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Pollution levels shoot up after Divali
Ludhiana, November 15 The data provided by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) reveals that the air pollution levels increased this time during Divali than last year. The Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) increased in both the commercial and residential areas due to the bursting of crackers. However, the RSPM witnessed a decline in the sensitive area of the city. On a day before Divali, the RSPM level in commercial area (sample taken from Vishvakarma Chowk) was 364 as compared to 358 last year while on Divali day, the level increased to 648 against 489 last year. Similarly, in residential area (sample taken from near Verka Milk Plant, BRS Nagar) the RSPM on a day before Divali was 303 against 278 last year, while on Divali day, this reached 390 against 365 last year. The only respite was for sensitive area (sample taken from Sheela Hospital, near the DMC) where the RSPM was measured at 321 against 403 last year (on the Divali day). The data further reveal that sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen particles witnessed a marginal decline this time. The noise pollution level, however, witnessed a decline this Divali as compared to last year. The noise level monitoring on Divali came out to be 74.1 decibel (residential), 57.4 decibel (sensitive) and 80.5 decibel (commercial), respectively. Monika, a schoolteacher, said the school management and the staff had made several appeals to students to celebrate eco-friendly Divali. "We can just make them understand the ill-effects of the air and noise pollution, but we cannot take any action against them if they burn crackers. We can not bring the change immediately, instead we need to make consistent efforts to achieve the desirable results,” she added.
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11-yr-old run over by tractor-trailer
Ludhiana, November 15 The incident took place at 6 pm when the victim, identified as Ashish Pal, a resident of Sat Guru Nagar, was returning home along with his friend after attending tuition classes. Eyewitness said a speeding tractor-trailer hit Ashish. The victim fell on the road and instead of applying breaks, the driver pressed the accelerator and Ashish was crushed under the wheels of the tractor. He died on the spot. The family members of the victim reached the spot and blocked the road. They demanded action against the erring tractor driver. Ashish Pal was the only brother of two sisters. Heartrending scenes were witnessed at the house of the victim. The victim's sisters were in a state of shock. The tragic incident killed Ashish on a day when his sisters had prayed for his long life on the occasion of Bhai Dooj.
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MC auctions 10 shops for Rs 1.5 cr
Ludhiana, November 15 However, the auction of four residential plots, each measuring 150 sq yard, was postponed as the MC officials felt they were not getting good price. The reserve price for these plots was Rs 10,200 per sq yard. The MC had organised two unsuccessful auctions on July 23 and on October 10 to sell nine shops located in the pedestrian underpass opposite Mini Secretariat. With today’s auction going as per the plan, MC officials hope that the three upcoming auctions will also help reaping rich dividends. For selling 10 shops measuring 18 sq yard (9 ft by 18 ft), MC had fixed a reserve price of Rs 20,200. Interestingly, MC officials were surprised from the kind of response they received from this auction. MC Additional Commissioner-cum-SDM Ajay Sood said the highest bid for the shops was Rs 92,000 per sq yard. The lowest bid was Rs 76,500 per sq yard, while the remaining eight shops went for more than Rs 80,000 per sq yard during the auction. "The auction of four residential plots, each measuring 150 sq yard, has been postponed because we felt that genuine buyers were not taking part in the auction. A fresh date will be fixed for auctioning these properties," said Sood. Area councillor (Ward 59) Tanvir Singh Dhaliwal said: "I am surprised that the highest bid went up as high as Rs 92,000. I am hopeful that the auction of 30 SCOs in my ward, the auction of which will take place on November 26, will also be successful." Upcoming auctions In order to generate funds, the cash-strapped Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has decided to auction three of its key properties.
