18052026-LT-01.qxd 5/17/2026 10:15 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune BTECH GRAD FINDS ‘SAKOON’, PURPOSE IN ORGANIC FARMING MC, DAIRY OWNERS NEED TO JOIN HANDS OVER COW DUNG ISSUE ADITI RAO HYDARI’S WOW FACTOR WORKS @CANNES Jobandeep Singh from Malakheri village near Amritsar chose a different path—one that brought him closer to the soil. P2 Admn, dairy owners should up efforts to produce biogas from cow dung, and reduce burder on imports. P3 The actress wore a lime-green creation by Tony Ward Couture for the red carpet. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 44°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 42°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.16 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:29 AM » MONDAY | 18 MAY 2026 | LUDHIANA Branches entangled with power lines give residents scare Manav Mander Tribune News Service A road in Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, which was recently recarpeted, has been dug up for laying water pipes. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Recently recarpeted roads dug up for laying pipes Residents question alleged wasteful spending by MC, lack of coordination between wings Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 17 In what residents have termed a glaring example of poor planning and wastage of taxpayers’ money, several newly-constructed roads in Ludhiana are once again being dug up for laying pipelines under the World Bank-funded 24x7 canalbased water supply project. The latest controversy has surfaced in Sarabha Nagar’s J-Block area, where a recently recarpeted road has been excavated again for sewer and water pipeline works, triggering sharp criticism from residents, activists and opposition leaders over the lack of coordination between different wings of the municipal corporation and government departments. Ironically, the roads had been repaired and recarpeted only a few months ago after being damaged during the rainy season. Residents alleged that crores of rupees were being spent repeatedly on the same stretches while several other city roads continued to remain broken and neglected. Area resident Dalbir Singh alleged that the civic body had failed to ensure proper planning before undertaking road construction works. “This is the fourth time in four years that the J-Block road is being rebuilt. If pipeline work was already planned, there was no need to spend lakhs on fresh carpeting. Patchwork could have been done temporarily,” he said. He further pointed out that the road near Deepak Hospital had also been reconstructed twice and may again face digging for pipeline work. Similar complaints have surfaced from Pakhowal Road near the indoor stadium, Jassian Road, Ghumar Mandi, Rishi Nagar and several other localities, where roads dug for pipeline installation remain unrepaired for months. Under the canal-based water supply project, private companies executing the work were reportedly required to restore roads within 20 days of laying pipelines. However, several stretches across the city continue to remain damaged, causing inconvenience to commuters and residents. Social activist and a resident of Gurdev Nagar Ravinder Pal Singh Ghai also raised serious concerns over repeated digging of newlyconstructed roads in the Durga Mata Mandir area of Sarabha Nagar. He alleged that the repeated excavation reflected administrative negligence and lack of coordination among civic agencies. Ghai claimed that a similar attempt was earlier made to dig the road going towards Hambran Road from Saggu Chowk, but the work was reportedly halted following public objections. “If roads were already earmarked for pipeline installation, why was public money spent on fresh carpeting? This reflects serious mismanagement,” he said. Demanding a high-level inquiry, Ghai sought suspension of officials responsible for negligence, blacklisting of contractors involved in irregularities and recovery of financial losses from accountable parties. He also demanded a vigilance probe into the project and said complaints had been submitted to the Director, Local Bodies, Chief Minister’s Office, Vigilance Department and Deputy Commissioner. Residents alleged that broken roads, dust pollution and traffic chaos had become a daily problem in areas affected by the project. Many expressed concern that with the monsoon approaching, damaged stretches could pose a serious risk to commuters and further deteriorate. Responding to the allegations, MC Superintending Engineer Parul Goyal said the B&R Department had not informed the MC in advance regarding certain road works. “Repair of the remaining roads will be completed by June 30,” she said. However, residents questioned why basic interdepartment coordination was still missing despite repeated controversies over the same issue in the past. Ludhiana, May 17 Across several localities in Ludhiana, residents are increasingly alarmed by tree branches and dried vines that have dangerously entangled electricity poles and cables. The sight of these branches brushing against live cables has sparked concern about fire hazards, electrocution and sudden outages. “Every time the wind picks up, sparks fly from the cables, where branches are stuck. It feels unsafe to even walk under those poles,” said Harpreet Singh, a resident of Sarabha Nagar. Another resident from Civil Lines added, “We have complained multiple times, but the branches remain there. Children play nearby, and it worries us daily.” Aakash from BRS Nagar said that the ridge gourd vine got dried and it’s branches got so hard and entangled in the electricity cables that it had now become hazardous. “I lodged a complaint with the Electricity Department and yesterday the employees came with a crane and pruned all branches and finally we heaved a sigh of relief,” said he. Officials from the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) acknowledged the issue and urged residents not to attempt trimming branches themselves. “Residents must never try to prune or push entangled branches away from power cables. Treat all dangling wires as live and dangerous. The safest way is to lodge a complaint with the PSPCL, so our trained line staff can handle it,” said a PSPCL official. Officials stressed that timely reporting helps prevent accidents and ensures faster response. Residents are strongly advised to rely on PSPCL’s maintenance teams, rather than attempting risky interventions themselves. To directly connect with the electricity call centre, dial PSPCL’s toll-free number 1912. Despite NGT norms, waste dumps being burnt across city Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 17 Despite strict directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against open burning of waste, garbage dumps continue to be set on fire across Ludhiana, raising serious environmental and public health concerns. Residents and commuters have alleged that the municipal corporation has failed to keep a check on the recurring incidents, with heaps of dry waste and garbage being burnt openly on alternate days in different parts of the city. On Sunday, a massive garbage dump was set on fire under the Lakkar Bridge near Pavilion Mall, filling the area with thick smoke, foul smell and smog for several hours. The incident caused inconvenience to commuters passing through one of the city’s Garbage being burnt under Lakkar Bridge near Pavillion Mall on Sunday. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN busiest stretches and left nearby residents struggling with breathing discomfort and irritation due to the smoke. Locals alleged that such incidents had become common in Ludhiana and accused the civic body of failing to act against violators despite repeated complaints. Several residents claimed that in many cases, dry leaves and garbage were allegedly set on fire by sanitation workers or lower- rung MC employees to reduce waste volume and avoid lifting the garbage properly. “Almost every week, garbage dumps are seen burning somewhere in the city. The smoke spreads across nearby residential areas and roads, but no strict action is ever taken,” said Baldev Singh, a commuter who passed through the Lakkar Bridge area on Sunday evening. Residents living near the spot said the foul smell and smoke continued for hours, making it difficult for elderly persons and children to remain outdoors. Some shopkeepers in the area also complained that customers avoided the stretch due to the unbearable smell and polluted surroundings. Environmental activists pointed out that burning mixed municipal waste releases toxic pollutants into the atmosphere and directly affects air quality. They said the repeated incidents reflected poor waste management practices and lack of monitoring by the MC. The NGT and pollution control authorities have repeatedly issued directions banning open burning of garbage, leaves and plastic waste due to its harmful impact on public health and the environment. However, residents alleged that enforcement on the ground remained weak and violators continued to escape action. Commuters further highlighted that several roadside garbage points across the city often remain unattended for days, leading to accumulation of dry waste, which is later burnt openly. They demanded installation of CCTV cameras at vulnerable dumping points and strict accountability of officials responsible for sanitation management. Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts, health officer Vipan Malhotra was not available for comments. A PSPCL employee prunes tree branches near an electricity pole. Man booked for sexually harassing stepdaughter Ludhiana, May 17 The police have booked a man for sexually harassing her 15-year-old stepdaughter in Ludhiana. The police have started further investigation. The victim’s mother stated that her second husband Sourabh Verma had been committing obscene acts with her stepdaughter for a long time. On April 25, he saw that the accused was showing obscene films to her daughter in another room and was touching her private parts with his hand. “When I protested, the accused ran away, threatening to kill me and my daughter Deepika. I tried to talk to him several times and also tried to speak to my father-in-law, who said that it was no big deal and threatened me to keep quiet. I was very scared. So accordingly, I was forced to lodge a police complaint,” alleged the complainant. The Haibowal police have launched a probe. — TNS A village keeps memories of Sikh warriors, martyrs alive Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 17 A small and quiet village in Ludhiana district, Roomi, has set a unique precedent by naming streets and roads after Sikh warriors, martyrs and great personalities, whose contribution to the society and sacrifices holds utmost significance. The panchayat claims that this was done to keep the memories of great personalities alive in the minds of young generations. Situated about 52 km away from Ludhiana city on the Jagraon-Raikot road, the village has gained fame with this initiative. Videos of the village garnering appreciations have also been going viral on the social media. Streets have been named after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Hari Singh Nalwa, Bhai Jaita Ji, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, Rajguru, Chandarshekhar Azad, Shaheed Udham Singh, Jassa Singh Ramgharia, Akali Phoola Singh, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Bhai Satti Dass, Baba Vishwakarma Street, acclaimed Indian philanthropist and founder of Pingalwara Bhagat Pooran Singh, Bhai Ghaniya ji, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, etc. As the Tribune team entered the village and asked some elderly people, sitting at a common place, about the initiative, they said they wholeheartedly welcomed the move of the panchayat. “These days young generations are more eager to go abroad and are swaying away from their roots and even forgetting the contribution and sacrifices of our Gurus, martyrs and great warriors. At least at the village level, our panchayat members irrespective of the party they belong to, quickly passed this resolution to name streets after these great personalities. Every street and road has been given a prominent name. This initiative has added to the reputation of the village and also serve as an inspiration,” says 75-year-old Gurdeep Singh of the Roomi village. Sarpanch Manpreet Singh said that when the panchayat decided to implement this initiative, apart from the panchayat members, elderly people of the village had also been invited. After detailed deliberations, names of over 50 such great personalities were shortlisted and these were written by installing proper nameplates. “Our village could be the first one in Punjab to take this initiative of offering tributes to such great personali- c m y b ties in a unique way. Now, we have also decided to devote one day once a week or fortnight to hold a special session on lives and sacrifices of these personalities to keep their memories alive in the minds of our village youths,” asserted the sarpanch. He claimed that taking a cue from their initiative, panchayats of other nearby villagers are also planning to follow suit. “I have come to know that people of nearby villages had visited our village to see the panchayat initiative. Even NRIs sitting abroad have also called and applauded the initiative,” added the sarpanch. One of the streets named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh at Roomi village near Jagraon in Ludhiana district. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN