16032026-ATR-01.qxd 15-03-2026 23:09 Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 23°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 23°C | MIN 15°C MC INTENSIFIES DRIVE TO REMOVE TOBACCO, MEAT VENDS KULDEEP YADAV TIES THE KNOT WITH VANSHIKA VILLAINS STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT IN HINDI FILMS Move follows ‘holy city’ notification; 14 kiosks removed, notices served to 32 traders. P2 India's premier bowler, Kuldeep Yadav, has tied the knot with his childhood friend Vanshika. P4 From intense masterminds to stylish adversaries, Bollywood antagonists draw as much attention as the heroes. P4 » » » SUNSET MONDAY 6.36 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.38 AM MONDAY | 16 MARCH 2026 | AMRITSAR Light rain across region sparks concern among wheat growers Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 15 Intermittent drizzling since early this morning has brought a noticeable drop in temperature across parts of Punjab, offering temporary relief from the rising heat but also raising concerns among farmers whose wheat crop is nearing maturity. In several rural areas around Amritsar and nearby villages in Ajnala, light rain accompanied by cloudy skies and mild winds continued through the day. While the change in weather made conditions more pleasant for residents, farmers said even a short spell of untimely rain at this stage could affect the standing wheat crop. Wheat in most parts of the border belt has entered the grain-filling and ripening stage, which is considered particularly sensitive to moisture and strong winds. Farmers fear that if the drizzle turns into heavy rainfall or a hailstorm, it could lead to lodging — a condition in which mature plants bend or fall to the ground, making harvesting difficult and reducing grain quality. The crop is typically harvested from late March to mid-April, and growers depend on dry weather dur- Bridges sans safety railings in rural areas turn accident-prone zones Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service A car moves with headlights on during heavy rain in Amritsar on Sunday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR (RELATED STORY ON PAGE 2) ing this period to ensure a smooth harvest. Gurpreet Singh, a local farmer, said that although the drizzle was light, it had created uncertainty. “The crop is almost ready. If the rain continues for long or strong winds follow, the wheat can fall and that will reduce the yield,” he said. Agriculture experts, however, advised farmers not to panic as light drizzle generally does not cause major damage if it stops quickly. Officials from the Agriculture Department said farmers should avoid irrigating fields for a few days and closely monitor weather updates. Meanwhile, the cooler conditions brought by the cloudy weather lowered daytime temperatures across the region, providing relief from the heat that had begun to build over the past week. The change in weather due to the drizzle was also reflected in residents returning to warmer clothing. “Till a few days ago, it felt as if winters were over, but the drizzle has brought warm clothes back into use,” quipped Sunita Garg, a homemaker. RELATED STORY ON PAGE 2 Amritsar, March 15 A recent road mishap in the Khalchian area, in which a car plunged into a drain from a narrow bridge three days ago, has once again put the focus back on unsafe condition of bridges on drains, lacking proper safety railings. These bridges, which serve as vital links between rural settlements, have increasingly become a major safety concern for daily commuters. The incident occurred on Wednesday when four youths narrowly escaped after the car they were travelling in reportedly went out of control and fell off the bridge into a drain below. Fortunately, local residents and passersby rushed to the spot and managed to rescue the occupants of the vehicle. All four youths were pulled out safely, preventing what could have been a tragic accident. Harpreet Singh, a resident of Butari village near Khalchian and district secretary of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, pointed out that the mishap highlighted a longstanding problem Kanchanpreet appointed SAD halqa in-charge of Tarn Taran BSF, police seize over 6 kg heroin, drone along IB in separate cases Our Correspondent Amritsar, March 15 The Border Security Force (BSF), in coordination with the Punjab Police, seized more than 6.4 kg of heroin and recovered a drone in three separate incidents along the International Border in the district during the past 24 hours. The seizures were made in Gharinda and Lopoke sectors, which are considered sensitive due to frequent cross-border smuggling attempts. According to BSF officials, vigilant troops detected suspicious drone movement near the Kahangarh Border Outpost (BoP) in the Gharinda area during night surveil- Tarn Taran, March 15 The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has appointed Kanchanpreet Kaur as the halqa in-charge of Tarn Taran Assembly constituency. SAD president Sukhbir Badal shared this information on his X account today. Kanchanpreet is the daughter of Principal Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, who had unsuccessfully contested as the party candidate for the November 2025 by-election of Tarn Taran Assembly constituency. Kanchanpreet is already running the party’s affairs in the area. She played an active continued on page 2 Tribune News Service lance. Acting swiftly, the BSF neutralised the drone using anti-drone technology. During a search operation in the surrounding fields, security personnel recovered a DJI Matrice 400 drone along with five packets containing 5.33 kg of heroin suspected to have been dropped from across the border. In another recovery from the same BoP area, BSF