plant, supply reservoirs, tanks and other infrastructure required for distribution. While a major portion of the project had been completed, the remaining work would be completed soon, Aujla said. He appealed to sarpanches, panches and panchayat members to get water samples from their respective areas tested. Up to 10 samples from each village could be tested free of cost, he added. Amritsar, September 19 The civic body demolished six illegal cattle pounds following the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The drive was carried out in wards 60, 58 and 69 under the Central Zone and cattle heads shifted to designated gaushalas. The operation involved Duty Magistrate Angad Singh, teams of the MCA Health Department’s Central Zone, a cattle impounding team, the municipal police force and continued on page 2