08092026-ATR-01.qxd 9/7/2026 11:16 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 24°C 10-DAY CLEANLINESS DRIVE COMES TO CLOSE EXPERIENCING JOY OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY, CRITICAL THINKING KHOSLA, JANI’S 40 YEARS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP & COUTURE A 10-day cleanliness campaign aimed at making Amritsar West cleaner and greener ends. P2 Programme Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan helps students think beyond AI, reviving the importance of research and questioning. P3 Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla mark four decades in fashion with a dazzling celebration of style & glamour. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 6.41 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:07 AM » TUESDAY | 8 SEPTEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR 15 test positive for swine flu in district Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 7 With the district reporting 15 positive cases of swine flu, the health authorities have swung into action, intensifying surveillance across government facilities. The Health Department has stepped up monitoring, directing government hospitals to remain alert for patients showing swine flulike symptoms. Isolation wards have been set up at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and the Civil Hospital, with senior doctors instructed to remain available. Around 30 beds at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, have been put in place, while arrangements for isolation facilities have also been made at the Civil Hospital. The authorities have also directed hospitals to ensure the availability of essential medicines, ventilators, oxygen support and other necessary equipment. The department is monitoring all health institutions in the district. Officials have been asked to identify patients with symptoms at an early stage, and ensure their timely referral and treatment. Civil Sur- Isolation wards have been set up at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and the Civil Hospital in Amritsar. WATCH OUT FOR SYMPTOMS CAUSES Swine flu is caused by the Influenza A virus H1N1. It spreads mainly through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Close contact with an infected person can also transmit the virus. SYMPTOMS Common symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, body geon Dr Rashmi Vij appealed to residents not to panic and adhere to the health department guidelines. Doctors said swine flu, caused by the H1N1 influenza virus, could spread through respiratory droplets. Com- ache and tiredness. Some patients may also experience vomiting or diarrhoea. PREVENTION Wash hands regularly, cover your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, and avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home when unwell and seek medical advice if symptoms become severe. mon symptoms included fever, cough, sore throat, headache, bodyache and laboured breathing, they added. Experts advised locals to wash hands regularly and mask up in case of cough and cold. Five kg heroin,15 pistols seized; police quiz two Investigation on to establish Pak link, role of foreign handler after drone sighting Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 7 In a major intelligence-led operation, the Amritsar rural police busted a crossborder narcotics and illegal arms smuggling network with the arrest of two persons. It has recovered 5 kg heroin and 15 pistols, exposing an alleged supply chain involving Pakistan-based contacts and a North America-based handler. The accused have been identified as Deepak (24) of Rorawala village located near the border in the Attari subdivision and Shubhpreet, alias Shubh, a mobile repair shop worker in the Hall Gate area of Amritsar. Deepak, works as a welder. Both suspects had no previous criminal record, the police said. DGP, Punjab Police, Gaurav Yadav said preliminary questioning had revealed that Deepak allegedly had contacts in Pakistan and was also in touch with a handler based in North America. According to the police, the foreign-based network would provide information about the location of consignments, which were allegedly dropped into the Indian territory from the Pakistan side, allegedly using drones. IG, Border Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, along with other officials, briefs the media in Amritsar. ACCUSED WERE PAID ~10K, ~50K FOR THE JOB, COPS SAY ■ The accused have been identified as Deepak (24) of Rorawala village located near the border in the Attari subdivision and Shubhpreet, alias Shubh, a mobile repair shop worker in the Hall Gate area of Amritsar. IG, Border Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said Deepak used to allegedly collect the consignments after receiving the location and was paid around Rs 10,000 for each pickup. The Singh Bhullar said Deepak used to allegedly collect the consignments after receiving the location and was paid around ~10,000 for each pickup. The consignments were