3 killed, 37 hurt in Chandigarh area Power outage in region

At least three persons were killed and scores injured after high-velocity winds slammed parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh this evening. Power supply was severely affected in the region. An old building in Ludhiana that collapsed following Sunday’s squall.

Punjab government is taking all necessary measures to implement biomedical waste management and handling system as 173 hospitals working under Punjab Health Systems Corporation have implemented it

After a second review of the functioning of the Punjab Cancer Rahat Kosh Scheme, at least two more hospitals are to be removed from the list of approved hospitals because of deficient services.

Amritsar, July 29: Despite directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to check the menace, illegal sand mining continues unabated in Ajnala sub-division of the district.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday stayed e-auction of minor mineral quarries in 19 districts of Punjab.

60 cities found to generate staggering 3,501 tonnes a day

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which was tabled in the Vidhan Sabha today, points out lacunae in the execution of works under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna.

Industrial units in Punjab continue to discharge untreated effluents in open drains and water channels even though the state government has been campaigning for a greener Punjab.

The lackadaisical approach of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) in taking stern action against the industrial units flouting the norms is one of the major reasons behind the non-compliance of the norms.

In 2009, a government survey had counted 7,738 people living with cancer across Punjab. Now that a fresh survey has counted 23,874, over three times as high, the government has acknowledged the need to identify the causes and tackle what is clearly a menace.

"Fresh studies will have to be undertaken, especially for areas where cancer incidence is high," says Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal. The nearly 24,000 cases detected was in addition to over 33,000 deaths from cancer-related causes in the last five years — around 18 a day — and 84,453 people who showed cancer-like symptoms but who hadn't yet been diagnosed with the disease.