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Trains back on track
Shatabdi leaves, others to run today
Chandigarh/Ambala, August 9

Train services on the Ambala-Chandigarh-Kalka section of the Northern Railway, suspended following heavy downpour on August 3, were resumed this evening. The Kalka-Delhi Shatabdi passes over bridge No. 246, near Lalru, on Monday night. — Photo by Neeraj Chopra

Rail disruption cost industry 100 cr
Chandigarh, August 9
The week-long disruption of rail traffic on the Ambala-Chandigarh-Kalka section of the Northern Railway has cost the industry dear, with losses worth about Rs 100 crore reported from Chandigarh and adjoining areas.

Kalka-Ambala traffic held up for 4 hours Floods drown HUDA’s plot plans Infant dies of diarrhoea Flood causes damage in Sector 4 Vehicles stranded on the Kalka-Ambala highway on Monday following an accident on the Ghaggar river bridge in Bhankharpur village near Dera Bassi. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

This year weather changed too fast to predict: Met Office
Chandigarh, August 9
The monsoon has been hugely unpredictable this year. No wonder it kept the weather forecasters on tenterhooks. Unable to read the trends correctly, local experts have faltered at times in making predictions about weather conditions and the monsoon’s mood.

Sukhna full to the brim Chandigarh, August 9 Experts who love to spend hours pondering about the Sukhna Lake can take a breather and relax. The Sukhna Lake now has problem of plenty. New method to desilt Sukhna proposed Chandigarh, August 9 A seemingly workable and cost-effective technique for removing silt from the Sukhna Lake has been suggested by the Ship Building and Design Corporation of India, which says that the only lasting solution was to float a small platform in the lake with a crane mounted on top. PROBLEM OF PLENTY: Water has to be released from the Sukhna Lake each time it rains as the lake can hold no more. — A Tribune photograph

Zirakpur to have Urban Estate
Mohali, August 9
The Punjab Government today issued a notification for the setting up of a modern residential Urban Estate at Zirakpur. The Housing and Urban Development Minister, Mr Raghunath Sahai Puri stated that the notification had been issued under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894.

Councillor, slum-dwellers attack hospital staff
Panchkula, August 9
The General Hospital here turned into a battleground when fisticuffs were exchanged and lathis used between hospital security staff and over 50 residents of two slum colonies late tonight.

Threat of floods in HP exaggerated, says Army
Chandigarh, August 9
While the Army today maintained that the threat of floods in Himachal Pradesh on account of an artificial lake being formed in Tibet has been exaggerated, it has nevertheless moved in men and equipment to deal with any emergency.

Chandigarh Calling THE campus of Government Art College, Sector 10, has never looked better. The mural installed on the wall facing the college pond (see picture) has not only added beauty to the compound, but has enhanced visitation to the college, which looks more than attractive at its entrance. Put together by about 20 students, earlier assigned the task of designing for the Delhi Metro rail project, the mural looks striking with its colour combination and theme. Hostage colony Trivial issue Waste disposal ‘Shift ahata’ Not prepared Left unattended Fashion designers

— Parvesh Chauhan

COMMUNITY

DC seeks residents’ help to keep town clean
Panchkula, August 9
The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Neelam P. Kasni, today appealed to the various Residents Welfare Associations in the town to provide help in making the township clean and beautiful.

Fauji Beat
Need for better Army-media understanding

AFTER a few discussions with a former Army Chief, the late General B.C. Joshi, on the necessity of better Army-media understanding, he was convinced about it. This was clear from his interview with this writer (published in The Tribune on July 1, 1993). He said: “Media must be used by the Services as a force multiplier. The grocery section of the CSD canteen in Sector 21, Chandigarh, being too small, gets overcrowded with customers.

Search Within
Investments for harvest in old age
HAVE you heard of those old age heroes? JRD Tata, whose 100th anniversary we celebrated in July this year, has undertaken a commemorative flight in an old fashioned aircraft at the age of 78 from Karachi to Mumbai on October 15,1982.

Merge DA, pay, demand civic staff
Mohali, August 9
The local Municipal Karamchari Union has demanded that 50 per cent of the dearness allowance (DA) should be merged with the basic pay of the employees.

