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Villagers a worried lot as Dhussi bundh lies unrepaired
Nawanshahr, July 17
The sight of clouds in the sky and the news in connection with the havoc being wreaked by the breaches in Ghaggar in Patiala district, coupled with the ground reality that nothing substantial has been done so far to strengthen the sensitive points at the Dhussi bundh along the Sutlej, have constantly been giving jitters to the residents of about 25 villages falling in the Bet area of the district.

PUDA fails to check noisy, law-breaking tenants
Batala, July 17
The Batala Urban Estate Welfare Association lodged a protest with the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) against the use and conversion of residential properties into commercial premises and installation of heavy machinery in the residential area.

Phagwara, Nakodar battle bad water woes as admn looks away
Phagwara, July 17
People of most parts of Phagwara and Nakodar face inconvenience due to stagnation of dirty water caused by lack of disposal of rainy water and blocked drainage pipes.

EARLIER STORIES

	Majority of diarrhoea patients discharged July 17, 2010
	Diarrhoea claims teenager’s life July 16, 2010
	Gurdaspur admn wakes up to bore well tragedies July 15, 2010
	IMA to hold district-level protests July 14, 2010
	Only 54 out of 725 dist schools got kitchen sheds July 13, 2010
	Govt schoolteachers on never-ending leave July 12, 2010
	Batala foundries in a shambles July 11, 2010
	Jolt to SAD-BJP in Qadian July 10, 2010
	Sand excavation from rivulet bed threatens causeways, village lands July 9, 2010
	Punjab joins hands with WB, WHO July 8, 2010

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Thiara inspects Civil Hospital
Phagwara, July 17
Punjab Health System Corporation Chairman Jasbir Singh Thiara inspected the Civil Hospital today. He instructed the hospital authorities to make better sanitation arrangements and provide maximum medicines to the patients.

‘My Tree Day’ Celebrations
Seechewal to visit Nawanshahr
Nawanshahr, July 17
Environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and Forest Minister Tikshan Sood would visit the town on July 19 to give a fillip to the “My Tree Day” celebrations scheduled to be observed on July 25 in the district by the Grow Green International Organisation (GGIO).

Man nabbed with fake currency, opium
Jalandhar, July 17
The CIA staff of the district police claim to have arrested a criminal with fake currency worth Rs 15,000 from near the railway crossing on Ladowali Road here yesterday. The police also recovered 200 gm of opium from him.

Thieves strike at eight places
Phagwara, July 17
In a spate of thefts, thieves struck at eight places in Phagwara on Thursday and Friday nights. According to reports received here today, valuables worth lakhs of rupees were burgled from five shops on Cinema Road on Thursday night.

3-year-old girl electrocuted
Jalandhar, July 17
A three-year-old girl was electrocuted when she was playing at the terrace of her house in Avtar Nagar yesterday. When it was raining, Loveleen went to the terrace and started playing.

	Villagers a worried lot as Dhussi bundh lies unrepaired Parmod Bharti Nawanshahr, July 17 The sight of clouds in the sky and the news in connection with the havoc being wreaked by the breaches in Ghaggar in Patiala district, coupled with the ground reality that nothing substantial has been done so far to strengthen the sensitive points at the Dhussi bundh along the Sutlej, have constantly been giving jitters to the residents of about 25 villages falling in the Bet area of the district. The nightmarish memories of the floods in 1988 and 1993 become fresh in the minds of the people. They had to struggle hard and villages had a narrow escape from the fury of the floods two years ago. “At that time, senior district officials had promised to undertake the work of strengthening the bundh much before the onset of the monsoon in future. But nothing concrete has been done so far,” lamented residents. Mohinder Singh of Mahaddipur village and Baldev Raj and Lakhwinder Singh of Tajowal village, while sharing their woes with The Tribune, alleged that officials of the Drainage Department had not even visited the Dhussi bundh and repair of the bundh or strengthening the sensitive points, of course, was off their minds. “The officials used to visit villages just to make an appeal to evacuate villages during the rainy season,” said residents. “Now, the apprehension of floods is looming large and the officials have just dumped stones at some sensitive points along the bundh. How can it save us in case of occurrence of a flood in the Sutlej,” ask the residents. Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh said the district administration had made elaborate anti-flood arrangements and there was no need to be panicky. “The Drainage Department has received Rs 12 lakh for strengthening of the Dhussi bundh at Tajowal. Work has been started there. Besides, I have visited the sensitive points at Dhussi bundh along the Sutlej and issued directions to the officials concerned for ensuring safety of the bundh,” she said. The adequate arrangement of gunny bags had also been made to tackle erosion of the bundh to avoid breaches, added the DC.
	PUDA fails to check noisy, law-breaking tenants Balraj Mahajan Batala, July 17 The Batala Urban Estate Welfare Association lodged a protest with the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) against the use and conversion of residential properties into commercial premises and installation of heavy machinery in the residential area. Urban Estate is purely a residential colony developed by PUDA and as per rules, no residential plot or building can be converted or used as a commercial establishment and the violation is strictly taken care of by PUDA. According to association peresident Kashmir Singh Boparai, the owner of house 278 has rented out the building to the National Highway Authority of India which has constructed a permanent shed in the backyard against rules and regulations. To the annoyance of residents, the tenants have installed heavy machinery which creates a lot of noise pollution with its huge, thunderous sound that irritates residents day and night and disturbs students and patients, especially during night. When contacted, SDO Surinder Pal of PUDA stated that residential premises couldn’t be converted or used as commercial establishments. But despite a notice in writing, he has failed to initiate action against the owner.
	Phagwara, Nakodar battle bad water woes as admn looks away Ashok Kaura Phagwara, July 17 People of most parts of Phagwara and Nakodar face inconvenience due to stagnation of dirty water caused by lack of disposal of rainy water and blocked drainage pipes. Residents of the Mansa Devi Nagar, Onkar Nagar, Tibbi, Palahi Gate localities registered their protest against insufficient drainage system. Most of the residents alleged that though Technical Education Minister Swarana Ram and Phagwara Nagar Council president Balbhadhar Sein Duggal reside in and around Hadiabad sub-town, nothing was being done to fix the problem and even residents of the local Mansa Devi Nagar face many difficulties even while passing through the dirty streets, full of stagnating water. When contacted, NC Executive Officer Adarsh Sharma told The Tribune that he took charge only a few days back and would initiate steps to solve the problems of the residents. Residents of different localities of Nakodar, including Hospital Road, Old Sabzi Mandi, Kamalpura and Bhallian Mohalla, face similar difficulties, but no body in the Nakodar Nagar Council hears their problems and a threat of possible diseases can’t be ruled out. The Nakodar Nagar Council remained without an Executive Officer for more than a month and people faced a lot of inconvenience due to the accumulated dirty rain water in several localities. Meanwhile, Phagwara, Phillaur and Nakodar experienced heavy rains again today.
	Thiara inspects Civil Hospital Our Correspondent Phagwara, July 17 Punjab Health System Corporation Chairman Jasbir Singh Thiara inspected the Civil Hospital today. He instructed the hospital authorities to make better sanitation arrangements and provide maximum medicines to the patients. He met hospital staff, including Senior Medical Officer Dr Rajiv Gupta, who demanded for an early appointment of a paediatrician and an orthopaedic in the Civil Hospital. Hospital staff urged the Chairman to fill the vacancies of nurses in the hospital. The SMO disclosed that the Civil Hospital would soon get a hot line to provide uninterrupted power supply, while a 50 kv generator had been installed in the hospital.
	‘My Tree Day’ Celebrations Seechewal to visit Nawanshahr Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, July 17 Environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and Forest Minister Tikshan Sood would visit the town on July 19 to give a fillip to the “My Tree Day” celebrations scheduled to be observed on July 25 in the district by the Grow Green International Organisation (GGIO). Seechewal would plant a “triveni” on the premises of the KC Group of Institutes here to motivate people, especially students, to save the environment by planting and preserving trees. On the occasion, about 500 saplings would be planted by students of various educational institutes, said GGIO global director Ashwani Joshi. Local MLA Jatinder Singh Kariha, Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh, KC Group of Institutes chairman Prem Gandhi and representatives of social, religious, trade and transport organisations would attend the function. A seminar on the preservation of environment and judicious use of natural resources like water, air and soil would also be held.
	Man nabbed with fake currency, opium Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 17 The CIA staff of the district police claim to have arrested a criminal with fake currency worth Rs 15,000 from near the railway crossing on Ladowali Road here yesterday. The police also recovered 200 gm of opium from him. CIA staff in charge Satish Malhotra claimed that accused Mithlesh, who hails from Bihar, was residing at Model Town. Mithlesh had a criminal background and was strengthening his ring of criminals. He was also in touch with certain undertrial prisoners in the Central Jail. He had been active in the fake currency circulation racket in the city for quite some time. The police claims to have got certain important clues from him during interrogation.