Two die as well caves in
Tribune News Service

Dullo Kalan (Ludhiana), June 10
Two persons were buried alive when a wall of a well caved in while they were digging a tubewell in this village, 25 km from here today. While one body was retrieved in the afternoon after a massive rescue operation launched by the police, district administration and the villagers, the second body could be found only late in the evening.

The incident took place at about 10am in an agricultural field belonging to Mr Ralla Singh, a farmer of this village. The two dead have been identified as Mohinder Singh(50), a labourer and Charan Singh (20), a grandson of the farmer.

According to eyewitnesses three persons, including the two deceased and Bahadur Singh (17), another grandson of the farmer started digging out the well at around 9 am and just after an hour the incident took place.

When a Ludhiana Tribune team reached the spot, officials of police, local administration, health department and the Red Cross were already on the spot. A recovery van was pressed into service to extricate the bodies. The villagers present on the spot said that although they had informed the police and administration immediately after the incident 10 am, the rescue team reached the spot after two hours. They also said that had the team reached early the two could have been saved.

But the officials said today being Sunday there were some hiccups in co-ordianting the rescue team.

Bahadur Singh, who just managed to save himself from falling into the well, said Mohinder Singh, a labourer, assigned by the owner, was digging to increase the depth of the already existing concrete tubewell, the sandy earth from a side of the well collapsed and buried him alive. Seeing Mohinder Singh getting trapped in the sand, Charan Singh jumped inside to save him.

However, another portion of the earth caved in and both of them were buried under heaps of earth. Bahadur Singh said he also jumped in to save his brother and was stuck in the sand. He was saved by a labourer who had arrived at the site hearing their cries.

The duo ran towards the village asking for help. Just after half an hour they returned with more people and tried to help the two buried inside but to no avail.

Within an hour’s time whole of the village had gathered on the spot. A gurdwara located in the village made an announcement that two persons were buried alive in the well and manual help was required. Phone calls were immediately made to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, police station and fire brigade.

Almost all villagers had rushed to the spot and were waiting for the rescue team. Despite scorching heat, women, children and men from the adjoining village also gathered on the spot. Charan Singh was extricated in an unconscious state at around 2:30 pm. It took the team more than two hours to find him. Doctors from the ambulance and mobile vans then tried revive him. He was, however, declared dead after some time. The body of Mohinder Singh was excavated in the evening and he was also declared dead.

SDM Kuldip Singh and SHO Ramandeep Singh were supervising the rescue operation. The earth was caving in after every now and then.

Gloom had descended on Dullo Kalan village and many women and elders were seen praying for the buried. The grandfather and younger brother of Charan Singh were sitting near the well in a state of shock.

Sources said the rescue operation took a long time as the district administration did not have expert labourers for such an operation. Incidentally, the Municipal Corporation had few labourers for these kind of rescue operations earlier but they were chucked out later.

Track electrification project a non-starter
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 10
Almost three months after the much-needed Ludhiana-Amritsar rail electrification project was inaugurated, the plan remains a still born, thanks to the shortage of funds with the Central Government and effective political pressure by other states which ensured that similar projects in their states were taken up on priority basis by the Central Government.

While work on similar projects in Bihar, Surat and Bhubneshwar is going on a war footing, the project which was claimed by the SAD-BJP government as initiated on their efforts remains at standstill and the entire establishment stationed at Ludhiana for the project is on the tenterhooks. Sources claimed that there was a strong chance that the project might be abandoned completely.

The prime reason attributed to the non-start of the project, which would not only have sped up the rail services and helped the public but would also have proved very economical to the Railways as well, is the shortage of funds. Though the project cost has been estimated at Rs 97 crore, only Rs 5 crore has been released this year. No wonder that in the past three months only a few cement slabs to support pillars have come up near the city.

Mr Mann Singh, Chief Project Manager, Railway Electrification, when contacted at Ambala, admitted that the shortage of funds had crippled the project. He declined to comment further, saying that the projects were decided at the highest level and priority was fixed by the government on which he was not competent to comment. He added that the work was expected to catch speed next year after the allocation of more funds.

