News Analysis India

Tag: Ludhiana

  • Stubble burning: More than 700 farm fires recorded in Punjab .

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: More than 700 farm fires have been recorded so far in Punjab despite the state authorities making several efforts to curb the practice of stubble burning.

    According to data from the Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, the state witnessed four farm fire incidents—two in Amritsar and one each in Ludhiana and Kapurthala on Monday.

    From September 15 till October 10, a total of 718 farm fire incidents have been recorded, as per the data.

    On the same day in 2020 and 2021, the state had witnessed 244 and 150 farm fires, respectively, according to the data.

    The farm fires continued despite the state government assuring more crop residue management machines and launching massive awareness programmes against stubble burning.

    The stubble burning incidents are expected to rise in coming days as paddy harvesting got delayed by at least 10 days because of rains last month.

    A few days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had even held meetings with various farmer bodies and had told them that his government was making all-out efforts for the management of paddy stubble and had urged the farmers to support it for the same while stressing the need for protecting the environment.

    Mann had also said that a total of 1.22 lakh crop residue management machines had been made available for farmers in the current season.

    A mobile app had also been developed whereby farmers could come to know about the availability of machines for the management of paddy straw within a radius of two-three kilometers.

    However, farmers have been demanding Rs 6,000 per acre for stubble management.

    Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

    As the window for rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

    Punjab generates around 180 lakh tonnes of paddy straw annually.

    The state recorded 71,304 such fire incidents in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018 with many districts including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar witnessing large number of stubble-burning incidents.

    CHANDIGARH: More than 700 farm fires have been recorded so far in Punjab despite the state authorities making several efforts to curb the practice of stubble burning.

    According to data from the Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, the state witnessed four farm fire incidents—two in Amritsar and one each in Ludhiana and Kapurthala on Monday.

    From September 15 till October 10, a total of 718 farm fire incidents have been recorded, as per the data.

    On the same day in 2020 and 2021, the state had witnessed 244 and 150 farm fires, respectively, according to the data.

    The farm fires continued despite the state government assuring more crop residue management machines and launching massive awareness programmes against stubble burning.

    The stubble burning incidents are expected to rise in coming days as paddy harvesting got delayed by at least 10 days because of rains last month.

    A few days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had even held meetings with various farmer bodies and had told them that his government was making all-out efforts for the management of paddy stubble and had urged the farmers to support it for the same while stressing the need for protecting the environment.

    Mann had also said that a total of 1.22 lakh crop residue management machines had been made available for farmers in the current season.

    A mobile app had also been developed whereby farmers could come to know about the availability of machines for the management of paddy straw within a radius of two-three kilometers.

    However, farmers have been demanding Rs 6,000 per acre for stubble management.

    Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

    As the window for rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

    Punjab generates around 180 lakh tonnes of paddy straw annually.

    The state recorded 71,304 such fire incidents in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018 with many districts including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar witnessing large number of stubble-burning incidents.

  • Five of family killed as car crashes into electric pole in Ludhiana

    By PTI

    LUDHIANA: Five members of a family were killed and one injured as their car crashed into an electric pole after hitting a divider here on Tuesday morning, police said.

    The accident took place near a private hospital when they were returning to Ludhiana after attending a family function in Chandigarh, Focal Point police station SHO Kulwant Singh said.

    Rajesh Kumar (40), his daughter Jasmine (5), sister-in-law Sanjna (30) and her two daughters were declared dead at the hospital.

    Kumar’s wife Priya is in critical condition, he said.

    Rajesh was a businessman and a resident of Partap Colony here.

    LUDHIANA: Five members of a family were killed and one injured as their car crashed into an electric pole after hitting a divider here on Tuesday morning, police said.

    The accident took place near a private hospital when they were returning to Ludhiana after attending a family function in Chandigarh, Focal Point police station SHO Kulwant Singh said.

    Rajesh Kumar (40), his daughter Jasmine (5), sister-in-law Sanjna (30) and her two daughters were declared dead at the hospital.

    Kumar’s wife Priya is in critical condition, he said.

    Rajesh was a businessman and a resident of Partap Colony here.

  • Former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s statue catches fire in Ludhiana

    By PTI
    LUDHIANA: A statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi installed near the banks of Buddha Dariya here caught fire under mysterious circumstance, prompting police to launch investigation.

    The incident took place in the Slem Tabri locality on Wednesday.

