 |
|
|
Stop direct discharge into Buddha Nullah: report
Bane of Bathinda
3 students drowned in Beas, 1 missing
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sikh jatha reaches Pak
SAD-BJP ties under strain
Cong candidate wins Sunam MC poll
Govt will focus on checking milk adulteration: Chawla
PAU experts treat ancient beris
Operation Bluestar
Dept’s apathy cost girl academic year
Jawan cremated with military honours
Paddy transplantation from today
NCC organises eco-camp for cadets
Nurmahal Bypoll
Two held with 11 kg ganja
|
|
Stop direct discharge into Buddha Nullah: report
Ludhiana, June 9 The industrialists had been opposing the directive of zero discharge by P Ram Committee on Buddha Nullah and hoped that NEERI would bail them out so that they would be able to release some water into the nullah. NEERI experts state the seasonal drain had no assimilative capacity to sustain any wastewater discharges as there is no surface water flow available except during peak monsoon. So it is mandatory to implement a treatment scheme, facilitating reuse or recycling of industrial usage. Lashing out at both domestic and industrial sectors, the report states: “Existing status of wastewater management in Ludhiana for both domestic and industrial sectors is not environment friendly.” It has also blamed cluster of textile dyeing units on the Tajpur road for direct discharge of effluents into the nullah or on to land for irrigation, adding that the PPCB had claimed that there was no direct discharge into the nullah. Investigations by The Tribune reveal most of the effluent treatment plants (ETPs) are neither scientifically designed nor effectively operated. The three sewerage treatment plants at Jamalpur, Bhattian and Balloke are working merely as huge settling tanks reducing the settable solids concentration. There is a gross variance among figures stated by the PPCB and the industrialists. While in its interim report, NEERI had stated that a correct estimation of wastewater generation from industrial sectors should be determined, in its final report the institute has given observations from both the PPCB and TIA on it as 129 mld (million litre per day) and 109.2 mld, respectively. Thus without revealing what is exact wastewater generation in the city. Similarly, according to the PPCB, there are 349 electroplating units located in residential, commercial and industrial areas. However, contradicting the PPCB, the Common Effluent Treatment Plant management claims that 455 units have been registered with them till May, 2009. Domestic sewage generation estimates of the PPCB and the industry association, too, have a wide difference with the former stating it to be 350 mld and the latter as 500 mld. NEERI says inventory details available with the PPCB (August, 2008) state that wastewater generation quantified around 4 mld for electroplating unit, but it does not reveal that it is of 349 units or 455 units.
|
|
Food, water samples show alarming uranium levels
Anjali Singh Deswal Tribune News Service
Bathinda, June 9 According to Dr Surinder Singh of GND varsity, samples of milk, wheat, mustard and pulses were collected from Jajjal, Malkana and Giana villages of the district. Uranium content in milk found with average values of 2.38, 1.57 and 3.33 microgram per litre in Jajjal, Malkana and Giana, respectively. Average uranium values in wheat samples were 111, 70 and 115 microgram per kg, respectively, while uranium content of pulses ranged from 29-47 microgram per kg. Daily intake of uranium from foodstuffs, excluding water, was found highest at Giana village with 41.09 microgram per day. However, the total intake of uranium, including water, for the village was 138.41 microgram a day. This is much higher than the worldwide dietary intake of 5 microgram per day. According to reports, maximum hazard from uranium was due to its chemical toxicity rather than radiological effect. This was stated by the DAE spokesmen, who visited the centre for taking samples of soil, water and vegetation. “If inhaled or ingested, uranium poses increased risk of lung and bone cancer. Due to chemical toxicity, ingestion of uranium can cause damage to internal organs. Although kidney is considered to be the primary target in both acute and chronic situations, experimental evidence suggests that the respiratory and reproductive systems are also affected by exposure,” Dr Surinder said. Experts also stated that due to the reproductive system being affected by uranium, it could lead to disability in children. A recent report by a team of foreign doctors, who visited the Baba Farid Centre for Special Children, had revealed that depleted uranium used in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan during the recent war had affected children in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi. It had caused deformities, disorder and diseases like cancer. According to them, winds coming from Afghanistan contain high quantity of uranium and India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, and Pakistan were getting affected due to this. When used, uranium gets mixed in soil, air and water. Area within 1,000 miles from the place where uranium is used gets polluted. Iran is 932 miles from Punjab, while Afghanistan is barely 332 miles. Apart from birth deformities and mental retardation, depleted uranium is responsible for disorders like lung cancer, intestinal ulcer, impotency, infertility among women and brain damage. But, according to GND varsity, the main reason for the high uranium content in ground water in the region is due to radioactive rich granite present in Tusham hills of Bhiwani district in Haryana.
|
|
3 students drowned in Beas, 1 missing
Hoshiarpur, June 9 According to the police, 38 students, along with three teachers, had gone for a pleasure trip. On the way, they stopped at Naushera Pattan on the Mukerian-Gurdaspur road for sightseeing. Five students, identified as Nidhi Pathania, Shilpa, Shehnaz, Sonali and Vikrant, were trapped in the raging torrent. However, Sonali was saved while the other girl students drowned. Bodies of the girls were fished out and have been sent to the Civil Hospital, Mukerian, for postmortem. Deputy Commissioner NK said the SDM Mukerian would hold an inquiry into the matter. Search is still on to find the missing boy. Meanwhile, SP(H) Opinderjit Singh Ghuman said this evening that after a preliminary investigation, the Mukerian police had registered an FIR under Section 304, IPC, against the owner of the Star Public High School, Mukerian, Dharamvir Singh, Principal Babita Chaudhary and teachers Meena Rani and Neelam in connection with the incident.
