SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI



THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Ripple effect: Lehra plant may face closure
Bathinda, April 21
All the four units of the plant are running on full load right now and the plant is producing about 220 lakh units of power daily. The 20-day long closure of the Sirhind canal has endangered the power generation at Guru Hargobind Thermal Power Plant (GHTP) Lehra Mohabbat, which is left with water to last for only six-seven more days.
All the four units of the plant are running on full load right now and the plant is producing about 220 lakh units of power daily.

For govt school students, Maths is Greek now
Bathinda, April 21
Mathematics has always been Greek for the government school students and now the new syllabus for class IV of Punjab State Education Board (PSEB) is hell bent on establishing it as a fact. The new syllabus has the counting in eight languages including Hindu Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Gurmukhi, Telugu, Gujarati, Kannada and Bengali.


EARLIER STORIES

District and sessions judge , SK Aggarwal, examines the quality of food prepared for the inmates of the Central Jail in Bathinda on Saturday. Judge interacts with undertrials, hears grievances
Bathinda, April 21
A yoga camp was organised today at the Bathinda Central Jail. District and session judge, SK Aggarwal, was the chief guest on the occasion.

District and sessions judge , SK Aggarwal, examines the quality of food prepared for the inmates of the Central Jail in Bathinda on Saturday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Disaster management plan to be ready in a month
Bathinda, April 21
The process of preparing a disaster management plan for the Bathinda district and the establishment of a disaster response cell are likely to be completed in a month as the requisite information, including contact numbers of the staff members and vehicles, has already been received by the authorities concerned from 90 per cent of the district offices of various departments, involved in the preparation of disaster management plan.

Saving the planet
Effluents released by GNDTP well within permissible limits: PPCB
The Earth Day 2012 marks the 42nd anniversary of the World Earth Day.Bathinda, April 21
The level of the effluents being released by Bathinda’s Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) and the NFL are well within the permissible limits now, said the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) XEN, Najjer Singh Manshahia, while speaking to Bathinda Tribune.
The Earth Day 2012 marks the 42nd anniversary of the World Earth Day.

‘108’ vans proving their utility in dist
Bathinda, April 21
One can easily assess the utility of the services, being rendered by '108' emergency medical mobile vans, from the fact that these vans have helped 10,160 ailing persons in a year in the Bathinda district by way of transporting them from their homes to hospitals/health centres or shifting them from the hospitals/health centres to the higher health institutions.

City doctor on editorial board of heart journal
Bathinda, April 21
Assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and Consultant Kishori Ram Hospital and Diabetes Care Centre Bathinda Dr. Vitull K. Gupta has been included in the editorial board of prestigious Indian Heart Journal as member Editorial Advisory Board by the Editor, Indian Heart Journal, Dr. K Sarat Chandra, renowned cardiologist from Hyderabad.

Students of The Millennium School, Bathinda, presenting  a dance to mark the Earth Day on Saturday. Students vow to keep Earth clean, green & smiling
Bathinda, April 21
The Millennium School, Bathinda celebrated the Earth Day today. The celebrations began with a special assembly hosted by the students who commenced the day by remembering the Almighty.
Students of The Millennium School, Bathinda, presenting a dance to mark the Earth Day on Saturday. A Tribune Photograph

Demand for making Punjab an intoxicant-free state
Bathinda, April 21
The General Samaj Party has demanded from the Punjab government to steps for making Punjab liquor and other intoxicant-free state as the Punjab is a land of gurus, saints and peer-fakirs etc.

Woman robbed by women
Bathinda, April 21
A woman of Sangrur was robbed of her gold bangles by three women, all residents of Barnala.

Four buffaloes stolen from farmhouse
Bathinda, April 21
Four buffaloes worth nearly Rs 75,000 were stolen from a farmhouse in Guru Gobind Singh Nagar. Complainant in the case Surinder Kumar of Namdev Nagar said he left his dairy farm at around 8. 45 pm on April 19 and next morning at around 3 am found that his four buffaloes were stolen by some unidentified persons.

Man booked for killing youth
Bathinda, April 21
A resident of Amarpura Basti has been booked by the police for killing a youth of Behman Kaur Singh Wala. Complainant in the case Avtar Singh said that the accused entered in heated arguments with him and fought with him over a trivial issue long time ago.