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Underpass opposite Mini Secretariat to open today
Ludhiana, November 15 Even as the work on this underpass was completed on time, the other underpass in Aggar Nagar is likely to get delayed as the construction work has been suspended by the contractor for the past eight months (since March 31). As the Mini Secretariat underpass will be inaugurated tomorrow, the contractor has not been made the final payment of around Rs 80 lakh. The foundation stone of the Rs 3.5-crore project was laid by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in November 2010, and municipal officials were expecting its completion by November 30, 2011. But due to inclement weather in August 2011, the work had to be stopped. Almost 90 per cent of the work was complete by December 2011, but due to the non-payment of bills to the contractor, the work got delayed. The contractor was not paid Rs 50 lakh on time due to which he stopped the construction and the project got delayed. The contractor, who is constructing both the underpasses, rued that bills amounting to more than Rs 2 crore are still pending. The underpass is the first-of-its-kind project of the state and is awaiting formal opening despite the fact that it was completed four months ago. A total of nine shops are located at the site. Earlier, the MC had planned to auction these before throwing the project open. The auction of these shops had been postponed twice as only one person attended the auction during the first auction and in the second auction, no person turned up. The first auction was held on July 23 while the second took place on October 10. And when the civic body's auctions failed on two consecutive occasions, it was then decided to open the underpass first and then auction the shops. When contacted, MC Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Verma confirmed that the MC was facing shortage of funds. "The contractor has suspended the work of the Aggar Nagar underpass due to non-payment of bills. But we are making efforts to generate revenue and we have three land auctions lined up this month from where we hope to generate at least Rs 20 crore," said the MC Commissioner. Work stalled since March 31
A press release issued by PWD Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon claimed that the Aggar Nagar underpass would be complete in the next two months. But the work on the project has not moved an inch since March 31. The reason being shortage of funds. It is learnt that due to the shortage of funds, some contractors have not been made any payments for the past seven-eight months due to which many of them have stopped the projects, including JNNURM flats for the urban poor. |
Youth dies in road mishap
Jagraon, November 15 The deceased has been identified as Ratesh Aggarwal alias Rishu, a resident of Shastri Nagar in Jagraon. The injured have been identified as Avinash Mittal, Sunil Kumar alias Sheela and Naresh Kumar Garg. They are undergoing treatment at a private hospital here and are stated to be out of danger. All the four youths were reportedly returning back to Jagraon after having dinner at a “dhaba” situated on the Ludhiana-Moga highway on the outskirts of the town. The youths had just started their return journey when their Honda City car (PB 25 D 1501) was reportedly hit by an unknown speeding vehicle. Such was the impact of the collision that the car overturned after hitting the other vehicle. After the mishap, all the injured were rushed to the civil hospital where Ratesh was declared brought dead. Later on, the other injured were shifted to a private hospital. Immediately after the accident, the driver of the other vehicle fled from the scene. A police team led by Jagraon Bus Stand police chowki in charge officer ASI Baldev Singh reached the spot after the accident and started the investigation. Baldev Singh said that the police had recorded the statements of the victims. “The efforts to trace the vehicle which hit the car are also on," he added. Meanwhile, the police handed over the body of the deceased youth to his family members after conducting a post mortem.
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Riot victims clash at CRPF colony
Ludhiana, November 15 The incident took place barely minutes before the arrival of an inquiry team that visited the flats following complaints that the flats meant for riot victims were illegally occupied and were further sublet. The clash broke out in the afternoon when a woman claiming to be riot victim Ram Kaur complained that a person named Gurcharan Singh had occupied her flat. She was accompanied by some persons who started throwing out the luggage and belongings of Gurcharan Singh from flats. The incident turned ugly with both the groups exchanging blows. During the clash that ensued two women, including Surinder Kaur, a riot victim, and her relative, who could not be identified, fell unconscious. Meanwhile Gurcharan Singh stated that he had an agreement for rent of the flat and president of Riot Victim Welfare Surjeet Singh had been collecting Rs 4,000 every month as rent. "Surjeet and his son visit the flat each month to collect the rent. I am not alone but around 70 more such flats have been given on rent by Surjeet Singh,” claimed Gurcharan Singh. It is learnt that the DC had ordered an inquiry in the matter following complaints that some leaders had given flats allotted to riot victims on rent. Another person Naresh Kumar slapped similar allegations that he was living in a flat on rent and was giving Rs 3,500 to Surjeet Singh every month. Naresh Kumar leveled counter allegation on Ram Kaur, "The red card of Ram Kaur is also suspicious and she is working as a domestic servant at the house of president of women wing of riot victims Gurdeep Kaur." SHO Dugri Satinder Singh said that they had informed district administration. Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari said that the flats were meant for riot victims and no one will be allowed to illegally occupy the flats.
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Dengue to subside with dip in temperature, say experts
Ludhiana, November 15 District epidemiologist Dr Puneet Juneja said: “A total of 164 cases of dengue have been reported in the district so far. The temperature is dipping and Aedes Aegypti mosquito does not breed in cold weather. We hope that by the month-end, there will be a few cases of dengue." “The life cycle of adult Aedes Aegypti mosquito is also not more than a month. By the end of this month, the adult mosquitoes will die and the number of dengue patients will decrease." Medical experts also say that crackers smoke does no affect mosquitoes. Meanwhile, 15 more suspected cases of dengue have been reported in the city. Preventive measures
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Independent Councillor deposes before DC
Ludhiana, November 15 All the parties deposed before the DC as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The issue dates back to several years ago, but it was in the month of June that the MC “learnt” that around 2,200 sq yard of a prime land in Sunet village near Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar area was owned by the civic body. When the MC officials went to take possession of the land, they found that a local politician and another person had allegedly encroached upon it. When an NGO, Maha Sabha Ludhiana, came to know about it, they raised the issue with the MC’s building branch but despite several reminders no action was taken by the MC officials. The NGO then approached senior officials of the Local Bodies Department in Chandigarh, who directed the MC to get the land vacated at the earliest, but still no action was taken. Maha Sabha Ludhiana had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which disposed of the writ petition by issuing directions to the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, to get the demarcation done through the District Revenue Officer to know whether the land falling in khasra number 106 of Sunet village had been illegally occupied by Veeran Bedi. The court stated that if it was proved on record that khasra number 106 was a public property, the Deputy Commissioner would recommend necessary action for the removal of the unauthorised occupation within three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order (which is September 5). The court also stated that before passing any order, the Deputy Commissioner should provide an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner through its representative and Veeran Bedi. It is learnt that even the MC officials, while deposing before the DC, categorically stated that the land in question is in possession of Veeran Bedi and produced copies of notices issued to the councillor and her family members. Inquiry
The district administration, through the District Revenue Officer, had conducted an inquiry into the matter. The inquiry report prepared by the district administration, a copy of which is in possession of The Tribune, stated that khasra number 106 of Sunet village is in possession of one Jaspal Singh while Khasra number 105 is in possession of Veeran Bedi and her mother Surjit Kaur. The inquiry report also stated that Jaspal Singh failed to provide any proof that he had purchased the land from Surjit Kaur. Even as per the “jamabandi” (land mutation) of khasra number 105, there was no mention of Veeran Bedi or her mother Surjit Kaur. Jaspal Singh is believed to be a supporter of independent councillor Veeran Bedi because when the voter list of Ward Number 57 was checked, Jaspal Singh’s vote was registered at Bedi’s residence. The voters' list, in possession of The Tribune, shows Jaspal Singh, son of Hardial Singh, (serial number 1234) as resident of 984, BRS Nagar. Veeran Bedi, her husband Harpreet Singh, and her sons Gurpreet Singh and Kamalpreet Singh, besides seven other persons, are having their votes registered at the same address.
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Youth motivated to stay away from drugs
Ludhiana, November 15 Later, Youth Akali leader Gurdip Singh Gosha submitted a memorandum through the Deputy Commissioner to the Prime Minister urging the latter to seal the porous Indo-Pak border to eliminate drug supply from across the border. He said that today's campaign was a part of the campaign against drug abuse started by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and the Youth Akali Dal president Bikram Singh Majithia. "We will visit educational institutions to create awareness about the perils of drug abuse. We will also organise seminars in villages and various localities of the city to motivate the youth to stay away from drugs," said Gosha.
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Keep plants indoors, breathe fresh air
Ludhiana, November 15 Areca palm is the most commonly used and widely available plant, says Juhi Bakshi, from Technocare nursery. Lady palm (rhapis excelsa) is a common plant that is used for purifying air. Money plant also removes toxins like formaldehyde from the air. Although the use of rubber plant had become rare, but people have once again begun using it, she says. Bamboo palm, nephrolepis exalta, and dracaena also have the qualities of removing toxins and purifying air. Dwarf date palm has become quite popular as it improves the air quality, she says. Peace lilly or spathiphyllum is not only a nice-looking plant, but also improves air quality. Plants like mother-in-laws tongue are known to ooze oxygen at night too. Some plants also help in dealing with allergies. There have been studies that suggest that presence of these plants not only improve the quality of air indoors, but also increase the productivity in offices by 15 to 30 per cent, says Bakshi. During a recent visit to PAU, ML Chadha, a horticulture expert, said hat use of such plants help in improving the air quality. "We don’t only need plants and trees outside our homes, but we also need them indoors to improve the air quality of our homes," says Navneet, a resident. "We can not control the pollution outside but we can at least take care of our homes by keeping air-purifying plants indoors," says Ritu, a resident.
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Niyati to represent north at national debate competition
Ludhiana, November 15 Now she will be representing the north zone at the National Debate Competition to be held at Kalyani University, West Bengal. Earlier, Niyati stood second at the zonal youth festival, following which she bagged the first prize at the inter-zonal youth festival. A total of 19 universities participated in the competition.