troops seized one additional packet containing 557 grams of heroin, further indicating multiple attempts to smuggle narcotics into Indian territory. In a separate operation, BSF personnel recovered another packet containing 553 grams of heroin from the Pul Moran BoP which falls , Robbers kill elderly woman, decamp with gold, valuables Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 15 Panic gripped Mohan Bhandarian village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Jhander police station, after members of a robbery gang allegedly broke into the house of an elderly woman, murdered her and fled with valuables. According to the police, the victim has been identified as Paramjit Kaur. She was alone at home when the incident took place on Saturday morning. Family members later found her lying in a pool of blood inside a room when they returned home. Satnam Singh, SHO, said that CCTV cameras installed near the crime scene have been taken into possession and the footage is being examined. He added that an EFFORTS BEING MADE TO NAB ACCUSED According to the police, the victim has been identified as Paramjit Kaur. She was alone at home when the incident took place on Saturday morning. Family members later found her lying in a pool of blood inside a room when they returned home. Satnam Singh, SHO, said that CCTV cameras installed near the crime scene have been taken into possession and the footage is being examined. He added that an investigation is underway and efforts are being made to identify and arrest the accused at the earliest. investigation is underway and efforts are being made to identify and arrest the accused at the earliest. The victim’s son, Sumandeep Singh, who runs a grocery shop, said that his mother was alone at home as his father had gone to attend a wedding in the family. He himself had left for his shop in the morning. Around 2 pm, someone informed his father over the phone that his wife was lying injured inside the house. After receiving the call, his father informed Sumandeep, who rushed home immediately. The family found Paramjit Kaur critically injured with multiple injury marks on her body. Her gold earrings were missing and blood was seen coming from her ears. Gold bangles from her wrists and other valuables from the house were also found missing. The family immediately shifted her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Police officials said efforts were on to trace the culprits. under the jurisdiction of the Lopoke police station. Following the seizures, the contraband and the drone were handed over to the Punjab Police for further legal action. The police have registered three separate cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. Authorities have launched further investigations to identify the cross-border network involved in the smuggling attempts. Security agencies believe the narcotics were sent from across the border using drones, a method increasingly used by smugglers operating along the India-Pakistan International Border. 2 ex-servicemen duped of over ~41 lakh in cyber frauds Tribune News Service Amritsar, March 15 Two ex-servicemen were duped by online fraudsters in separate incidents reported yesterday. The cases came to light after the victims lodged complaints with the Amritsar Rural Police. Following a preliminary probe, the cyber cell police station registered two FIRs on Saturday. The duo were cheated of more than Rs 41 lakh in phishing-related frauds. In the first case, the victim was allegedly cheated of more than Rs 37 lakh by cyber criminals on the pretext of an investment scheme. Gurwinder Singh, a resident of Chak Mishri Khan, told the police that he came in contact with a woman, continued on page 2 c m y b A bridge connecting Khalchian and Dhulka village without the safety parapets in Amritsar. VISHAL KUMAR in the area — the absence of protective railings and proper safety infrastructure on many rural bridges. With vehicular movement and narrow carriageways, the risk of accidents on such bridges remains high, particularly during night hours or adverse weather conditions. Harpreet Singh said that sev- eral similar bridges in the surrounding villages have turned into accident-prone spots due to lack of safety measures. He pointed out that commuters frequently face danger while crossing these structures, especially motorists unfamiliar with the routes. Another village resident said that bridges connecting Khalchian to Dhulka village, Bhorsi Rajputan to Bhorsi Brahmana village, Bhorsi Rajputan to Khalchian village, Bhorsi Rajputan to Allowal village and Wadala Kalan to Daud village, are among those that do not have proper safety railings. Ratan Singh Randhawa, a senior farmer leader, has urged the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to install railings and strengthen these bridges to prevent mishaps in future. They said that despite repeated complaints, little has been done so far to address the problem, which puts the lives of villagers and commuters at constant risk. Parminderpal Singh, a resident of Bharopal border village, has demanded that the administration should conduct a survey of such vulnerable bridges in the rural belt and undertake necessary repair and safety works at the earliest to avert potential tragedies. He said a number of bridges constructed on the ‘defence’ drain, running parallel to the international border, were also sans safety railings. These bridges are the only link of over 100 villages situated alongside the border with the mainland. The ‘defence’ drain was dug up decades ago to serve the twin purposes of a strategic military barrier in case of infiltration and to get rid of excess rainwater, he said. During the dense fog in winters, these unsafe bridges are a threat to the lives of motorists.