Up in arms
Members of the Special Trainer Teachers' Union (left) burn an effigy of the Punjab Government in front of the Bathinda Mini-secretariat; shopkeepers protest against the demolition drive launched by the Improvement Trust at Rose Garden on Saturday.
Members of the Special Trainer Teachers' Union (left) burn an effigy of the Punjab Government in front of the Bathinda Mini-secretariat; shopkeepers protest against the demolition drive launched by the Improvement Trust at Rose Garden on Saturday. Tribune photos: Pawan Sharma





Top








 

Ripple effect: Lehra plant may face closure
Closure of Sirhind Canal causes water shortage; water left in lakes of Lehra plant to last for 6-7 days
Megha Mann
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
The 20-day long closure of the Sirhind canal has endangered the power generation at Guru Hargobind Thermal Power Plant (GHTP) Lehra Mohabbat, which is left with water to last for only six-seven more days.

Sending an SOS to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), Patiala, head office, the GHTP thermal power authorities have told the officials stating that the irrigation department did not apprise the thermal station authorities about the 20-day long closure.

“We were not intimated about such long closure of the canal. After the flow of water completely stopped, we contacted the irrigation office at Bathinda and came to know about the closure of the main canal for 20 days. It is public that would be at the receiving end as water level in GHTP lakes is going down day by day,” said the officials.

They added that due to the closure, the state may face power shortage. Water in the plant is used for steam, cooling purposes, ash conveying and for many other activities.

GHTP lakes have a maximum storage capacity of about 16 lakh cusecs of water, which is sufficient to last for about 17-18 days. Daily water consumption of the plant is 90,000 to 1 lakh cusecs of water when run to full capacity.

All the four units of the plant are running on full load and the plant is producing about 220 lakh units of power daily.

Lakes were full to the capacity when the canal water was stopped on April 13. It takes two-three days for water to stop or reach when the main canal is closed or opened from head works near Ropar.

“Half of the water has already been consumed and only seven lakh cusecs of usable water is left in the lakes. It is sufficient to last for another seven to eight days, i.e. till April 28, whereas the water will reach the plant lakes on May 3 or May 4 after it is released on May 1 from the Sirhand canal head works at Ropar,” the authorities said.

They added that the plant may face closure for five-six days and the period may increase if the release of water is delayed beyond the scheduled date. Generation loss to PSPCL on account of closure of GHTP will be close to `7 to `8 crores daily.

The officials said they were taking all the possible measures to curtail the consumption of water to the minimum level so as to run the plant for a longer time. Watering trees and lawns have been stopped. They claimed that the consumption of water for general purposes was being regulated.

Meanwhile, director generation, PSPCL Patiala, GS Chhabra confirmed that the thermal plant was left with water to las for six-seven days.

“The secretary, power, has already raised the issue with the principal secretary, irrigation, during a meeting held in Chandigarh today. We expect a solution to the problem by Monday,” he said.

Fact file

n The GHTP thermal power authorities have sent an SOS to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), Patiala, head office, stating that the irrigation department did not apprise the thermal station authorities about the 20-day long closure.
n The GHTP lakes have a maximum storage capacity of water about 16 lakh cusecs, which is sufficient to last for about 17-18 days.
n Daily water consumption of the plant is 90,000 to one lakh cusecs of water when run to full capacity.
n The closure of the Guru Hargobind thermal plant will spell huge loss to PSPCL. The loss may be close to Rs 7 to Rs 8 crores daily.

Top

 

For govt school students, Maths is Greek now
Megha Mann
Tribune News Service

A page from the new syllabus mathematics book teaches a student how to write numbers between 0 and 9 in eight different languages.
A page from the new syllabus mathematics book teaches a student how to write numbers between 0 and 9 in eight different languages. A Tribune photograph

Bathinda, April 21
Mathematics has always been Greek for the government school students and now the new syllabus for class IV of Punjab State Education Board (PSEB) is hell bent on establishing it as a fact. The new syllabus has the counting in eight languages including Hindu Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Gurmukhi, Telugu, Gujarati, Kannada and Bengali.

Apart from these, the students are also taught Roman numerals and counting in English language adding to the burden. The students are to learn counting and solve sums such as conversion from English numeral to the languages mentioned.

“It seems that the government is competing with private schools. Even private schools do not have such a silly concept of teaching counting in languages that are irrelevant for a student living in Punjab,” said a teacher from the Nathana block. The teachers said the concept has left students puzzled, especially in Urdu, which is written from right to left.

The first lesson in the revised syllabus of the subject is giving tough time to not only the students but the teachers as well who are finding it a Herculean task to learn the languages themselves first.