Sources revealed that the cost of the project had already escalated a number of times over the years and further delay may again increase the cost. They said that further the heavy cost on which the trains are running on the Ludhiana-Amritsar line would continued to be borne by the Railways.

According to the sources, the project was of significance not only for the commuters but also for the Railways. The main reason is the cost factor. They said that if running of the diesel engine cost Re 1, then the cost of the electric engine was only 16 paise. The electric engine is also preferred as it requires less manpower and does not cause much pollution. It runs at a high speed.

Local factors for the requirement of the project are also important. The super-fast or express trains running on this route called trunk route by the department have to make a long halt at Ludhiana railway station in order to change the engine from electric to the diesel one. Due to this, other trains on the route are also held up regularly.

Sources said the project, which was in the pipeline for several years, hoped to see the light of the day when SAD-BJP government came to power in 1997. At the time of the commissioning of the Chandigarh-Kalka electrification project, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral, the then Prime Minister, and Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, Punjab, had announced that the centre had taken up the Ludhiana-Amritsar project and the work would be completed soon.

However, with the rapid change of governments at the Centre and the subsequent changes in the Ministry of Railways in the next three years cast its shadow on the project.

Villagers getting contaminated water supply
Manoj Kumar
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 10
There is a grave threat to the lives of villagers living in the neighbourhood of the city due to reported contamination of drinking water with pesticides and weedicides sprayed in the waterlogged paddy fields. Heeran and six other villages on the Ludhiana- Chandigarh road face this threat, with water pipelines passing through agricultural fields leaking at many places.

Villagers fear that drinking water from leaking pipelines may be contaminated by pesticides used in the fields as the farmers have started sowing paddy. Residents of Heeran village told Ludhiana Tribune that the drinking water to their village was being supplied from Chak Sarvannath, a nearby village. Though a water storage tank was constructed for water supply, water is not stored. Rather it is supplied to the villages through the damaged pipes. Besides Heeran village, water is supplied to Panghani, Chak, Badi and Choti Laton villages from the same contaminated water source.

Mr Gurcharan Singh, a resident of the village, said the hand pump water had been already declared unsafe for drinking purposes by a government water-testing centre. Also the water supplied by the Public Health and Water Supply Department is also not safe for them.

Besides, he said, ‘‘The water supply is irregular and inadequate. The pipes have been damaged at many points as these are of poor quality. Water often spills over on to the roads and in the fields. The supply of dirty water is frequent as the leaked water gets mixed with the main pipeline water,’’ say the villagers.

They point out that the department had not learnt any lesson from the tragedy that occurred in a village in Kapurthala district last year where almost all persons in the village had to be taken to the hospital after drinking water from a leaked pipeline, where the pesticides used in agriculture fields had mixed with the drinking water. They fear that a similar tragedy may occur here any day.

Mr Gurpreet Singh, another resident of the village, however, said,‘‘ Most of the people are not aware about the problem. They are either drinking water from the hand pumps or public taps. But in both cases the danger of being poisoned remains.’’ He added that his family was also drinking water from the hand pumps, which they thought, was less dangerous.

The villagers questioned the government’s motive behind spending lakhs of rupees on water schemes if people had to drink unsafe water. Another villager asked, ‘‘Who will pay for the lives of common people if a tragedy occurs due to the department’s negligence. Are they waiting for a disaster to happen?’’

Clean drinking water and sewerage — a distant dream?
Kuldip Bhatia

Women and children wait for water at a common tap in a locality in Ludhiana. IV

Ludhiana, June 10
With the population increasing manifold, the largest city of Punjab has undergone a drastic change during the last decade. Infrastructural facilities and civic amenities have failed to keep up pace with this change and has assumed alarming proportions. The efforts made by the Municipal Corporation, particularly during last few years, to extend coverage of water supply and sewerage facilities in the city, notwithstanding, clean drinking water for an estimated 40 per cent of population and sewerage facilities for another 55 per cent city residents still remains a far cry.

Even the city localities that have piped water supply and sewerage network, frequently complain about several related problems like lack of adequate pressure of water and poor quality of water, disruption in water supply due to various reasons, choked and overflowing sewers, not to mention unresponsive civic staff responsible for operations and maintenance of these

An overhead water tank under construction near Chand Cinema as part of the MC steps to augment water supply in Ludhiana. IV

The summer season in particular, proves to be a gruelling experience for the city residents as far as the water supply is concerned. With the mercury soaring and the power supply playing truant, taps in many localities go dry. People from one or the other colony always seem to be protesting at the headquarters of the Municipal Corporations against the elusive water supply.

The quality of piped water available in the city localities is always suspect with frequent reports of many water samples, taken from different areas, failing the specifications laid down for clean drinking water. There have been numerous instances of water-borne disease like cholera, gastro-enteritis and jaundice breaking out and assuming epidemic form and taking a big toll of precious human lives in different areas.

The civic administration claims that a lot of work has been done during the last four years to augment the water supply and extend coverage area, both under water supply and sewerage, at a huge expenditure. They attribute the hue and cry over lack of these basic facilities to soaring expectations of people, who do not realise the kind of funds needed for laying required infrastructure and equipment. However, the city residents, who are a long time away from these basic facilities, do not necessarily subscribe to the views of civic administrators, while rightfully claiming access to clean drinking water and a functional sewerage.

That the civic planners have failed to evolve such long term comprehensive plans which could take into account the projected increase in population by the time the water supply and sewerage projects under execution were complete, is evident from the fact that even after the completion of a Rs 152-crore sewerage project, funded with financial assistance from HUDCO in 2004, only about 75 per cent of the population would have sewerage facilities.

Similarly, around 85 to 90 per cent city residents will have access to piped water after the work is completed on a Rs 33.52-crore water supply project in around one month from now.

“Never in the past, water supply and sewerage projects have been taken up at such a big level and completed with such speed,” says Mr S. S. Jandu, Superintending Engineer (O and M), MC. With 265 tubewells and 62 OHSR’s, the MC is now providing 130 litre per capita daily water from the earlier 90 litre, which is among the highest in comparison to major towns and cities of the region. Further, with the distribution network expansion of more than 100 per cent from 625 km to 1,280 km and number of connections increasing from 60,000 to 1,40,000, the coverage will go up to a healthy 85 to 90 per cent.

According to Mr Jandu, who is due for retirement in next couple of days, the MC have projects in hand for expansion of distribution network for sewerage from 590 km to 1,110 km, laying another 10 km of storm sewer and doubling the sewerage connections during next three years under the HUDCO-financed project worth Rs 152 crore. He also said that while a large number of city localities were deprived of water, the wastage of water, where it was available, was a startling 25 per cent. In the wake of alarming depletion of ground water level by 1.5 to 2 feet per annum, strict conservation measures were called for.

Among the conservation measures initiated by the MC were construction of 24 water harvesters, with another 25 in the pipeline for improvement of water table, amendment of municipal bylaws to make tapping of roof water in injection wells mandatory, check wastage of water by rescheduling the supply hours depending upon season and demand and usage of defunct bores of abandoned tubewells as deep injection wells for harvesting purposes.

To bring about more efficiency in running and maintenance of tubewells in the city, the MC had privatised these services and besides financial saving in running and maintenance cost, the move would lead to qualitative improvement in water supply services, the civic officials maintained.

COMMUNITY

Setback to SAD (A)
Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 10
The SAD(A) here today got a setback in its own home district, when a large number of party workers and leaders led by Mr Mohan Singh Makaronpur, vice-chairman Zila Parishad Fatehgarh Sahib and member working committee SAD(A), resigned from the primary membership of the party. These leaders along with their supporters joined the SAD(B) under the leadership of Mr Randhir Singh Cheema, a former minister.

Addressing a press conference at the residence of Mr R.S. Cheema at Karimpura village today, Mr Manmohan Singh said that he had resigned due to infighting and groupism in the party. Moreover, sincere party workers were being ignored and the leadership had been cornered by the sychophants. He expressed full faith in the leadership of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and declared to work under the leadership of Mr R.S. Cheema in the Sirhind constituency.

Earlier in the day, Mr Manmohan Singh had also called a separate press conference in which he had declared that he had only resigned from the SAD(A) and he had not declared to join any other party. Addressing the gathering, Mr Cheema welcomed all those who had joined the SAD(B).

6 SDMs in four years
Our Correspondent

Machhiwara, June 10
As Many as six SDMs have been transferred from Samrala subdivision during the past four years as a result of alleged interference by local politicians.

Mr Rajinder Singh, who joined as SDM on January 3, 1997, was transferred on March 19, 1997. After that, Mr S.K. Sharma took the charge as SDM of Samrala. He was transferred on May 18, 1997. then Mr Sanjay Popli was appointed SDM and was transferred on June 7, 1999. His successor, Mr Baldev Singh, remained in the office for five months and was shifted on November 22, 1999.

Mr Arun Sekhri seved as SDM till June 22, 2000. The next incumbent, Mr Sandeep Hans, became very popular among the people, but was sent back on June 8, 2001. He has been replaced by Smt Raghbir Kaur Khehra, who was earlier SDM of Bassi Pathana.

It is also being said that the present DSP, Mr Sushil Kumar, is likely to be replaced by recently promoted SHO, Mr Ashish Kapoor.

SJP launches awareness drive against WTO
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 10
The Punjab unit of the Samajwadi Janata Party has launched an awareness drive against the economic policies of the BJP at the Centre and the Akali Dal led coalition government in the state. Thousands of the party workers under the leadership of Mr Chander Shekhar, national president of the party, are participating in a national protest march from Puri in Orissa to Porbander in Gujarat. The march started on June 5 and will reach Porbander on June 18. A massive rally will be held there on June 19. A group of party workers from the state will join the protest march at Rajkot on June 18.

This was disclosed by Mr Darshan Singh Jeeda, state president of the party. Addressing a press conference here today, he said,‘‘ The small-scale industries and the farmers have been badly hit by the multinational companies after the implementation of the GATT Agreement. Due to the opening of trade, the impact on our culture will be detrimental.’’

Mr Darshan Singh announced that their party will oppose all the beauty contests to be held in the state. Criticising the Badal government, he said that the government was not concerned about the interests of the farmers. Mr Mohan Lal, district president of the party, said, ‘‘We will launch a state-wide agitation programme after June 18. Mr Chander Shekhar is also expected to address the rallies in the state. An all party meeting has been called at Jalandhar on July 7 against the WTO policies.’’ 

‘Restrictions on Amarnath pilgrims should go’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 10
Shri Amarnath Yatra Welfare Board, a national organisation of 74 NGOs that hold community kitchens from Jammu to the Amarnath cave, has opposed the restrictions that have recently been imposed by the Jammu and Kashmir Government on pilgrimage to the holy cave.

About 1,000 members of the board held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday in protest against these restrictions. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office in this regard.

Mr Rajinder Sharma, President of the board, said here today that the organisations had been serving pilgrims till 1996 in spite of terrorism in the state. He said, later, the state government had frustrated the efforts of these organisations, following which, these NGOs had to approach the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to seek relief. Even the court order had not helped in improving the situation, he said.

Mr Sharma said the state government had changed the base camp for pilgrims from the traditional Pahalgam to Nunwan. The board has demanded that the organisations who still want to hold community kitchens at Pahalgam should be allowed to do so.

The board said the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to issue colour-coded identity cards for various durations of pilgrimage would cause hardships to those pilgrims who might not be able to adhere to the journey schedule. It wants that the period of registration for pilgrims should be extended from 15 days to 25 days.

Mr Rajinder Sharma said there was always a delay in granting permission to hold community kitchens, though the applications for this were put in will in advance. Due to this, vehicles carrying rations and tents were made to halt at the Lakhanpur barrier, delaying pilgrims further. Drivers of these vehicles are even made to pay toll tax.

The board wants that, as the kitchen camps often have to be extended, the ration and the other essential items should the supplied under the public distribution system at Sheshnag, Panchtarni, Pahalgam, Baltal and the holy cave sites. It wants that the sites at Pahalgam should be close to the route and not on the other side of the river. Sites that are far from the route have proved to be easy targets for militants. Mr Sharma said, “If the state government had paid attention to the warnings of the board, these lives could have been saved.” Most families of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack are yet to receive the compensation.