    Police have started investigation into the matter and said if it is found that someone has committed mischief, he will not be spared.

  • COVID-19: Healthcare workers attacked in Punjab’s Ludhiana

    By PTI
    LUDHIANA: A team of Punjab’s health department on Thursday was allegedly attacked in Rachhin village here when it went there to sensitise villagers about COVID-19 testing, officials said.

    A member of the team, identified as Suraaj Mohammed, a multipurpose health worker, sustained injuries on his forehead in the attack, they said, adding he was rushed to Community Health Centre in Pakhowal.

    “I was attacked with a brick by one villager named Jaspreet Singh when I was sensitising villagers to come forward for COVID-19 testing,” Mohammed told police.

    Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said such incidents were unwarranted.

    Strict action would be taken against those trying to derail the efforts of the government to contain the virus spread, he said.

    A case has been registered against the accused, Deputy Superintendent of Police G S Bains said.

  • Bird flu detected at poultry farm in Punjab’s Ludhiana

    By PTI
    LUDHIANA: Samples from a poultry farm here tested positive for bird flu, prompting the district authorities to form a committee for a culling exercise and containment operations.

    The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, on Friday confirmed bird flu in a poultry farm at Qila Raipur, about 25 km from here.

    Deputy Commissioner Varinder Sharma said the Punjab government has notified the poultry farm as an infected area.

    Additional Deputy Commissioner Sarkartar Singh has been made the incharge of the committee formed to oversee the culling exercise.

    Sharma said the committee will ensure that no live or dead bird, unprocessed poultry meat, eggs, feeds or any other material taken out and brought into the poultry farm.

  • Under construction roof of factory collapses in Ludhiana, one dead

    By ANI
    LUDHIANA: One person has died and at least ten others were injured after the under-construction roof of a factory collapsed in Giaspura Daba, Ludhiana on Monday.

    Punjab police, along with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) are present at the location and are carrying out rescue and relief operation.

    Commissioner of Police, along with Deputy Commissioner has also taken stock of the situation.

    As per official information, 36 of 40 people trapped under the roof have been rescued, while four people are still suspected to be trapped.

    Among the injured, five people are undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital in Ludhiana, and four are undergoing treatment at SPS Hospital in the city. Two people admitted to SPS Hospital are in serious condition.  

  • Night curfew imposed in Ludhiana from 9 pm to 5 am

    By ANI
    LUDHIANA: In a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection, the Ludhiana district administration has imposed night curfew between 9 pm to 5 am for an indefinite period.

    “We have imposed night curfew between 9 pm to 5 am till indefinite period. We will do a review later but now it is for an indefinite period. Night curfews are intended to discourage unnecessary gatherings at night,” informed Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, Varinder Sharma.

    “For the last two weeks, the number of cases has increased quite much. Earlier, we used to do 4000 tests with about one per cent positivity rate, now it has gone up to 5-6 per cent. The average number of deaths per week was seven, now it is 25-30. This is a cause of worry,” Sharma said.

    He further added that another cause of concern is the consistent rise in the number of hospitalisations.

    “At present, we have 377 hospitalised patients, which was 27 two weeks ago. More and more younger people are being hospitalised and also from far-flung places, not just from the cities,” he further said.

    “We are going to hold a meeting with big hospitals today and will increase the number of beds in them,” he added.

    He also urged the people to strictly comply with COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, mask-wearing, and follow social distancing.”

    I also appeal to the public to get vaccinated. The central and state governments have spent crores of money to build the infrastructure. We have to trust science. I have already had two jabs, we are fine,” he added.

    Meanwhile, India has reported 39,726 fresh COVID-19 cases, 20,654 recoveries and 154 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry.

    As many as 3,93,39,817 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered till 8 am on Friday in what is billed as the largest vaccination drive in the world.

  • Ludhiana firm raided on suspicion of tax evasion

    By PTI
    LUDHIANA: A team of the Punjab State GST department on Saturday carried out a search operation at the premises of a trader here and recovered cash of over Rs 80 lakh from him, an official said.

    The official said it is suspected that the trader, who engaged in the trade of edible and non-edible oil, was evading tax.

    The team also seized account books from the premises.

    Tejveer Singh Sidhu, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Ludhiana, said, “The record impounded is being examined for ascertaining the actual amount of evasion involved and further investigation is in progress.”