“We cannot fail a student under Right To Education (RTE) Act. This being wheat harvesting season, most of the kids in the villages are absent from school for long durations. Add to this the fact that the students are assessed monthly. How is it possible for a teacher to ensure presence of village kids and at the same time ensure that all of them learn their lessons well,” asked another teacher.

Problems for the students coming from villages gets compounded as their parents neither have the time nor the intellect for teaching their kids at home.

Apart from completing the syllabus, the teachers are also expected to meet all the targets under the Parho Punjab project of the state government that assesses students on multiple parameters.

Trying to justify themselves, the teachers said if they try to complete the syllabus in time, they miss the Parho Punjab target and vice-versa.

Top

 

Judge interacts with undertrials, hears grievances
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
A yoga camp was organised today at the Bathinda Central Jail. District and session judge, SK Aggarwal, was the chief guest on the occasion.

He tasted the food at the jail kitchen to check the quality of food served to the jail inmates. After tasting the food, he expressed satisfaction over the quality of food.

The undertrials too had a word with the chief guest, voicing their grievances to the sessions judge. The inmates demanded that the process of hearing by the court be expedited. The judge assured them that suitable action will be taken. 

Top

 

Disaster management plan to be ready in a month
Sushil Goyal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
The process of preparing a disaster management plan for the Bathinda district and the establishment of a disaster response cell are likely to be completed in a month as the requisite information, including contact numbers of the staff members and vehicles, has already been received by the authorities concerned from 90 per cent of the district offices of various departments, involved in the preparation of disaster management plan.

The plan is being prepared to keep the departments alert and make advance arrangements for tackling any type of disaster.

Besides, another aim of the plan is spreading awareness among the masses, regarding disasters, so that losses (life and property) could be minimised in case of any disaster.

As per the information, almost all departments/ offices, including health, local bodies, improvement trust, Bathinda Development Athority, police, food and supply, rural development, water supply and sanitation, electricity and veterinary, have been made part of disaster management plan.

A nodal officer has been appointed in every department/office for running the disaster management activities (planning and implementation) while the District Revenue Officer (DRO) is the district nodal officer of the disaster management plan.

When contacted, the DRO-cum-nodal officer, Amandeep Singh Bhatti, said work on the preparation of the district disaster management plan was being done at a fast pace and they would be able to complete the entire process in a month or so.

He said under the plan the nodal officers of various offices would be assigned their duties.

He further said the setting up of the disaster response cell was in progress in a room at the Mini-secretariat here as computers and other equipment were yet to be installed there though three district response centre professionals (DRCP), appointed by the office of Financial Commissioner (Revenue), had already started functioning from there.

During any type of disaster, the teams of various departments will provide security, first aid to ailing persons, ensuring shifting of disaster victims to safer places, and their rehabilitation.

According to information, the district nodal officer has procured the anti-disaster plans of the Bathinda refinery, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), oil depots and thermal plants. Besides, the three-member team of the DRCPs has also visited the NDRF campus, the refinery, the oil depots and the thermal plants, and has got the inside information from there, relating to tackling any type of disaster.

The disasters can be divided mainly into two categories. In the first category, natural disasters like floods and earthquakes can be included while the other category is of the man-made disasters like collapse of building, gas leakage and fire. 

Top

 

Saving the planet
Effluents released by GNDTP well within permissible limits: PPCB
Nikhila Pant Dhawan
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
The level of the effluents being released by Bathinda’s Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) and the NFL are well within the permissible limits now, said the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) XEN, Najjer Singh Manshahia, while speaking to Bathinda Tribune.

Debunking the myth that the air pollution in Bathinda and its adjoining areas was mainly due to the Bathinda Thermal Plant and the NFL, he maintained that was not the case anymore.

Elaborating on how the air pollution being done by the thermal plant is contained, he said, “In the year 2001, it was decided that phase wise renovation of all the four units of the thermal plant will be done. Renovation of units 1 and 2 could be done within the stipulated time period. Subsequently, Unit 3 was closed for renovation. In November 2011, unit 4, which was causing enormous air pollution, was also closed for renovation.”

The Punjab Pollution Control Board also monitors the quality of the ambient air (natural air). The permissible limit for the suspended particulate matter (SPM) in ambient air is 60 micron gram per cubic metre, which is different from the permissible limit prescribed for the ‘at source (of pollution) air’. The limit for the ‘at source air’ is 150 mg per metre cube, and is much higher than that for the ambient air.

