20012026-ATR-01.qxd 1/20/2026 12:24 AM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST FOG MIST IN MORNING OUST AAP GOVT, SAYS DIST CONGRESS COMMITTEE POLICE RELEASE FARMERS DETAINED ON EVE OF CM’S VISIT ‘BEING PART OF BORDER 2 FEELS LIKE LIVING A DREAM’ The DCC has called upon people to be ready to discard the AAP government in the state. P2 The police released all five farmers who were detained before the proposed visit of CM Bhagwant Mann to Majitha. P2 Vansh Bhardwaj speaks with immense gratitude about becoming part of a legacy he admired as a child. P4 » » » MAX 21°C | MIN 4°C YESTERDAY MAX 20°C | MIN 3°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.53 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7.28 AM TUESDAY | 20 JANUARY 2026 | AMRITSAR Public health at stake as sewer lines overflow in city Courting risk Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service People cross railway tracks at the Amritsar railway station on a foggy morning on Monday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Gurdaspur Town Planner arrested for seeking bribe Encroachments on footpaths irk commuters in Putlighar area Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 19 The illegal use of footpaths for displaying goods in the busy Putlighar area has emerged as a major bane for commuters, leading to frequent traffic chaos and inconvenience to pedestrians. Shopkeepers have occupied large portions of the footpaths by placing merchandise outside their establishments, forcing pedestrians to walk on the already congested roads. As a result, the passageway has effectively narrowed, worsening traffic snarls, especially during peak hours. Two-wheelers, cars, auto-rickshaws and pedestrians are often seen competing for limited road space, increasing the risk of accidents. Elderly people, children and persons with Gurdaspur, January 19 District Town Planner Ritika Arora has been arrested by the Vigilance Bureau after she was demanding Rs 1 lakh for getting a plot registered with her department. Sleuths of the Vigilance Bureau, Amritsar Range, laid a trap after Gurjit Singh of Lehal village, near here, complained that Ritika Arora was demanding the bribe despite the fact that all documents were complete. Gurjit Singh complained that he had repeatedly requested the officer to get the work done. Vigilance sources said she admitted that Gurjit’s papers were complete but he “will have to cough up Rs 1 lakh” if he wanted to get his work completed. Tribune News Service disabilities are among those affected badly, as they find it difficult to navigate through the area safely. Commuters allege that despite repeated complaints, the problem continues unchecked. “Footpaths are meant for pedestrians, but here they have become extensions of shops. Walking on the road has become dangerous,” said a daily commuter. Residents also pointed out that the situation deteriorates further during evenings and festive seasons when additional temporary stalls come up, completely blocking pedestrian pathways. Traffic police personnel are often seen struggling to manage the congestion, but without addressing encroachments, the relief remains temporary. Residents have urged the Municipal Corporation authorities to conduct regular anti-encroachment drives and ensure that footpaths are restored for pedestrian use. They have also demanded strict action against repeat violators to bring lasting relief from the daily traffic mess in one of the city’s busiest commercial stretches. Putlighar is one of the busiest markets in the city with a large number of women’s suit-salwar shops in the area. A favourite shopping area for the women, the area is also blessed to house the historic Pipli Sahib Gurdwara, which is visited by a large number of devotees. The residents complain that instead of being developed at par with other areas, Putlighar has been neglected in terms of development. Amritsar, January 19 Residents in several parts of the city continue to face serious health risks due to frequent sewerage blockages and contamination of drinking water. Despite repeated complaints, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC) sends water samples for testing only after receiving formal complaints, raising concerns over the lack of preventive monitoring. According to officials, water samples are tested using four different methods. Field tests are conducted on-site to check the colour and foul smell of water. Samples are also kept in H2S vials (hydrogen sulphide paper strip method) for 24 hours, with a change in colour indicating the presence of bacteria. Another method involves adding chlorine at one end of the pipeline to check whether it reaches the last household, Sewerage water overflows a road in Amritsar. FILE PHOTO which helps determine the absence of bacterial contamination. For detailed chemical and biological analysis, samples are sent to the Water Supply and Sanitation Department’s laboratory at Golden Avenue. While tubewell samples are tested regularly, area-wise sampling is largely driven by complaints. The seriousness of the issue came to light on August 19 last year, when two persons died and several others fell ill at Khanokot Sardaranwala village after consuming sewage-contaminated water. Last year, outbreaks of cholera and diarrhoea were also reported in areas near Bhalla Colony. Residents alleged that despite repeated complaints, no proper sampling was conducted. In Chheharta, residents frequently stage protests over the issue. Congress leader Mahesh Khanna said water contamination was being ignored by the authorities. He pointed out that in most parts of the walled city, water pipelines pass through drains, and when sewer lines overflow, leakages result in sewage mixing with drinking water. He added that sewerage and water pipelines in the area are 35 to 40 years old, and in many localities, foulsmelling water flows for the first 20 minutes after supply resumes. The problem, he said, can only be resolved by relocating pipelines away from drains and replacing dilapidated lines. Meanwhile, MC Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh said water samples were being collected through multiple methods. He added that whenever contamination is detected during field tests, immediate corrective measures are taken. Self-service tourist info kiosks lie defunct Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 19 Under the Smart City project ‘Explore Amritsar’, self-service tourist information kiosks installed at various locations across the city to assist visitors in locating key destinations have largely failed to serve their intended purpose. Most of these kiosks have turned defunct, raising serious questions over planning, execution and maintenance under the project. When the project was launched in 2022, Amritsar Smart City Limited (ASCL) had announced the installation of tourist information kiosks at 20 locations as part of a pilot initiative. A defunct tourist information kiosk in Amritsar. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR These locations included prominent tourist and public places such as the War Memorial, Urban Haat, Partition Museum, Valmiki Tirath Sthal, VR Ambarsar (basement and fifth floor), Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama, Durgiana Mandir, Sada Pind, Jallianwala Bagh near the post office, Hall Bazaar near Ramada, Golden Temple Plaza, Mall of Amritsar (ground and second floors), Gobindgarh Fort, Shaheed Baba Deep Singh, Lawrence Road, Nehru Complex, and bus stand platform numbers 8 and 55. However, within just three years, most of these kiosks have turned into junk. Officials had earlier claimed that the Tourist Information Kiosk Centres would provide multiple services, including information about the city, transport facilities, booking services and emergency assistance. The kiosks were designed to offer both push- and pull-based information services along with query-based assistance. Additionally, the systems continued on page 2 District Child Protection Unit MC official inspects bio-remediation work, team rescues four child beggars compost pits at Bhagtanwala dump site Woman held in arms, heroin smuggling case Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 19 The District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) rescued four children who were found begging on Majitha Road here on Monday. They were held under a special drive launched under Project Jeevanjot 2.0 by the Punjab Government against the social evil of begging. Under the campaign launched with the aim of curbing child begging and preventing exploitation of children, teams of the DCPU, in coordination with the District Task Force, carried out raids at various locations across the city and rescued four children. District Child Protection Officer Taranjit Singh stated that such checking drives and awareness campaigns would continue regularly under Project Jeevanjot 2.0 to make Amritsar district free from child begging. Since the commencement of the project in July last year, the DCPU has rescued over 50 children so far. He said those who were found for the first time were let off after strict warning and completing documentations. Strict Amritsar, January 19 Additional Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Amritsar, Surinder Singh, on Monday inspected various Material Recovery Facility (MRF) centres, compost pits and the ongoing bio-remediation work at the old Bhagtanwala dump site. The inspection was conducted as per the directions of Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill to ensure strict compliance with Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U) and Solid Waste Management (SWM) rules. During the visit, the Additional MC Commissioner also reviewed the doorto-door waste collection, segregation of wet and dry waste besides processing and recycling systems being implemented by the civic body. While inspecting the bioremediation work at Bhagtanwala dump site, Surinder Singh directed the executing agency to further accelerate the pace of work so that the project could be completed within the stipulated timeframe. Addressing officials, Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh said scientific waste management and Amritsar, January 19 The Special Cell of the Amritsar Rural Police on Monday arrested Navjot Kaur (35), a resident of Gillanwali village in Gurdaspur district, in connection with an arms and heroin smuggling racket recently busted by the police. She is a close relative of Abhiraj Singh Mahal, one of the prime suspects who is still evading arrest in the case. On Friday, the Amritsar Rural Police claimed to have busted a major drug and illegal arms nexus with the arrest of three persons, including a woman, leading to the recovery of a huge consignment of heroin along with sophisticated firearms and ammunition. Those arrested were identified as Ajul Arora, a resident of Bagh Ramanand, Ghee Mandi; Dilpreet Kaur of Baba Darshan Singh Avenue; and Pratham Sharma of Mahal village. The module was allegedly operated by foreign-based notorious gangster-turned-terrorist Satbir Singh, alias Satta Naushehra, who was continued on page 2 Members of the District Child Protection Unit rescue child beggars in Amritsar on Monday. action was taken, including the registration of an FIR, against repeat offenders. He said with the active support of the district administration and other departments, sustained efforts are being made to ensure the safety, welfare and rehabilitation of vulnerable children. The official appealed to the general public to remain vigilant and immediately inform the authorities if they notice any child engaged in begging or subjected to any form of exploitation. Residents can report such cases by calling the Child Helpline number 1098 or contacting 9876357202, 9501291402 or 9319267958. c m y b MC Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh inspects the bio-remediation work at the Bhagtanwala dump site in Amritsar. timely completion of bioremediation were crucial for safeguarding public health and the environment. He instructed all teams concerned to ensure strict adherence to Swachh Bharat Mission norms and SWM rules. Appealing to citizens for cooperation, he said public participation was essential to achieve a clean Amritsar. He urged residents to segregate wet and dry waste at the household level, avoid dumping garbage in the open areas and actively support the sanitation initiatives of the Municipal Corporation, adding that collective efforts alone could make the city clean, healthy and sustainable. Municipal Corporation officials informed that from October 1, 2025, to January 17, 2026, a total of 1,91,719 metric tonnes of legacy waste had been bio-remediated, with an average processing of 3,022 metric tonnes per day. On January 18 alone, 3,428 metric tonnes of waste were processed, taking the cumulative figure to 1,95,147 metric tonnes. Under the bio-remediation process, legacy waste is being scientifically treated and segregated into recyclable, usable and inert material, helping reduce environmental pollution, protect groundwater and reclaim land for future use. Municipal Health Officer Dr Kiran and other senior officials of the Municipal Corporation were also present during the inspection.