Amritsar, May 6
The launch of much-awaited Duronto train between Amritsar and Chandigarh has got delayed with the Northern Railway (NR) awaiting approval of Chief Chief Commissioner (Safety).

The NR would be using sophisticated coaches for the route for the first time in the Railways’ history, hence it’s mandatory to get clearance certificates from the Commissioner and Chief Commissioner Safety. The Chief Commissioner Safety has its office at Lucknow while the Commissioner Safety manages its work from Delhi.

Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Manish Tiwari confirmed the development and said keeping in view the safety of passengers, nothing could be left to chance.

He added that the NR’s Delhi office today received the clearance certificate from the Commissioner Safety. However, it is still awaiting clearance from Chief Commissioner to finally launch the train.

These sophisticated coaches were manufactured at Railway Coach Factory, Kapurthala.

Amritsar, May 6
The Amritsar administration has chalked out various development and beautification projects to be executed this year. While looking ahead, plans are afoot to lay an eight-lane road with an additional service lane from Amritsar Gate to Bhandari Bridge at a cost of about Rs 27 crore by November. Similarly, the six-laning of Airport Road with two overbridges at Gumtala and Meerakot at a cost of Rs 20 crore is on the cards.

A major project of multi-lane high-level bridges, including three-lane flyover approaches and junction on the UBDC, crossing the Amritsar-Jalandhar road, is already underway and is expected to take shape by November. Adjoining it, would come up a leisure valley, just on the lines of Chandigarh.

Other projects in the pipeline included four-laning of the road from the Tara Wala bridge to Chatiwind bridge along the UBDC, construction of flyover and underpass at SSSS Chowk, flyover on Kitchlu Chowk, widening of Bhandari Bridge, construction of District Administrative Complex, two railway overbridges at Vallah and Phatak No 22, etc.

Deputy Commissioner K.S. Pannu said all these projects would be completed within this year.

Under beautification projects, three impressive gates based on the theme of Khalsa College’s architectural splendour have been conceptualised only to be constructed at the entry to the city from the Jalandhar side, from Airport Road and Attari Road. The designs of these gates have been made by the Architecture and Town Planning Department of Guru Nanak Dev University.

It will be funded by the PIDB, Chandigarh. “The structural designs have been prepared. The tenders are to be floated shortly. The total cost of the gates will be about Rs 12 crore and the project will be completed by November,” said Pannu.

Similarly, a plaza costing about Rs 80 crore will come up in front of the Golden Temple. It includes all requisite services like visitor interpretation centre, information office, public conveniences, VIP block and security services. The plans are there to upgrade Ram Bagh, Sakatri Bagh and environmental-cum-rose garden at Ranjit Avenue.

On the essential services part, the Municipal Corporation, in collaboration with the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Department has undertaken the revamping of the existing obsolete underground piped sewerage system and solid waste management system.

D.P.S. Kharbanda, Municipal Commissioner, said the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB), in collaboration with the Japan International Corporation Agency (JAICA), had drafted a

plan to rejuvenate the existing sewerage system under the JNNURM programme with an estimated cost of Rs 36.90 crore.

“The augmentation and revamping of the city’s sewerage system will be our priority. The work on the first pocket has already started in October last. Similarly, the solid waste management project, which costs Rs 36 crore and involves door-to-door collection and transportation of the garbage, is underway.

“To provide clean potable water to all, the reverse osmosis system (ROS) will be installed in every ward. We can assure good life for citizens ahead,” he opined.

After providing the 3.25-km stretch of Elevated Road from Maqboolpura to Bhandari Bridge, known as the lifeline of the holy city, the work on ramps adjoining this elevated road, from Ghee Mandi to the Saragari parking would be completed within next two months, which would enable the pilgrims to reach the Golden Temple within 10 minutes of entering the city.

The administration foresees introduction of the low-floor City Bus Service for peripheral route and automatic driven personal rapid transport system (PRTS) for tourists as well as daily commuters on the bus stand-Golden Temple and railway station-Golden Temple routes. The order for the purchase of 27 low-floor AC buses on lines of Ludhiana is going to be placed very soon and work on the plying of the PRTS is under progress.

Amritsar, May 6
With the arrest of two persons, the Majitha police today claimed to have solved a blind murder case of an unidentified person, whose body was found near a canal near Dhingnangal village here.

The deceased was later identified as Rajwinder Singh of Preetnagar Nangli, an auto-rickshaw driver, who had been missing since March 26 and the police had registered a case under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC at Majitha police station.

Initial investigations revealed that Rajwinder was strangled to death and the body was thrown into the canal in order to dispose of the body.

Major Singh, SHO, Majitha police station, said the auto-rickshaw driver had gone to Amritsar bus stand, but he never returned home. His auto-rickshaw was found in the Kathunangal area. The accused had removed the engine and tyres of his auto-rickshaw.

During investigations, the police traced his mobile phone being operating in the Verka area. The police arrested Janju and Davinder Singh of Kadak Singh Wala near Verka in this regard.

Investigations revealed that the accused had a minor dispute with the deceased on carrying passengers. Further investigations were under progress, said Major Singh.

Amritsar, May 6
At a time when the Punjab Government has imposed a ban on inferior quality polythene bags, a team of food and engineering technology researchers claimed to have developed alternative to plastic.

A team of researchers has developed biodegradable starch films from water chestnut that could replace plastic in a big way.

Water chestnut, known as Singhara in Punjabi, is a good source of starch.

Food and engineering technology researchers Dr Gagandeep Singh, Dr Anjuman Bhaskar, both from Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Dr DC Saxena and Dr Sukhcharan Singh, both from Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal (Sangrur), developed the material.

Dr Gagandeep Singh, who has been invited by the Japan Food Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (FOOMA) to present his research on the matter in the four-day international meet to be held in Tokyo from June 7, said these films could be developed from other starch sources like corn and potato.

Different starches produce film sheets of various thickness and strength. He observed that these starches produced pliable films whereas those from heat modified starches produced harder films.

He added that the research is at an early stage and it needs to be explored further to produce these films at mass level for consumer use.

He anticipated that it could a nice replacement of conventional packaging material. Dr Saxena played a pivotal role in the research and also guided Dr Gagandeep.

The researchers opined that increase in non-biodegradable wastes and the difficulty in recycling most of the synthetic packaging material have been pushing researchers toward the development of new biodegradable materials, which are suitable for packaging.

Amritsar, May 6
City students have faired well at the International English Olympiad conducted by the Science Olympiad Foundation, New Delhi.

Arshdeep Singh, a Class III student of Mata Kaulan Ji Public School, stood third in the city at the Olympiad. In Class V, Nitish Kumar and Nishkaran Singh stood second and third positions in the city, respectively.

In Class VI, Gursewak Singh bagged the first position (also 3rd position in Punjab) and Umarjeet Kaur secured third position (also 6th position in Punjab).

Music contest

DPS Chandigarh, won the overall trophy during an ‘Inter-DPS Vocal Music Festival’ held at Delhi Public School premises here. There were several categories --- Sufi singing, geet-ghazal, bhajan, sawan and Holi geet categories.

While the host team from DPS Amritsar bagged the ‘top position’ in group song, DPS Chandigarh stood second and DPS Bathinda took the third position.

Eight schools of DPS from Jammu and Kashmir, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Rajouri, Pinjore, Amritsar, Manali and Jalandhar, participated.

In the solo category, DPS Chandigarh again clinched the first position, DPS Bathinda stood second while host DPS Amritsar bagged the third position.