“The thermal plant has digital meters to gauge the suspended particulate matter being emitted. Right now, Units 1 and 2 are working and the effluents being released by them are well within the permissible limits, although it may fluctuate sometimes. We’ve asked them to reduce the quantity of SPM being emitted so that its further dispersal into ambient air is also reduced,” added the XEN.

He said the National Fertilizer Plant was also on its way to put many of its processes on gas and this would further contain the air pollution.

Rajasthan’s dry and desert terrain’s extension towards Punjab, Bathinda’s location in the arid zone and increasing deforestation were some of the causes that were becoming major factors of air pollution in the city and its adjoining areas, he said.

“There are certain natural causes that humans can’t contain and the city's location in the arid zone and the extension of Rajasthan’s terrain towards the city are two of them. Every time there is a dust storm or a sand storm, the amount of SPM increases in the air and causes various respiratory problems,” he said.

“And then there are the man-made disasters like deforestation and vehicular pollution. It depends on the individuals and the traffic police to keep the vehicular pollution under check. On the occasion of Earth Day, we should give thought to what causes air pollution, what is being done to contain air pollution and what more can be done. That’s how we can gauge the gravity if the situation,” he added.

Fact file

n Earth Day marks the anniversary of what may be called the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
n On 22 April, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets to demonstrate for a sustainable environment. Rallies were held against the deterioration of the environment, polluting factories, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, and the extinction of wildlife.
n This led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the ‘Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts’.

Top

 

‘108’ vans proving their utility in dist
Emergency vans have helped over 10,000 ailing persons in Bathinda during the last one year
Sushil Goyal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
One can easily assess the utility of the services, being rendered by '108' emergency medical mobile vans, from the fact that these vans have helped 10,160 ailing persons in a year in the Bathinda district by way of transporting them from their homes to hospitals/health centres or shifting them from the hospitals/health centres to the higher health institutions.

The '108' service was launched in the district with eight mobile vans in the first week of April, 2011 while four more mobile vans were added in the month of November last year. Thus, a total of 12 mobile vans have been providing emergency medical services to the ailing persons in various parts of the district nowadays.

These '108' emergency medical mobile vans have been operating from Bathinda, Rampura Phul, Goniana, Nathana, Sangat, Bhagta, Talwandi Sabo, Maur, Raman, Kotshameer, Bhucho and Balluana in the district.

Any person can dial 108 phone number, which is a toll free number, for getting emergency medical services, like in accident and in pregnancy cases.

The Head of Bathinda Cluster of '108' facility Raman Garg told Bathinda Tribune this evening that the '108' emergency medical mobile vans had provided services to 10,160 cases from April 3, 2011 to first week of April, 2012, of these 10,160 cases there were 3,585 pregnancy cases and 1,784 road accident cases.

It showed that the mobile vans had played a major role in saving lives of many persons, he added.

Garg also disclosed during the past one year 10 women had delivered babies in the '108' mobile vans in the district when they were being shifted from their homes to the hospitals for deliveries. He said three women had delivered babies in the Goniana van and two women in Maur van while one woman each had delivered baby in the Rampura, Nathana, Sangat, Kotshameer and Balluana vans.

Apart from the accident and pregnancy cases, the '108' mobile vans had also transported ailing persons of different diseases/mishaps to the hospitals. These cases included 1,742 cases of medical emergencies, like drowning, electrocution, heat and cold exposure, sick persons, stroke; 276 cases of farm accidents, 182 cases of cardiac emergencies, 76 cases of burn and chemical accidents, and 18 cases of animal and snake biting.

Garg urged the people, especially the rural folk, that during any medical emergency they should avail the service of '108' mobile vans as it is free of cost service and could be availed by anyone by just dialing 108 number from the phone.

Fact file

n During the past one year, 10 women had delivered babies in the '108' mobile vans when they were being shifted from their homes to the hospitals for deliveries
n Altogether 12 vans helped 10,160 cases, including 3585 pregnancy cases,in Bathinda district

Top

 

City doctor on editorial board of heart journal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
Assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and Consultant Kishori Ram Hospital and Diabetes Care Centre Bathinda Dr. Vitull K. Gupta has been included in the editorial board of prestigious Indian Heart Journal as member Editorial Advisory Board by the Editor, Indian Heart Journal, Dr. K Sarat Chandra, renowned cardiologist from Hyderabad.

In a press statement issued today, the AIMSR spokesperson that this was for the first time that any doctor from this region has been included in editorial board of Indian Heart Journal an official publication of Cardiological Society of India.

The India Heart Journal was established in the year 1949 in Kolkata.

The Indian Heart Journal is the most widely read cardiology journal in the India reaching more than 27,000 hospital specialists and primary care physicians every two months.

Indian Heart Journal is the only bi-monthly journal which provides primary and secondary care with original research, clinical reviews, commentaries and news across a broad range of cardiovascular topics with exclusive original coverage of the fast developing field of cardiology written from the Indian viewpoint.

Fact file

Assistant professor Dr Vitull K Gupta has been included in the editorial board of prestigious Indian Heart Journal as member Editorial Advisory Board by the Editor, Indian Heart Journal, Dr K Sarat Chandra, a renowned cardiologist from Hyderabad.

Top

 

Students vow to keep Earth clean, green & smiling
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
The Millennium School, Bathinda celebrated the Earth Day today. The celebrations began with a special assembly hosted by the students who commenced the day by remembering the Almighty.

The students emphasised the need of saving the Mother Earth and keep it clean, green and smiling forever.

They joined hands and sang a song on Mother Earth to spread the awareness and appreciation about the Earth's natural environment and demanded its protection.

Inayat Brar, a student of class VIII, displayed a presentation on the Earth Day.

The tiny tots became the walking posters, exhibiting the importance of saving the land.

Principal, Beena Rao, kindled the enthusiasm exhibited by the students and said, "Together, we stand united for a sustainable future and take a call for greener and healthier surroundings."

Top

 

Demand for making Punjab an intoxicant-free state
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
The General Samaj Party has demanded from the Punjab government to steps for making Punjab liquor and other intoxicant-free state as the Punjab is a land of gurus, saints and peer-fakirs etc.

In a press note issued here today, president of the party Suresh Goyal said the state government should not open liquor vends at those places where opening of liquor vends was opposed by the residents of the area concerned. He said by doing so the government would not face any opposition from the people's side.

Goyal also asked the excise authorities to inspect the places of liquor vends so that all types of controversies could be avoided. He also said even the courts had ordered the governments not to allot liquor vends at the public places, near schools and religious places, so the excise authorities should follow the orders of the courts in letter and spirit.

Goyal also said if the liquor vends, situated near the schools or religious places, were not closed then the party would be compelled to initiate agitation in this regard.

Top

 

Woman robbed by women
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
A woman of Sangrur was robbed of her gold bangles by three women, all residents of Barnala.

In her complaint to the police Tara Kaushal said that the women, Channi, Seema and Rani forced her to sit in a car and then took away her gold bangles, worth nearly Rs 40,000 and fled in their car.

The incident took place at Rampura on March 12. Police have registered a case in this connection after detailed investigations.

A case under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against the three women at the Rampura city police station.

No arrests has been made in this regard so far.

Top

 

Four buffaloes stolen from farmhouse
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
Four buffaloes worth nearly Rs 75,000 were stolen from a farmhouse in Guru Gobind Singh Nagar. Complainant in the case Surinder Kumar of Namdev Nagar said he left his dairy farm at around 8. 45 pm on April 19 and next morning at around 3 am found that his four buffaloes were stolen by some unidentified persons.

A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered in this connection at Thermal police station.

Motorcycle stolen

A motorcycle, worth nearly Rs 18,000 was stolen from Talwandi Sabo.

Motorcycle owner, Gurjant Singh, a resident of Sirsa in Haryana, said despite that he had parked and properly locked the bike at Talwandi Sabo, the motorbike was stolen.

A case under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered in this connection at Talwandi Sabo police station.

Top

 

Man booked for killing youth
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 21
A resident of Amarpura Basti has been booked by the police for killing a youth of Behman Kaur Singh Wala. Complainant in the case Avtar Singh said that the accused entered in heated arguments with him and fought with him over a trivial issue long time ago.

In a bid to avenge, the accused Sukhjit Singh, killed his son Hardeep Singh.

Complainant alleged that the accused bring his son to Gehri Buttar village in a Tavera Vehicle where he murdered him.

A case under section 302 of the IPC has been registered in this connection against the accused at Sangat Police Station.

One arrested under Gambling Act

A resident of Haji Rattan Gate has been arrested by the police for gambling. Accused Gurbachan Singh was caught gambling by the police during a special checking drive at the backside of the Rajindra College.

The complainant cum investigating officer in the case Kaur Singh said that Rs 6430 were recovered from the possession of the accused who was taken to Kotwali Police Station where he is booked under 13-A, 3, 67 of the Gambling Act.

Top

 





HOME PAGE | Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Opinions |
| Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi |
| Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail |