Jalandhar, August 18 In a farsighted move to ensure proper discharge of the rainwater from one side to the other under flyovers being constructed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal constituted a four-member panel headed by an SDM which will submit a comprehensive report within next 15-days to improve the drainage system around all the highways in the district.
The committee included an SDM along with the NHAI Project director, the NHAI Executive Engineer, and the Sub-Divisional Officer of the Drainage Department.
The action has come after the Deputy Commissioner noticed the flooding of highways and roads especially in flood-hit areas of the district.
Sarangal said that NHAI had been carrying out huge construction work on flyovers in the district under various projects. He said that these projects must have a proper drainage system and ensure the flyovers do not act as a barrier preventing the drainage of rainwater.
He said that this committee would conduct a field survey of the under-construction highway projects and submit a report within a fortnight.
He said that the committee would give a detailed report on shortcomings in the designs if any, so that the action can be taken accordingly to ensure adequate passage for the discharge of rainwater from one side to the other.
The Committee has also been asked to hold consultations with all stakeholders including farmers, villagers and others during the visit.
The Deputy Commissioner said that later, the report would also be sent to the state government and NHAI to incorporate remedial measures to remove the bottlenecks in the drainage system so that water logging does not occur in the future due to projects.
He also added that adequate steps will also be taken for proper drainage on service roads.
Striking yet another blow to the narcotic smuggling networks amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jalandhar Rural Police on Thursday arrested a drug smuggler identified as Joga Singh of village Rajapur in Ludhiana after recovering 8kg heroin from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.
“Joga is an international drug smuggler, who swam into the Pakistan jurisdiction to retrieve the heroin consignment smuggled from trans-border networks from Pakistan,” he said, while adding that the accused was wanted in multiple cases of NDPS act, and his two accomplices have already been arrested by the SSOC Amritsar after recovering 14kg heroin from their possession.
Pertinently, the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar had busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler identified as Shinder Singh after recovering a consignment of 10kg heroin and Rs 1.5 lakhs of drug money from his possession, while, a woman drug smuggler identified as Amandeep Kaur alias Deep Bhai linked to this module was also arrested with 1kg heroin. After recovering 8Kgs heroin from accused Joga Singh, the total effective recovery of heroin from this module reaches to 22Kgs.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that there were reliable inputs that Shinder Singh and his accomplices had procured a big consignment of heroin pushed into the Indian territory by the Pak-based smugglers and agencies using the riverine route in the Ferozepur sector. Recovery of this consignment of heroin is the result of vigorous follow-up investigations by the Punjab Police, he added.
Sharing more details, SSP Jalandhar Rural Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said that following a reliable input that accused Joga Singh— who is in possession of heroin consignment— is on the way to deliver it to someone, the Police team from Goraya Police Station conducted a special naka near Dhuleta village. The Police teams managed to arrest the accused Joga Singh when he was travelling on his Platina motorcycle after recovering 8kg heroin, concealed in a bag, from his possession, he added.
The SSP said that further investigations are on to arrest more criminals involved in the drug cartel. A fresh case FIR no. 107 dated 17/08/2023 has been registered under sections 21 and 25 of the NDPS act at Goraya Police Station, he added.