Mr Sharma said registration centres should be opened in all state capitals. Every year, vehicles carrying pilgrims are made to halt at Jammu for security check. For hours together, pilgrims have to wait in Jammu stadium where civic amenities are scarce. The board wants the proposed helicopter service to be introduced this season.

Shiv Sena seeks ban on lotteries, liquor
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 10
The state unit of the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) today warned the Punjab government that if it did not impose a ban on lotteries and curb the use of intoxicants in the state, the sena would launch a campaign.

In a press release here, the state spokesman of the Hindu outfit, Mr Pawan Sharma, stated that a number of Punjab ministers were involved in the lottery and liquor trade. The same leaders boasted of having earned huge revenues for the state exchequer every year. He said it was not the job of the government to earn money by wrecking the homes of the citizens. He said the government was encouraging advertisements of new brands of liquor. he said the job of the government was to provide basic amenities to the people but these days while at every chowk there was a liquor vend, there was no public water tap.

Also cautioning against the designs of Pakistan's ISI, Mr Sharma said it was encouraging Punjabi youth to take to drugs with the clear aim of weakening the state. He said young boys and girls were increasingly falling prey to various kinds of intoxicants. Accusing the state ministers of involvement in the drug trade, he said these ministers were strengthening the hands of the ISI.

Third day without power
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 10
The power supply to Durga Puri in Haibowal here is down for the past three days due to a snag in a transformer in the area. About 400 persons have been affected by it.

Residents of the area said they had complained to the Subdivisional Officer and the Junior Engineer concerned several times, but the transformer had not been repaired. They have not been able to contact the Executive Engineer concerned because the official is out of the city.

Resentment against the Panjab State Electricity Board is brewing among these residents, who are getting restless now.

CRIME

Man with opium capsules held
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 10
A man smuggling opium into the city by storing it in empty capsules, hidden in the dickey of his scooter, was caught by the Sarabha Nagar police from a police check post here today afternoon.

Mohinder Singh, a city resident, was coming into the city on his scooter (PB-10 AB-2413) when a police party led by sub-inspector Dilpreet Singh SHO, Sarabha Nagar, caught him with the capsules. The police said it had received a tip-off and was waiting for him to turn up. As much as two and a half kg of opium was recovered from his possession.

According to the SHO, the man had devised a noval way off smuggling opium. He used to clear the filing of the capsules and instead fill up opium in it. The police recovered several packets of capsules which were stored in plastic bottles.

He has been booked under the NDPS Act. The police said the drugs were being smuggled into the city from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

240 kg of poppy husk seized
Our Correspondent

Jagraon, June 10
Mr Arvinder Singh, SHO, Sidhwan Bet police station, arrested Pritam Kaur, wife of Sadhu Singh, a resident of Lopo village, and seized 240 kg of poppy husk which was concealed in pipes in a drain at Rasulpur. A case under Sections 15, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered.

Killed in accident: In a head-on collision between two scooters, Hakam Singh, son of Gurdev Singh, a resident of Hesan, who was driving the scooter (PB-03-0574) was killed. The accident took place near Government Senior Secondary School. The other scooter involved in the accident had registration No PB-25A-6942. A case under Sections 279, 427, 338 and 304-A of the IPC has been registered.

Mandi Gobindgarh

4 booked: On the basis of a statement by Mr Bhim Sain (54), a commission agent, a resident of Adarsh Colony, the police has registered a case against Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, Janak Raj and sons of Janak Raj, under Sections 501, 506 and 34 of the IPC.

According to the FIR registered on Saturday, Mr Bhim Sain stated that his daughter, Monika, was married to Sanjeev Kumar, alias Sanjay, a resident of Shashtri Nagar, Mandi Gobindgarh, about four years ago. He alleged that though he gave a scooter in dowry, her in-laws were not satisfied and demanded more dowry. Because of her continuous harassment by them, the matter was brought to the notice of the panchayat many times. The girl has been living with her parents for the past some time.