Kanjli (Kapurthala), February 2
“About a couple of years ago some NGO volunteers helped us to remove logs of uprooted trees which had fallen into the water. That’s about all the work I remember being done to prevent Kanjli from getting choked,” said Jalandhar-based NGO president Lakhbir Singh.

Barring a stretch of 500 metres, water hyacinth conveniently thrives on the wetland, forgotten by authorities and ignored by residents, but for the occasional visits by some people seeking boat rides in the short, hyacinth-free area.

On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, a programme on eco-awareness was organised at Kanjli wetlands by the NGO, Pahal, here on Saturday.

Lectures pertaining to the issue of environment awareness and conservation of wetlands were delivered during the event, which promoted the banner of Ramsar, the international convention on wetlands. The keynote address was delivered by Lakhbir Singh.

He said the NGO had been working for the cause of the wetlands since 1998. He said wetlands comprised 4 per cent of the total area of Punjab.

Out of the total 14 wetlands, Harike Pattan and Ropar and Kanjli wetlands were on the list of internationally acclaimed sites but all three needed immediate attention.

“Encroachments by farmers and mingling of toxic wastes and sewage in the wetlands have affected the water as well as the aquatic life,” Singh said.

Talking about his personal experience in the area, he said, “A lot of awareness needs to be spread in the region. People are naïve and ignorant to the extent that most of them don’t even know what a wetland means, leave alone how it can be conserved.” The event also served as a picnic for schoolchildren and they participated in activities like painting and declamation contests. Addressing children, Singh said, “Whenever you see something unclean in your surroundings don’t be afraid to speak up. Protest if you think it will get your environment to be cleaner.” Others who spoke on the occasion included Paramjit Singh Sekhon, VC environment society, Kapurthala; Onkar Singh, district science supervisor; Dr Ajmer Singh, soil conservation officer, and Mohan Singh Sohal, forest range officer.

Jalandhar, February 2
Hidden cameras installed in ATMs helped the district police in identifying and nabbing an accused who tried to steal money after damaging two ATMs in different banks under the jurisdiction of police station number two, within a week.

SP (city-I) S.K. Kalia told The Tribune that shots of accused Baljinder Singh, alias Happy, of Sangat Singh Nagar, were captured in the hidden cameras when he broke a State Bank of Patiala ATM and a Canara Bank ATM on January 25 night in an attempt to steal money.

Though he could not succeed in his attempt even after breaking the ATMs, he decamped with a fan and some other items fixed in the ATM cabins, the SP said, adding that the banks had to bear a huge loss due to the damage caused to the ATMs.

After getting photographs of the accused, the police prepared a list of suspicious persons living in the localities situated around the ATMs.

It also published the photograph of the accused in some newspapers. Subsequently, it was informed that the accused had been seen near Kapurthala Chowk.

The SP said a special naka was laid and the accused was nabbed.

During preliminary interrogation, the accused revealed he used to earn his livelihood by driving a taxi. Later he confessed he had tried to steal money after breaking ATMs under the influence of drugs, the SP added.

An FIR under sections 457, 380 and 427 of the IPC was already registered against him.

Hoshiarpur, February 2
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today visited the Police Recruit Training Centre (PRTC) at Jahan Khelan and interacted with the trainees undergoing security training course there.

Talking to mediapersons, the CM said the new security training course, which started at the centre on January 21, would help unemployed youth in the state to get jobs in the private sector. The course would be conducted under the aegis of recently instituted Punjab Police Security Corporation.

The two-month-long course would be conducted regularly by the PRTC and every year five batches would pass out. The training includes information about security topics, including legal and procedural provisions, security operations, role of security personnel in contingency management and electronics. Besides, the trainees would also learn basics of smart turnout, marching, saluting and personal weapon handling.

At present, a batch of 245 youths is getting training .

The process of infrastructure development is still underway at the centre, which includes construction of the state-of-the-art indoor training block, library, auditorium, computer training centre, gymnasium, laboratories, trainees’ hostels, etc. All these features would be developed in phases. After completion, the infrastructure is likely to accommodate 2,500 trainees. The security training is being imparted free of cost and the entire expenditure of the board, lodging and messing, is being borne by the state government.