07092026-CT-01.qxd 9/7/2026 12:58 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune PGI CELEBRATES ITS 63RD FOUNDATION DAY TODAY SUBROTO CUP: MINERVA LADS ROUT DELHI 8-0, ENTER SEMIS Representing CISCE, Minerva players reached semifinals of Subroto Cup by posting an 8-0 win over Delhi. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 35.4°C | MIN 23°C BROOKLYN BECKHAM-NICOLA’S LOVED-UP MOMENT IN VENICE Varanasi varsity VC Ajit K Chaturvedi to be chief guest at PGI foundation day celebrations on Sept 7. P3 FORECAST Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz looked smitten as they made an appearance together at the Venice Int’l Film Fest. P4 » » CHANDIGARH 38 PANCHKULA /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE FOSWAC MEETING Star in city 24x7 water supply in UT not feasible: Kataria 44 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.03 AM » MONDAY | 7 SEPTEMBER 2026 | CHANDIGARH AIR QUALITY INDEX SUNSET MONDAY 6.38 PM SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD Administrator says focus now on ensuring adequate pressure Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 10 am to 12 noon: Parts of Subhash Nagar and Moden Housing Complex 10 am to 2 pm: Parts of Sectors 7 and 26, Dhanas village, Aman Colony, Chaman Colony and Ambedkar Colony 11 am to 5.30 pm: Parts of Sector 41, Badheri and Butrela village Two more arrested in Daria murder case Bollywood actor Neha Dhupia takes part in an MTV Roadies Rebirth bike rally in Chandigarh on Sunday. The rally was flagged off from Sector 8 and culminated at the Sector 17 underpass. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY Revive cell to protect heritage items: Jagga Advisory Council member also seeks panel meet on auctions abroad Chandigarh, September 6 To prevent the auctioning of the city’s heritage items abroad, a member of the Administrator’s Advisory Council has asked Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to convene an urgent meeting of the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) and reactivate the Heritage Item Protection Cell. In a letter to Kataria, Ajay Jagga, a member of the council, stated that the matter had now reached the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after stolen heritage items surfaced at an auction in Paris. He referred to a letter from the Union Ministry of Culture dated June 23, 2026, stating that India’s Permanent Mission in Paris had taken note of the auction of stolen Chandigarh heritage items. According to Jagga, the Ministry of Culture forwarded the documents to the UT Administration, asking it to take necessary action. The ministry’s letter also clarified that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) could not take direct legal action in the matter as these items did not fall under the categories of “Antiquity” or “Art Treasure” as defined under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972. Citing a February 22, 2011, order issued by the Union Home Ministry, Jagga said the UT Administration was directed to take steps to stop the sale and auction of Chandigarh’s heritage items in the international market. He said the CHCC was formed but remained inactive. Asking the Administrator to urgently convene a CHCC meeting and place the issue of auctioning of heritage items on a special agenda. Jagga also urged that the Heritage Item Protection Cell be reactivated and that representatives of institutions such as PU, PGIMER, PEC, the governments of Punjab and Haryana, and the Chandigarh Police be included in it so that a joint strategy could be developed for identifying, recording and protecting heritage items. He called for regular monitoring of auctions held abroad, maintaining records of the source and ownership of such items and setting up of a permanent coordination mechanism with the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian embassies and other agencies. — TNS Chandigarh, September 6 The UT Administration is apparently going back on its promise of providing roundthe-clock water supply in the city. Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria said uninterrupted 24-hour water supply is “not presently workable”. Addressing a meeting of the Federation of Sector Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (FOSWAC) here on Sunday, Kataria said the immediate priority would be to ensure adequate water pressure during specified supply hours and that no household faced a shortage. The city had earlier launched a 24x7 pilot water supply project under the Smart City initiative in Manimajra. The project was launched with the objective of providing round-theclock water to city residents in a phased manner. However, Manimajra residents continue to face intermittent water supply. UT Home Secretary Mandeep Singh Brar, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh Housing Board CEO D Kartikeyan, MC Commissioner Amit Kumar and SSP Kanwardeep Kaur were present at the meeting. FOSWAC chairman Baljinder Singh Bittu flagged recurring waterlogging, inadequate drainage and the need to clean the entire drainage network before the monsoon. The meeting saw residents and RWA representatives rais- Dignitaries on the dais during a meeting of the Federation of Sector Welfare Associations Chandigarh on Sunday. PHOTO: VICKY ing a host of concerns, including traffic congestion, parking, poor roads, CHB-related grievances, law and order, drugs, street vendors, electricity billing, property registration and civic services. On the CHB-related matters, Kataria said he had taken note of the grievances, particularly those concerning notices and penalties issued to residents. He assured that the issues would be examined category-wise and addressed systematically. Kartikeyan said the board was positively examining residents’ grievances and assured that installation of lifts in multi-level flats would be permitted. He said several complicated issues were being examined to evolve workable solutions. The MC Commissioner said road recarpeting had commenced and would be completed soon. The SSP said sustained efforts were being made to control crime, while special teams were being constituted to tackle drug peddling. Brar said public transport had improved and urged residents to use AC buses to reduce traffic congestion. The FOSWAC chairman also raised concerns over ‘excessive’ electricity bills, alleged non-compliance with directions of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), delays in the registration of FIRs, stray animals, encroachments and the long-pending issue of need-based changes in CHB dwelling units. Responding to the issues, the DC said action on notices relating to properties was being expedited and that mutations following property registration were being completed within seven days. He said joint teams of the Estate Office and the MC were acting against encroachments and that the city had been made free of slums. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 6 Two more persons have been arrested for the murder of a man near a hotel in Daria village here on August 30, taking the number of arrests in the case to four. The suspects have been identified as Sahil and Mohd Kaif Khan, alias Arbaz, both from Phase 2 Ram Darbar. Both are 23 years old. Earlier, the police had arrested Subhash (25) of Zirakpur and Monu Jaswal (26) of Hallomajra in the case, which was registered at the Industrial Area police station. Investigators have also recovered a black Thar and a Scorpio, which are believed to have been used in the attack, along with two folding knives and three wooden sticks. Relevant provisions of the Arms Act have been added to the case. The complainant, Suraj, a resident of Manimajra, had stated that his brother Pawan had gone out with friends for a party at Hotel Legacy in Daria village. He alleged that Monu, alias Kandu, Subhash, Suraj, alias Jatua, Govinda, Mahavir and Malkit, alias Kaka, came there in a Scorpio and a black Thar. Pawan and Suraj were travelling in separate vehicles when the suspects rammed the Scorpio and the Thar into their vehicles, injuring both of them, and fled the spot. Pawan was rushed to the GMSH-16 where he was declared brought dead while Suraj was referred to the PGIMER for treatment. 3 held, 3 women rescued in raid at Zirakpur hotel Tribune News Service Mohali, September 6 The police arrested three youths for allegedly engaging in immoral activities and rescued three women from a hotel in Zirakpur here. Zirakpur SHO Jasbir Singh said the police received a tipoff that suspicious activities were taking place at VIP Hotel and PG on the top floor of the Canara Bank building on the Zirakpur-Patiala road. Acting on the information, a police team conducted a raid at the hotel. According to police, a lighter and some items suspected to have been used for consuming drugs were recov- Two-day national meet of state biodiversity boards, UT councils kicks off Tribune News Service ered from the youths. The police are getting the youths medically examined. The SHO said statements of the rescued girls were being recorded. Further legal action would be taken based on the medical report and the investigation. Biker killed, car speeds away after crash in Sirhind Our Correspondent Fatehgarh Sahib, September 6 In a case of hit-and-run, a man was killed after a speeding car hit the bike he was riding on the SirhindSanipur road. The deceased was identified as Manjit Rai, a native of Bihar who was currently residing in Ramdas Nagar, Sirhind. According to a complaint lodged by his wife, Reeshika Kumari, Manjit was going Protecting biodiversity crucial for food, water security, livelihoods: Governor towards Sirhind when a speeding car (PB-23-V-9559) collided with his bike and sped away. He fell onto the road and sustained serious injuries. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Fatehgarh Sahib, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The police have registered a case against the unidentified car driver and initiated further investigation. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination. Chandigarh, September 6 Highlighting India’s rich biological heritage and traditional environmental ethos, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday emphasised that ecological security is closely linked to food and water security, livelihoods and sustainable development. Addressing the inaugural session of the 16th National Meet of State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs) here, Kataria underlined the importance of integrating traditional knowledge and community participation with contemporary conservation approaches. Organised by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), the two-day meet brings together chairpersons and member secretaries of SBBs and UTBCs from across the country, along with experts and scientists. The inaugural session was attended by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Haryana Minister for Environment, Forest and Wildlife Rao Narbir Singh. Kataria also underscored the ecological significance of the wetlands, riverine c m y b Union Minister Bhupender Yadav addresses the 16th National Meet of State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils in Chandigarh on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI ecosystems and agricultural biodiversity of Punjab and Chandigarh. Bhupender Yadav highlighted India’s long-standing environmental ethos and referred to various initiatives undertaken under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including Mission LiFE, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, Amrit Sarovar and the Green Credit Programme. He stated that India’s biodiversity conservation journey combined scientific capabilities and the traditional wisdom of local communities. Referring to the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the minister said the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the Biological Diversity Rules, 2024, further strengthened and streamlined the country’s biodiversity governance framework. He urged states and UTs to align their rules, institutional mechanisms and implementation processes with the amended framework. On the link between biodiversity conservation and cli- mate action, Yadav said India had consistently taken decisive steps aligned with international protocols. He called for measurable outcomes in ecosystem restoration, species and habitat conservation, agro-biodiversity and the development of climateresilient landscapes. Rao Narbir Singh spoke about Haryana’s biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration efforts. He called for strengthening biodiversity governance at the state and local levels. Man arrested for felling of khair trees Chandigarh, September 6 The city police have arrested a man for cutting down protected khair trees and stealing the wood from a forested area near the Hallomajra light point. The accused has been identified as 25-year-old Daljit Singh, a resident of Gopalpur village in Morinda. The police have also seized the vehicle used in the crime. A complaint in this regard was filed by a forest guard, Amrinder Singh, posted at the Paryavaran Bhawan in Sector 19-B. He told the police that around 3.15 am on Saturday, a group of people was seen cutting down khair trees and stealing the timber from the forest area near the Hallomajra light point. Acting on the tip-off, a joint team of the Forest Department and the police rushed to the spot and apprehended Daljit Singh. His accomplices fled from there. The police have also seized a Haryana-registered vehicle. A case has been registered under the BNS and the Indian Forest Act. Investigators are now trying to trace his accomplices. Khair is a valuable forest species, prized for both its timber and the catechu (kattha) extracted from it, which has a wide range of commercial uses. The high demand for these products has made illegal felling and theft of khair trees a persistent and serious challenge for the Forest Department. — TNS