26092026-LT-01.qxd 9/26/2026 12:48 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 42 DENGUE PATIENTS IDENTIFIED, LARVAE FOUND IN CONTAINERS 2 BOOKS AUTHORED BY ALUMNUS HALWARVI GIFTED TO COLLEGE KEM CHO AHMEDABAD: DILJIT DOSANJH SHOW ON NOV 21 Health Department teams conducted intensive surveys across 414 designated areas, visiting 12,682 households. P2 Two books authored by poet Harbhajan Singh Halwarvi have been gifted to SCD Government College. P3 Diljit Dosanjh is super excited to perform at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 21. P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 34°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6:14 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:12 AM SATURDAY | 26 SEPTEMBER 2026 | LUDHIANA rebate till Sept 30; ~22.5-cr contract to lift cow dung fails to Property tax: 10%today, tomorrow MC offices open clear Tajpur Road dairy complex lanes FACING ISSUE FOR YEARS: DAIRY OWNERS Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 25 Nearly six months after the Municipal Corporation (MC) awarded a contract worth around Rs 22.5 crore for the collection and transportation of cow dung from major dairy complexes, the waste disposal problem continues to haunt dairy owners on Tajpur Road. Many internal lanes of the dairy complex remain covered with heaps of cow dung and stagnant wastewater, making movement difficult and creating unhygienic conditions. Dairy owners said the problem was not new and had continued for several years. But even the latest exorbitant contract has failed to bring a visible change on the ground. Hardeep Singh, a dairy owner, said the accumulation of wastewater and cow dung had become a routine issue. “We have been facing the problem for years. Even after such a big contract was awarded, regular lifting has not started properly. The waste keeps accumulating in Many internal lanes of the dairy complex remain covered with heaps of cow dung and stagnant wastewater, making movement difficult. Dairy owners said the problem was not new and had continued for several years. But even the latest exorbitant contract has failed to bring a visible change on the ground. Cow dung and wastewater accummulate on a lane of Tajpur Road dairy complex. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN the lanes,” he said. Gurcharan Singh said the condition of internal roads had deteriorated as cow dung and wastewater remained scattered at several places. He said dairy owners had been repeatedly raising the issue with the authorities but were still waiting for a permanent arrangement. Gagan Arora, another dairy owner, said the civic body needs to ensure that the contractor actually carried out the work on the ground. “Awarding a contract is not enough. The waste has to be In nature’s lap lifted on a regular basis. Otherwise, the problem will remain the same,” he said. The issue has also assumed environmental significance, with dairy waste from the Tajpur Road and Haibowal clusters being identified as a concern for the Buddha Nul- lah. Recent inspections have highlighted continuing problems with dairy wastewater and waste disposal in the area. Earlier this year, dairy owners had also staged a protest over the accumulation of cow dung, with the corporation assuring them that additional carts would be deployed and the issue resolved on a priority basis. MC Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar said the civic body was aware of the issue. He said a meeting involving dairy owners, Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, the Deputy Commissioner and MC officials would be held soon to resolve the problems as there were multiple internal issues that needed to be addressed. Ludhiana, September 25 With September 30 last day to avail 10 per cent rebate on payment of property tax for the current financial year, suvidha kendras in all four zonal offices of the Municipal Corporation (MC) will remain open during working hours on Saturday (September 26) and Sunday (September 27) too. Further, residents can also submit pending property tax online by sitting at their homes. For submitting tax online, residents can visit the official website of the MC — mcludhiana.gov.in. MC Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar appealed to the residents to take maximum benefit and avail 10 per cent rebate on property tax. Funds collected were used for providing basic amenities to residents and for taking up development works in the city, he said. A 10 per cent rebate on payment of property tax for the current financial year can be availed, if the payment is done by September 30. No penalty is imposed on payment of tax from October 1 to December 31 while the department imposes a 10 per cent penalty on the payment of tax from January 1 to March 31. The penalty is increased to 20 per cent and 18 per cent annual interest is also imposed, if the residents fail to pay the tax for the current financial year by March 31. — TNS No penalty is imposed on payment of property tax till December 31. Nepalese student dies as truck hits scooter Tribune News Service A farmer passes through a lush green paddy field near Ladhowal in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, September 25 A 20-year-old B-Pharmacy student was killed while his friend sustained serious injuries after their scooter collided with a truck on Gill Canal Road near D-Mart outlet here on Thursday evening. The deceased was identified as Rohit Kumar and the injured as Parveen. Both of them were natives of Nepal and at present, they were staying in the Bapu School area of Basti Jodhewal here. Rohit’s family said he had recently started his B-Pharmacy course at Sigma College and had attended the college for only two days before the fatal accident. His brother Varinder Kumar said Rohit was one of the three siblings and their father worked as a security guard. According to the family, the two youths were returning from college when the accident occurred. A local resident claimed that an ambulance was parked on the wrong side of the canal road. The Honda Activa allegedly struck the stationary ambulance, following which a truck approaching from the rear of the parked vehicle hit the two-wheeler. Rohit died at the scene while Parveen suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Kalyan Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. The truck driver and the