CM announces
Rs 1 lakh ex gratia
CHANDIGARH: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal have expressed profound grief over the tragic death of three schoolchildren. He also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 1 lakh each to the family of the dead.
— TNS
|
|
SAD-BJP ties under strain
Chandigarh, June 9 Though the state BJP leadership has not minced words at hitting out at its alliance partner (SAD) for its defeat on two out of the three seats the party contested, the national leadership thinks otherwise. BJP spokesperson and poll strategist Sudheendra Kulkarni has hinted at issues like “leadership crisis”, “lack of clarity”, “distancing of leadership from people” as some reasons for its failure to do well in the polls and stressed the need for self-introspection, rather than putting the blame on others. In a recent article Kulkarni says: “Unless the BJP overcomes this structural weakness by increasing its own political and electoral strength in big states, it can never emerge as an equal and durable alternative to the Congress nationally”. On the other hand, the Punjab BJP has left no opportunity to blame the SAD leadership, while denying all other reasons enumerated by Kulkarni. Various leaders of the state BJP unit have repeatedly denied that the leadership had got distanced from people. This is despite the fact that BJP candidates had a dismal performance in urban areas, considered to be the BJP mass base. The BJP actually lost in 17 of the 19 assembly segments held by its MLAs in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The strain between the BJP and the SAD was very apparent after the BJP started a blame game soon after the poll results were declared. The SAD leadership has on the other hand refrained itself from making any adverse public remark. It is a different matter that senior party leadership claims that the NDA rally at Ludhiana sapped all its energy at the last moment, denying it the opportunity to reverse results in at least three or four parliamentary segments in the Doaba region. The BJP has been able to retain the Mukerian and Fazilka assembly segments, besides gaining Garhshankar. The SAD has refrained from blaming the BJP for defeat of its candidates, but senior leaders say in private that they would have won 10 seats if BJP leaders had worked hard to retain the 17 assembly segments. While relations between the BJP and the SAD in Punjab are under tremendous strain, the BJP central leadership has so far not “blamed” the SAD for its defeat in Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. If indications within the BJP camp are to be taken seriously, a lot of bad blood has been generated between the alliance partners and a “formal complaint” by the SAD to the BJP central leadership is not ruled out. Thus, the possibility of a reshuffle in the BJP leadership cannot be brushed aside.
|
|
Cong candidate wins Sunam MC poll
Sangrur, June 9 Pardeep Aggarwal, Sangrur SDM-cum-Returning Officer for the ward No 13, said Geeta secured 945 votes, while Sunita got 767 votes. Earlier on June 30, 2008, the then returning officer for Sunam MC elections-cum-ADC, Indu Malhotra, had recommended re-polling in one booth of the ward No. 13, where Congress workers had staged a dharna against alleged highhandedness of the ruling alliance. Later, re-poll was ordered in the entire ward No. 13, which was held today.
|
|
Govt will focus on checking milk adulteration: Chawla
Chandigarh, June 9 She claimed that the department was following a two-pronged strategy of going in for a regular checking to discourage adulterators, besides creating awareness among people to come forward against adulterators. “In fact, there are instances when people stop department staff from conducting checks and taking action against those indulging in adulteration and even manufacturing of spurious medicines,” she added. She said food inspectors checked gur being sold in kiryana stores with signs “The product is only for milch cattle”. “Synthetic milk products like khoya and paneer, which were brought into the state from Uttar Pradesh earlier, are now being checked at various nakas by the department staff,” she added. Her ministry has proposed to recruit three food as well as drug inspectors in major districts. After she took over the ministry, 11 food inspectors, besides six drug inspectors, have been recruited. Speaking about the delay caused in milk and drug sampling, she said earlier there were only nine analysts against 29 posts. “Now all posts have been filled and four laboratories in the state have also been shifted to Chandigarh. Analysts now do not know what work they are doing. It has resulted in more transparency in the entire system,” the minister added. When asked about efforts to check the sale of habit-forming drugs, the minister said during the previous regime, spurious habit-forming drugs worth Rs 58 lakh had been seized while during the past two years drugs worth
Rs 5.75 crore had been seized by her ministry. “Spurious drugs worth Rs 30 lakh were seized from one godown alone in Ludhiana,” she said, claiming that habit-forming drug capsules were now being sold by small kiryana stores and ‘jhola wallahs’ and were increasingly difficult to get by.