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Security guard suspended
Ludhiana, November 15 The incident came to light this morning when some employees spotted a windowpane broken. Some revenue files were missing from the record room. After the preliminary investigation the security guard was suspended. A case has also been registered. — TNS
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Use of post boxes on the decline in city
Ludhiana, November 15 A decade ago, the occupancy of the post boxes was much higher. An official working with the postal department said, now, the usage of post box was primarily used for maintaining secrecy. For instance, the votes were sought from different locations by an engineering association using post boxes. "Everyone sent their votes to the post box without having to come all the way to the locations," the official said. An employer without revealing his own name invited applications for a vacancy giving the post box number recently, he said. The yearly fee for taking a post box is Rs 150 and for a quarter is Rs 50. Sometimes, with the special permission, foreigners staying here for a long time use a post box as they do not have a permanent address. Swaraj Kaur, Senior Postmaster at Head Post Office, said the number of people using post boxes has reduced over a period of time, but still, a number of these have remained occupied year after year. Earlier, uses like inviting responses while conducting a survey, were very common, but now it is used sparingly for this purpose, another official said. As the respondents do not have to pay for the postage, these were used for conducting surveys as well. Some organisations, like a bank, still continue to use the facility, said an official. People whose homes are far off and don't want to receive mail at their residence still use post boxes, he said. |
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Industry hails Pakistan’s decision to give India MFN status
Ludhiana, November 15 "Both countries need to give Wagha Border the status of a full port, which will serve as economic propeller for the entire region. Trade route through Wagha Border need to turn into a line of prosperity for the two countries as increasing trade to central Asian countries through road route will be mutually beneficial. There is an urgent need to open the Husainiwala-and-Suleman Ki (Fazilka) Border to facilitate increased trade and commerce between the two countries," Upkar Singh Ahuja, joint secretary, Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), and one of the leading 45-member trade and industrial delegation to Pakistan. There is a need to develop comprehensive and holistic regional strategy that includes sharing of best trade practices and products. The real challenge is making this process of trade development inclusive and equitable which can become engine of growth for both countries. "Movement of goods between India and Pakistan should be allowed through containers rather than trucks, which is a better mode of transport, costs less and saves loading and unloading time. While the textile Industry in Pakistan contributes to more than 70 per cent of the country’s export. Whereas, the textile industry in India is well developed and uses best manufacturing practices. "We should explore the possibilities of joint venture to excel in competitive goods in the sector. The textile industry which has great potential for employment generation for both Punjabs, should join hands and supplement each other’s strength," he said. The proposal to set up joint industrial zones in both Punjabs where entrepreneurs from across the fence will be able to set up industries and their units will be treated at par with the local Industry, will be a successful venture and can become an opportunity for both the countries, said he.
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With dip in mercury, allergies on the rise
Ludhiana, November 15 Dr Rajiv Kapila, ENT specialist at Deep Hospital, said, "As winters have already set in and there is pollution in the air due to cracker bursting and stubble burning, so more patients are coming with complaint of nasal allergies." He further said that health problems of patients who are already suffering from respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis is aggravated in such weather. So they need to take extra care. Dr Rajinder Gulati, a pediatrician at Civil Hospital, Raikot, said, "Not only in the city, but people residing in rural areas too are suffering from these allergies. Due to stubble burning, allergies, asthma and other respiratory tract infections are on the rise."
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Children’s Day
Ludhiana: Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru’s birth anniversary, celebrated all over India as Children's Day, saw various competitions being organised at SDP Senior Secondary School. Students of the primary wing participated in these competitions including story telling and cartoon making. MD Sarita Goyal distributed sweets to the children and inspired them to follow the footsteps of Chacha Nehru. Painting competition
A painting competition on energy conservation was organised for the students of Classes IV, V and VI at Green Land Convent School, Civil City. The event was organised by the Ministry of Power and Bureau of Energy Efficiency to motivate the students to conserve energy. Abhishek Gupta of Class VI was, meanwhile, selected for the state-level painting competition to be held at Panchkula on November 21. — TNS
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Ludhiana scan
The auction of vanity registration numbers will be held at Bachat Bhavan on November 23. MS Chatwal, District Transport Officer, said that numbers for PB 10 DG and PB 10 DF series will be auctioned, and interested persons could get all the details from the notice board of the department and applications could be sent till November 21. Seminar for lawyers