Journalists demand action against SDM
Chandigarh, August 9
A deputation of journalists based at Chandigarh and covering the states of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh called on the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, and demanded action against Subdivisional Magistrate, Inderjit Singh Sandhu and certain police officials for their high handedness against a fellow journalist Dinesh Goyal.

SUCI founder remembered
Mohali, August 9
A state-level memorial meeting on the 28th death anniversary of Shibdas Ghosh, founder of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), was held here yesterday. Mr Pratap Samal, president of the All-India DSO and state secretary, of SUCI, Delhi, paid tributes to Shibdas Ghosh.

Lake Club facilities poor, say members
Chandigarh, August 9
In a memorandum submitted to the Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma, a large number of Lake Club members have alleged that the facilities provided by the club are on the decline.

CRIME

One held for fraud
Panchkula, August 9
The Pinjore police has arrested Vikas, alias Vicky, in a case of defrauding a youth of Rs 2.10 lakh on the pretext of sending him to New Zealand.

One killed in mishap
Mohali, August 9
Amitoj Singh, a resident of Phase VII, here was killed in an accident near Kurali today. Amitoj was killed when his car was hit by a speeding truck. Amitoj had gone to drop his wife at a college in Ropar where she is employed as a teacher.

17-year-old girl abducted
Chandigarh, August 9
Family of a 17-year-old girl, who hails from Bhanri village in Patiala district, has alleged that she was abducted while she was visiting her sister’s home in Chandigarh.

BUSINESS

Market panel directors elected
Chandigarh, August 9
Four people were elected as directors to the Market Committee. Earlier, five members were elected unopposed. The committee has nine directors. The committee collects market fee from farmers coming into the city and also carries out development works like the one to upgrade infrastructure.

BSNL launches new scheme
Chandigarh, August 9
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is starting a new post-paid scheme, Plan-140, for the mobile users from tomorrow.

EDUCATION

Students face uncertainty as counselling begins at PEC
Chandigarh, August 9
Uncertainty was writ large on the faces of students as counselling for admission to engineering and architecture courses in Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET) and Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) began here today.

Campus Notes SOPU members start chain fast Chandigarh, August 9 The Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) began a chain fast outside the office of the Vice-Chancellor here today. Activists of SOPU protest in front of the office of the Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

PUTA election campaigning in full swing
Chandigarh, August 9
With elections to the Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) slated for August 12, campaigning is in full swing in the university. Members of the two panels in the contest visited various departments today.

From Schools
Students seek removal of telecom towers
Chandigarh, August 9
Students of Vivek High School, Sector 38, here have written an open letter to the UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), for the removal of telecom towers of a mobile service provider in Sectors 7, 8 and 20 here as these are creating environment hazards.

Skill upgrade for 6 colleges’ alumni
Chandigarh, August 9
The Chandigarh Training On Soft Skills Programme (C-TOSS), an initiative of the Department of Information Technology, to upgrade skill sets of the youth, has been offered to the alumni of six colleges where C-TOSS programme has been started. The alumni can enrol at their respective colleges.

COURTS

Bar association fails to adopt resolution condemning UT action
Chandigarh, August 9
A hurriedly-called meeting of the general house of the District Bar Association had to be called off today due to the lack of quorum. According to sources, a clear division over the calling of the meeting was visible with very few advocates turned up for meeting.

High Court
Judgement reserved in Forest Hill case
Chandigarh, August 9
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved its judgement in the fresh issues that cropped up recently in the case of alleged violations in the construction of Forest Hill Country Club and Resort, Karoran.