subsequently handed over for storage, distribution and supply, allegedly through Shubhpreet. The latter was reportedly paid around ~50,000 for facilitating the supply mechanism. consignments were subsequently handed over for storage, distribution and supply, allegedly through Shubhpreet. The latter was reportedly paid around Rs 50,000 for facilitating the supply mechanism. The police suspect that the two had been active for nearly five months. Investigators are now trying to establish the number of consignments handled by the network and Deepak, works as a welder. ■ IG, Border Range, Gurpreet Punjab stood test of time, embraced change: Academia Tribune News Service Police personnel during a checking drive in Amritsar. Police comb drug hotspots in early morning crackdown Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 7 In a major early morning crackdown, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police on Monday launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in drug hotspots at the west subdivision, Zone-II, to check drug trafficking and criminal activities. The drive aimed at strengthening law and order situation in the city. The operation was led by DCP (City) Jaskaranjit Singh Teja. ADCP (City-II) Sirivennela, ACP (West) and station house officers of the Cantonment and Chheharta police stations. Police teams sealed and cordoned off areas around Ghanupar Kale and Kapatgarh in the early hours and set up nakas to check vehicles and people entering or leaving the areas. Suspected persons were subjected to detailed questioning and vehicles were thoroughly searched. As part of the operation, police teams also conducted early morning searches at the residences of habitual offenders and other suspects. Their activities and possible involvement in criminal activities were verified during questioning. The operation also included door-to-door verification of residents, checking of vehicles and scrutiny of suspicious persons. Police personnel were deployed at multiple checkpoints to maintain a tight vigil. According to the police, the operation aimed at creating a sense of security among residents while sending a strong message to criminals and drug traffickers. Such operations would continue against persons involved in drug trafficking and other criminal activities, strict action would be taken to maintain law and order in the city, DCP Jaskaranjit Singh asserted. Amritsar, September 7 Partition, migration and globalisation, Punjab has seen it all. Let’s have a look at the larger picture now — how the state navigated through lows and highs; and lived on to tell a story of fall and rise. Reflecting on this transformation, Guru Nanak Dev University Registrar KS Chahal sifted through the past pages at the Mahan Singh Dhesi Memorial Lecture organised by the University’s School of Punjabi Studies. “Partition of the country, migration abroad and globalisation have given Punjabi culture a new identity,” Chahal observed. “Despite displacement, economic uncertainty and repeated upheavals, Punjabi society has continued to reinvent itself and engage with Experts during the Mahan Singh Dhesi Memorial Lecture at Guru Nanak Dev University. the wider world,” Dr Chahal said, as he remembered the contributions of Mahan Singh Dhesi to the Punjabi global community. He said Dhesi was like a bridge between Punjab’s cultural identity and education development back home. Mahan Singh Dhesi, a prominent member of North American Sikh diaspora, hailed from Jalandhar and was among the earliest Punjabi migrants in North America. In California around the 20th century, Dhesi was in the know of the fact that he belonged to a generation that ventured overseas when international migration was still an uncertain and difficult undertaking. Yet migration did not necessarily sever the connection with Punjab. The concern for community, educa- tion and social development travelled with the migrants. “This holds true even today when Punjabi diapora continues to make efforts to support and promote their culture, identify and language in addition to embracing new cultures,” said Dr Chahal. That legacy eventually found an institutional home at Guru Nanak Dev University. His grandson, Prof Autar Singh Dhesi, a retired professor and head of the Punjab School of Economics at Guru Nanak Dev University, established an endowment at the university in his memory, supporting an annual memorial lecture. Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University (Dr) Karamjit Singh, head of Punjabi Studies School Dr Manjinder Singh and professor, Punjabi department, Delhi University Dr Ravi Ravinder were the main speakers. identify those who received the drugs and weapons. “During interrogation, Deepak told the police that he could not recall how many consignments he had picked up so far,” said Bhullar. The confession has prompted investigators to widen the probe into the network’s operations and its possible links with other smugglers and handlers. The police are also examining the financial trail and attempting to establish the identity and role of the alleged North Americabased handler. The module came to light following intelligence inputs developed by the Amritsar rural police. A suspected drone sighting in the area during a local sporting event also formed part of the preliminary investigation, officials said. SSP (Amritsar Rural) Kawalpreet Singh Chahal was monitoring the probe into the seizure. A team comprising local police officials and the station house officer concerned developed the intelligence and subsequently carried out the operation. The police are expecting further arrests and recoveries as the interrogation of the accused continues. Man escapes police custody Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 7 An accused arrested in an attempt-to-murder case by the city police escaped the custody after allegedly pushing police personnel during a weapon-recovery operation at Adliwala Road under the Rajasansi police jurisdiction on Sunday. The accused, Sukhdeep Singh, alias Sukh, alias Tanga, a resident of Nangli village, and at present residing along Adliwala Road near Purana Bhattha, Rajasansi, was arrested in connection with an attempt-to-murder case registered on June 21 at the Sadar police station. During investigation, Sukhdeep had allegedly disclosed that he had concealed the weapon used in the crime continued on page 2 On seva path, ex-banker keeps foam plates off langar venues Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 7 The city's hospitality is known to one and all. With community service, cleanliness and environmental protection on mind, this ex-banker embarked on a journey both young and old can draw inspiration from. At every venue post langar, Avtar Singh Ghulla ensures that the floor is cleaned and waste disposed of. Though seva fills Ghulla with happiness, the use of foam disposable plates is what puts him off. Avtar Singh Ghulla, who worked with Punjab and Sind Bank manager, has been cleaning up post langars for over a decade now. He collects disposable plates, thermocol plates and other waste left behind after langars, particularly in areas around Avtar Singh Ghulla reaches each community kitchen venue, collects waste MAN ON MISSION ■ In 2012, Avtar Singh Ghulla began Avtar Singh Ghulla cleans up a langar venue in Amritsar. the Golden Temple, and disposes those of. Talking about his seva journey, Ghulla said former Akal Takht Jathedar Ranjit Singh would always bring up environmental issues. That how plastic was harming the nature. “That was when I decided to do my bit,” Ghulla said. c m y b In 2012, Ghulla began approaching langar organisers around the Golden Temple, urging them to stop using disposable plates and manage waste generated during langars. When his appeals were met with a lukewarm response, he decided to embark on the seva path. approaching langar organisers around the Golden Temple, urging them to stop using thermocol and plastic disposable plates and manage waste generated during langars. ■ When his appeals were met with a lukewarm response, he decided to embark on the seva path. ■ Ghulla collects around 5,000 to 7,000 pattals from a langar venue and sends those to the recyclung facility. The pattals are then mixed with soil and cow dung. In 2013, a year before his retirement, he got a cart on a motorcycle arranged. He would reach each langar venue and collect used thermocol plates and other discarded material, disposing those of. After retiring as a bank manager, Ghulla began encouraging langar organisers to replace thermocol with biodegradable leaf plates (pattals). To make the collection and transportation of thousands of pattals easier, he got a special tool fabricated with a sharp steel spike that can pierce and compress hundreds of pattals at a time. This allows bulk packaging, making transportation efficient. Ghulla said: “I collect around 5,000 to 7,000 pattals from a langar venue. Over the years, he has sent around 4-5 lakh pattals to the recycling facility of Pingalwara’s Green Manure project. At the facility, the pattals are shredded and mixed with soil and cow dung before being allowed to decompose, ultimately contributing organic matter to the soil. His campaign has also persuaded several langar organisers in the city to completely stop using thermocol and switch to pattals. Ghulla, however, is not in favour of replacing thermocol with steel plates. He said washing every steel plate could consume several litres of water and required detergents made of chemicals. Around 15 volunteers of the Ekjot Langar Sewa Society now assist Ghulla in the initiative.“I do not have the financial capacity to organise a langar, but I can contribute through this form of seva,” Ghulla said. Ghulla is also associated with the Chief Khalsa Diwan’s environment committee. His work has been acknowledged by the Punjab Government, the Municipal Corporation and religious organisations. He was specially honoured with a certificate of appreciation by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann during the Independence Day function in Ferozepur.