|
|
Withdraw gallantry awards: Tarlochan
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 9 Tarlochan Singh was speaking in the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidential address. He pointed out that on the 25th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, Sikhs in Europe and the US are taking out protest marches commemorating the injustice committed on the Sikhs. The MP has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to move a resolution in both Houses of Parliament condemning the attack on the Golden Temple. “Simultaneously gallantry awards given to the soldiers and other security personnel involved in the operation should also be taken back,” he added. Tarlochan Singh said: “Gallantry awards are given to the soldiers for fighting the enemy and not attacking your own people.” He rejected the government’s move for 33 per cent reservation for women and said Punjab has already achieved it. “We have elected four women MPs out of 13 this time and, therefore, the nation should also adopt the Punjab formula,” he suggested. Tarlochan Singh criticised the government for not taking up the issue of jaziya imposed on Sikhs in Pakistan and said thousands of Sikhs had been ousted from their homes and were living like refugees in gurdwaras. “The Indian government has neither sent them any aid nor taken up the issue with the Pakistan government.”
|
|
Dept’s apathy cost girl academic year
Mohali, June 9 The case revolves around Amarjeet Kaur, who complained to Punjab Director General School Education Krishan Kumar that the school authorities had made a false unfair means case (UMC) in the political science subject against her. It was alleged that during the internal exams for the academic year 2008-2009, the girl had attempted the supplementary answersheet at home and later attached with the answer book, a fact denied by the girl. The case was made after Sukhdarshan Kaur Pannu, the political science lecturer, registered a UMC case against the girl to the school principal, Anil Kumar. The fact is recorded in one of the departmental inquiries marked by the Director General School Education to a deputy director in the department. Sukdarshan said it was a clear-cut UMC case. The case has been blown out proportion by certain vested interest. But instead of handling the case in a proper manner, the district education office did not act on the inquiry findings. One inquiry after another had been marked to know the facts in the case. After two inquiries, first conducted by Sawan Iqbal Singh at the behest of the district education officer, Mohali, and the second by deputy director Kulraj Kaur, did not find “favour” with the VIP teachers, the education department has now directed the circle education officer (CEO), Nabha, to probe the matter. While admitting that the career of the student was at stake, Krishan Kumar said the inquiry had now been marked to CEO, Nabha. Instead of taking serious action against the school authorities for mishandling a straight case, the education department is dilly- dallying the matter. Complicating the matter, a daily diary report was lodged against the girl, her father and Kuljinder Kaur Randhawa, wife of the director public instructions (elementary). On the other, Kuljinder Randhawa has been maintaining that since she is a career counsellor at the school, students kept on calling her. “The girl did approach her for guidance. I advised her to appeal before the education department,” she added. Interestingly, in the first two inquiries, it has been advised that the girl should be given another chance as per the pass-fail criteria adopted by the school.
|
|
Jawan cremated with military honours
Nurpur Bedi, June 9 Anandpur Sahib SDM APS Sandhu was also present at the cremation ground. Army officials brought his body late in the evening on Monday. He was cremated today morning at his village. A resident of Saupur (Barhiwal) village near Nurpur Bedi, he died fighting against three militants on June 6. His colleagues had informed his family that Jagtar had sustained bullet injuries. Later, on June 8, the family got an official information confirming his death. Jagtar is survived by wife Ranjit Kaur, alias Rani, a seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter. He was to visit his village on June 20 on two months’ leave.
|
|
Paddy transplantation from today
Chandigarh, June 9 Government spokesperson said Punjab was likely to bring 26 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation. This would also mean a reduction in produce from 164.18 lakh MT to 152 lakh MT.
|
|
NCC organises eco-camp for cadets
Chandigarh, June 9 An awareness campaign on global warming will also be organised. The camp is being organised by 12 Punjab NCC Battalion. Besides this, declamations to sharpen communication skills, career counselling, presentations on leaders of India, would also be undertaken by the cadets.
|
|
Holiday on June 12
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 9 Meanwhile, the EC has appointed Sita Ram Meena as Election Observer for the bypoll. He may be contacted on phone No. 094127-51415.
|
|
State to implement BIS certification
Chandigarh, June 9
|
|
Two held with 11 kg ganja
Rajpura, June 9 The SHO said the police got a tip-off about the consignment and arrested the accused during a special naka. He said the accused admitted that they were going to deliver the consignment in Ludhiana, which was handed over to them by someone from Nepal at the border. The accused said they were not aware of the material inside the packets and were
told to deliver it at Ludhiana. Brar also said the amount of the contraband could be about Rs 2 lakh in Nepal but since not many people consume it in north India, it could be little less in this area. A case in this connection has been registered by the police. The police is trying to establish the identity of the accused who was to collect the packets
in Ludhiana.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
ancient beris infested with sects.
Ber Baba Budha Sahib is one of the oldest ber trees, considered to be more than 425 years old. As this tree was associated with Baba Budhaji, first Head Granthi of the Golden Temple, it is called Ber Baba Budha Sahib.
Dukh Banjani Beri and Illaichi Ber are also said to be more than four centuries old trees. For the past two decades, the growth of these sacred trees was greatly reduced being heavily infested with lac insects.