A seminar was organised for city lawyers, encouraging them to make preparations for the Judicial Services Examination. The organisers said that they had tied up with a local school to start their first branch in the city soon. Knitwear Club to meet PPCB chief
A delegation of Knitwear Club under the chairmanship of Darshan Dawar will meet Ravinder Singh, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board, to discuss the problems faced by the knitwear industry. Earlier, Mahesh Inder Singh, Adviser to Chief Minister, in his tenure as a minister had declared the knitwear industry as a Green Industry, but now the industry was again facing problems. Appeal for help
President of Shiromani Dalit Dal Punjab Sewa Singh Gujjarwal has appealed to NGO's and the district administration to support an educated but needy woman MG Wellesely who has been leading a homeless life near Hotel Gulmor. Gujjarwal said that she had been leading a difficult life in a tent. Dr Jasbeer joins as DHO
Dr Jasbeer Singh has joined as District Health Officer, Ludhiana. Earlier, he was posted as DHO, Jalandhar. Previous DHO Dr Kulwinder Singh, meanwhile, has been transferred to Jalandhar. Valmiki Jayanti
Dalit Maha Panchayat has said that the preparations were almost over for Valmiki Jayanti on November 18. A delegation of the panchayat met the district Congress Committee president Pawan Dewan and got a poster released. Dewan said that Valmiki Ji was not just a messiah for Dalits but people from every religion had great respect for the saint. — TNS
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Two arrested with 20 stolen mobile phones at Machhiwara
Machhiwara, November 15 SHO, Machiwara, Hardeep Singh said about 200 mobile phones were stolen from a shop, Grewal Telecom, situated near main chowk, Machhiwara on September 21 night. The police, he said, arrested the kingpin of the gang, identified as Shehzad, a resident of Meerut, and his relative Jogi Sawhney, following a tip-off. The SHO said they took a room on rent at Garhi Tarkhana village and committed the theft in the shop. After committing the crime, they left the room. The SHO said they recovered 20 mobile phones from the accused. Their accomplice, identified as Saajna Bihar, a resident of Khanna, is still at large.
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Three labourers injured in group clash
Ludhiana, November 15 The injured have been identified as Zakir, Mohd Yaki and Shamshad. While Yaki and Shamshad were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Zakir was taken to CMC Hospital after his condition worsened. His condition is stated to be serious. In the meantime, the police has booked 15 persons in an attempt to murder case and a probe has begun. Police sources said that two persons identified as Sonu and Pintu have been arrested. However, the police is tightlipped about the arrest. "Sonu, Pintu and there unidentified accomplices have been booked for attempt to murder case under Section 307 of the IPC. No one has been arrested so far. The media will be updated on the development of the case," said Raj Kumar, SHO, Division No 7. The incident took place last night when the two groups led by Zakir and Sonu, who were consuming liquor, clashed over a petty issue. "All persons, involved in the clash, are factory workers. They were allegedly consuming liquor since Wednesday afternoon as it was
holiday. It was during midnight that the two groups clashed over a petty issue. The incident took a communal colour, however, the police reached on
time and controlled the situation from escalating further," said a police officer. Heavy police force was deployed in the area and situation was stated to be tense but under control.
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Cricket: Khalsa College eves triumph
Ludhiana, November 15 In the final, Khalsa College's decision to bat first after winning the toss appeared to be a wise one as they scored 209 runs for the loss of four wickets in the stipulated 40 overs. Their innings revolved around Parveen Khan and Jagdeep Kaur. Parveen Khan faced 102 balls and remained unbetean on 97 runs which included 10 hits over the ropes while Jagdeep contributed 58 runs. Parveen and Jagdeep also figured in 120 run partnership for the fourth wicket which tilted the innings in KCW's favour. Jagdeep Kaur senior chipped in with 22 runs. For Government College, Chandigarh, Amarjit Kaur grabbed two wickets for 46 runs while Mamta and Priyanka scalped one victim each. They conceded 27 extras. Defending the total, KCW bowlers restricted Government College, Chandigarh, to 127 runs in 28 overs. Only three players, Priyanka (15), Mamta (12) and Subam (16) could reach the double figure.
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GTBIMT, Dakha, pugilists win three medals
Jagraon, November 15 Three students of GTB Institute of Management and Technology, Dakha, clinched gold, silver and bronze medals in different weight categories, of the championship. Gurbir Singh of BCA (fifth semester) secured gold medal in 90-95 kg weight category. Gurwinder Singh of BCA (fifth semester) won silver medal in 80-85 kgweight category whereas Manjit Singh of BCA (first semester) clinched bronze medal in 65-70 kg weight category. — OC
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Ludhiana November 15 Ludhiana clinched the overall championship in gymnastic and became the state champion in school games. The district team comprising Madhav Thakur, Vankete Rana, Tanish, Mohit and Rahul impressed everyone with their amazing performance. Three out of the five players are being trained under gymnastic coach Prem Singh at the sports department's coaching centre, located at Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana. — TNS
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