ambulance driver allegedly left the scene after the accident. Inspector Jagdev Singh, SHO, Sadar police station, said a police team reached the spot and began investigating the circumstances leading to the accident. “CCTV footage from cameras installed near the site is being examined to identify the truck and establish the sequence of events,” he said. The SHO said the police were also examining whether the positioning of the ambulance played any role in the accident. An FIR has been registered against the truck driver. Speeding car crashes into cyclist, vehicles; six injured Ludhiana, September 25 Six persons were injured after a Tata Tiago EV allegedly travelling at a high speed hit a cyclist, a motorcycle, a scooter and an e-rickshaw on Bahadurke Road here on Thursday evening. CCTV cameras captured the incident. The impact of the collision was so severe that the motorcyclist was flung into the air before falling on the road. The e-rickshaw overturned after being hit by the car. Three of the injured, Nirmal Singh, Rajendra Kumar and Jatinderpal Singh, suffered serious injuries. Nirmal and Rajendra were admitted to a hospital while the others were discharged after receiving first-aid. As per the police, Jatinderpal, who was driving the e-rickshaw, suffered a fracture in his leg and a head injury. Two persons travelling in the e-rickshaw also got minor injuries. Jatinderpal told the police that the car moving at a high speed hit the vehicles one after another. After the car stopped, people at the scene caught the occupant, who was allegedly unable to walk properly. Salem Tabri SHO SI Jasvir Singh said: “An FIR will be registered after recording the statements of the injured and verifying the facts.” — TNS Dist state’s lone success in early breastfeeding initiation 4 youths booked for firing at house Figure rises from 46.8% in NFHS-5 to 60.6% in latest survey, other dists show decline Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 25 Of the state’s 23 districts, Ludhiana is the only one to record an improvement in early initiation of breastfeeding, rising from 46.8 per cent in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 to 60.6 per cent in the NFHS-6. The other 22 districts have reported a decline. The NFHS-6 figure for the state has fallen to 38.2 per cent, from 53.1% in the NFHS-5, which is certainly a matter of concern. However, the district-level data brings some encouraging news. “I was quite taken aback when I first saw the decline in state’s rate of breastfeeding initiation within the first hour of birth. But the good news is that in Ludhiana, the proportion of children under three years who were breastfed within one hour of birth has increased significantly from 46.8 per cent in the NFHS-5 to 60.6 NEED TO REPLICATE LUDHIANA SUCCESS IN STATE, SAYS EXPERT “We cannot ignore the decline in state’s rate of breastfeeding initiation within the first hour of birth. The Ludhiana experience shows that progress is possible when breastfeeding promotion is given sustained attention. Now, we need to understand what has contributed to the improvement and replicate effective strategies across the state so that every mother receives the support she needs to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth,” said Dr Rajinder Gulati, a national trainer for infant and young child feeding. << Dr Rajinder Gulati leads a session on breastfeeding. per cent in the NFHS-6,” said Dr Rajinder Gulati, a national trainer for infant and young child feeding. The improvement is particularly gratifying as it comes after years of sustained work to create awareness about the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding and to strengthen breastfeeding support among healthcare professionals, mothers and families. “I have personally worked consistently in this area through training, counselling, advocacy and capaci- c m y b ty-building and seeing this improvement in the district is encouraging,” Dr Gulati said. “At the same time, we cannot ignore the decline across the state. The Ludhiana experi- ence shows that progress is possible when breastfeeding promotion is given sustained attention. Now, we need to understand what has contributed to the improvement and replicate effective strategies across the state so that every mother receives the support she needs to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth,” he said. Dr Monika Arora, a Ludhiana-based gynaecologist, said: “Early initiation of breastfeeding is not only a maternal health measure but also a life-saving intervention for newborns. Ludhiana’s progress shows that when hospitals and families work together, the first hour after birth can truly become the ‘golden hour’ for infant survival.” “Now, the health authorities in the state have to study what contributed to the improvement in the district and replicate the same across Punjab,” adds another expert. Ludhiana, September 25 A dispute due to an old fight took a violent turn when a group of youths allegedly fired shots at a house in Dream City, Bhattian, after the occupant refused to step outside and meet them, the police said. The Salem Tabri police have booked Robin of Gagandeep Colony, Bhattian, Yashu of Bhattian Colony and Eskobar of Batala, along with an unidentified person. The suspects have not been arrested and police teams are conducting raids to trace them. The case was registered on the complaint of 25-year-old Sagar, a resident of Dream City. The police have invoked Section 125 of the BNS and relevant provisions of the Arms Act in the case. According to the complaint, Sagar was present at his residence when Robin allegedly called him repeatedly and asked him to come outside. Sagar refused to go and informed his uncle, who also told him to not to leave the house. Afterwards, the victim allegedly heard a group of persons outside calling out his name and asking him to come out. He went to the rooftop and allegedly saw Robin along with the other suspects. Sagar told the police that Robin again asked him to come outside, saying that he wanted to discuss the matter with him. When he declined, one of the youths allegedly took out a firearm and fired two rounds at the house. No injury was reported in the firing The police have started a probe and examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. Teams have been deployed to locate the suspects and ascertain the motive behind the firing. — TNS