LIFESTYLE

Nadira, Juhi Babbar cast a spell Mohali, August 9 Nadira Zaheer Babbar and her daughter Juhi cast a spell on the audience with their powerful performance in “Begum Jaan” staged at Shivalik Public School here this evening. The play, directed by Nadira herself and written by Javed Siddiqui, took the audience into the past life of a singer, Begum Bai, who later came to be called Begum Jaan. A scene in the play “Begum Jaan”, directed by Nadira Zaheer Babbar, at Mohali on Monday. — Tribune photo Pradeep Tewari

Social activism soul of theatre for Nadira

Nadira Babbar sounds more of a social activist than a theatre personality. As you get closer to her mind, you realise the hint of social activism is deliberate because Nadira regards it as the very soul of theatre. “Theatre is a reflection of times. Theatre can be treated as a living art only if it mirrors the truth, no matter how hideous it is,” she says. For her part, Nadira has kept the art alive, and has fed it with passion for 25 years. That is why despite temptations she has never chosen cinema over theatre. It is Nadira’s spirited activism which has kept her group, Ekjute together for long. She proudly guards a tradition which now has many keepers.

Nadira Babbar

Juhi feels at home among Punjabis Juhi Babbar, daughter of cine star Raj Babbar and theatre thespian Nadira Babbar, is beautiful and poised. However, it is the maturity of emotion that she displays in her young age that sets her apart from numerous other star siblings who are trying to make their mark in Bollywood. Juhi who was in Patiala along with mother Nadira to stage the play ‘Begum Jaan’ gives a peep into her life. Wanting to become an actress was perhaps the natural choice for Juhi who remembers spending most of her time throughout her childhood in theatres watching rehearsals along with her mother.

Juhi Babbar

Labour of love by NIFD students

A National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD) exhibition, Vivid India, concluded on the campus in Chandigarh on Sunday. The collection put on show by students of textile design and interior design drew a lot of appreciation. Earlier, fashion design students had show-cased their creativity at the recently held annual passing out fashion show. The exhibition ‘Vivid India’ where students of NIFD displayed their collection. — A Tribune photo

A multi-faceted artiste
Chandigarh-based 22-year-old Rajesh Sharma is a multi-faceted personality. He is a popular figure in Panjab University. Ask anyone there about him, he or she is most likely to tell you something about him. Performing at university cultural programmes like the chemical engineering fest, Cyanide, Jhankaar youth fest and Agaaz gave him exposure and popularity.

Powerful strokes bring nature and music alive

A painting exhibition at Citi Bank in Sector 9 is much in consonance with the subtly changing face of the season. Being hosted in this bank for the first time, this unique exhibition brings together the works of two famed artists from the region — Prem Singh and Anju Pasricha. Art works on display at Citi Bank in Sector 9, Chandigarh. The exhibition has been jointly put up by Prem Singh and Anju Pasricha.

Collegiate music contest on Aug 12
The first-ever nationwide collegiate music competition, ‘Campus Rock Idols’, will see its first round in the city on August 12. The event will be held at the Leisure Valley, Sector 10, Chandigarh, from 3 pm onwards.

Stress affects memory, says Biswaroop
Many of us have suffered taxing moments just because our memory failed us at that crucial moment. But now worrying about forgetting things can be a thing of the past, promises Biswaroop Roy Chawdhury who is a national record holder. He recently conducted a three-day seminar on “How to improve memory and learn faster” at Tagore Theatre here for students.

HEALTH

Nurses at home for patient care
Chandigarh, August 9
The concept of home nursing seems to have caught up in the city as more and more patients are looking for some personalised care during their ailments and are opting for trained home nurses.

Diarrhoea cases reported
Chandigarh, August 9
As the showers continued in the city, diarrhoea cases too are being reported in city hospitals and health centres. Three more cases were reported in Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, today. One of the cases was from Colony No 5 here.

SPORTS

St Stephen’s win soccer meet

Chandigarh, August 9 St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, beat St John’s High School, Sector 26, by five goals to nil in the under-14 final of the Pre-Subroto Soccer Meet for Chandigarh schools played at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 37,  here today. The under-14 football team of St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, who won the Pre-Subroto Mukerjee meet in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Girls football meet from August 13
Chandigarh, August 9
The UT State Sub-Junior Girls Soccer Championship will be held at Football Stadium, Sector 17, here from August 13 to 16. According to Mr Ravinder Talwar, President of the Chandigarh Football Association, the Junior Girls State Championship will be held on  August 23.

ADMINISTRATION

• New SDM in UT