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Mysterious disease attacks kinnow plants in Fazilka
Fazilka, June 3
A mysterious disease has attacked kinnow plants in Fazilka district, as a result of which the plants have started drying up. The development has forced the horticulturists to uproot the dying plants in certain villages of the district famous for growing quality kinnows.
Dried up kinnow plants that have been afflicted with an unknown disease, in Penchanwali village of Fazilka district. Photo by writer

Drug de-addiction centre in Muktsar lying defunct
Muktsar, June 3
Though the state government claims that a number of steps are being taken to eradicate the menace of drugs at the grassroots level, the situation seemingly is on the contrary in the home district of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal where the drug de-addiction centre at the Civil Hospital is lying defunct for the past almost one year.

Blind murder case solved, two arrested
Ferozepur, June 3
The Ferozepur police has arrested two persons in connection with a blind murder of a security guard identified as Bhajan Singh on the intervening night of May 4 and 5 this year while he was on duty at the Sunrise Marriage Palace in Zira.

Brick kiln owners asked to apply for month’s relief for mining
Muktsar, June 3
The president of District Muktsar Brick Kiln Owners Association today informed that the Chief Minister in a meeting with the state body held on the issue of environmental clearance to be taken by the brick kiln owners, yesterday, asked them to apply for a month’s relief to the respective department.

Mysterious disease attacks kinnow plants in Fazilka
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, June 3
A mysterious disease has attacked kinnow plants in Fazilka district, as a result of which the plants have started drying up. The development has forced the horticulturists to uproot the dying plants in certain villages of the district famous for growing quality kinnows.

“An unknown disease has attacked the kinnow plants during the past about three to four weeks,” says the state award winner in kinnow cultivation, Sidharath Periwal of Khippanwali village, and Rubash Jakhar of Pattrewala village.

According to the official figures, nearly 25,000 hectares is under kinnow cultivation in Fazilka district. Kinnow plants in Karni Khera, Penchanwali, Mohammad Pira, Muradwala, Sappanwali, Khippanwali, Jhumianwali, Aalamgarh, Patterewala, Wazidpura, Mammukhera and other villages have come under the attack of the yet-to-be-identified disease.

“We have been compelled to uproot nearly three dozen dying kinnow plants as over the years, these have become resistant to the chemical fungicides used to fight diseases,” says Raj Davinder, a horticulturist of Mammu Khera village. His family has devoted around 40 acres to kinnow cultivation.

Local traditional and progressive horticulturists say that the root of healthy kinnow was hit by the disease.

An eminent horticulturist, Prem Babbar, who has been providing counselling on kinnow cultivation for over more than two decades, says normally, the cause of infection in the root of kinnow plants was due to a disease called phytopthora. However, a chemical fungicide recommended by the Punjab Agricultural University to treat the infected plants was proving ineffective these days. It gives rise to the speculation that the plants were under the grip of some mysterious disease.

Babbar, who is popular as kinnow king, says the PAU should make a trial on a bio-fungicide to treat the plants attacked by phytopthora, under its direct supervision and monitoring.

Notably, kinnow cultivation is popular amongst traditional horticulturists of Fazilka and Abohar areas. The horticulturists earn good dividends by quality kinnow cultivation. They have also won state and national prizes in this field.

Meanwhile, it has also come to light that another reason for early drying up of the kinnow plants could possibly be that some plants acquired from nurseries for transplantation are already affected with phytopthora.

While talking to The Tribune, Deputy Director (Horticulture) Jagnandan Singh Brar admitted that some kinnow plants were dying. He listed three possible reasons for the same. Besides phytopthora, deficiency of micro-nutrients and intense hot weather could be proving harmful to the kinnow plants. He says the problem was likely to be solved after the arrival of monsoon.

A team of PAU horticulturists, led by District Extension Specialist (Horticulture) Dr Mohika Gupta, shall visit the affected villages in Fazilka district for an on-the-spot survey and a field study to identify the reason behind the dying kinnow plants.

Drug de-addiction centre in Muktsar lying defunct
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 3
Though the state government claims that a number of steps are being taken to eradicate the menace of drugs at the grassroots level, the situation seemingly is on the contrary in the home district of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal where the drug de-addiction centre at the Civil Hospital is lying defunct for the past almost one year.

The 10-bedded de-addiction centre set up in the room number 23 of the Civil Hospital is locked.

The doctors at the Civil Hospital said the centre was running good till a psychiatrist was posted here on regular basis. But after his transfer, no replacement had been made even after a period of almost one year has passed.

Ironically, junior staff has been engaged in the psychiatry department even as the department does not have any specialist. In the given situation, the very purpose of opening the centre is not being served. Juniors are not capable of advising any patient and are also not in a position to admit anyone in absence of an expert.

“In case a psychiatrist was employed at the centre, a number of lives could have been changed till now,” maintained the doctors, adding that a number of people visit the centre daily with queries related to drugs.

It may be mentioned here that the youth in this particular area is much prone to the drugs, as nearly a hundred cases under the NDPS Act have been registered at various police stations across the district in the last five months.

When contacted, SMO Dr Harjinder Singh said, “The problem is all due to the staff shortage. We have written to the higher-ups demanding a psychiatrist for the centre. Once we get the specialist, the centre will be made fully functional.”

He added, “We have one specialist at the Civil Hospital, Malout. In case need is felt, we call her here. But, while she is here, the work at Malout hospital gets affected.”

Blind murder case solved, two arrested
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, June 3
The Ferozepur police has arrested two persons in connection with a blind murder of a security guard identified as Bhajan Singh on the intervening night of May 4 and 5 this year while he was on duty at the Sunrise Marriage Palace in Zira.

Giving the details, SSP Hardial Singh Mann said the accused, identified as Bohar Singh alias Bohra and Gurjant Singh alias Ganta, were drug addicts and had allegedly killed the security guard with a motive of robbing him to buy some drugs. The SSP said the duo hit the victim hard with a brick killing him on the spot. Later, they took away his gold ring and sold it to buy drugs.

Meanwhile, the police has arrested seven persons for possession of drugs and psychotropic substances at various places in the district. Those arrested have been identified as Sarabjit Singh, Rajinder Singh, Angrej, Gurdeep Singh, Harjinder Singh, Rachpal Singh and Mohan Lal. Cases have been registered against them at different police stations.

Brick kiln owners asked to apply for month’s relief for mining

Muktsar, June 3
The president of District Muktsar Brick Kiln Owners Association today informed that the Chief Minister in a meeting with the state body held on the issue of environmental clearance to be taken by the brick kiln owners, yesterday, asked them to apply for a month’s relief to the respective department.

Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in its order, has prohibited any mining activity, even on a plot of one acre beyond May 26 and directed the kiln owners to take environmental clearance for the same. The state government, via the order, has been empowered to extend the relief for one month till June 26.

Davinder Rajdev, president of the Muktsar body, said, “The CM and officials concerned have expressed their inability to extend relief beyond June 26, as the directives of the Apex Court and the High Court prohibit the same. Beyond the relief period, the industry has been directed to seek environmental clearance.” — TNS