Against the national average of 10% among injectable drug users, the count stands much high at 40% in Amritsar and 27% in Tarn Taran

The rampant drug addiction among youths in Punjab is putting them at the risk of bigger danger — HIV infection. The HIV prevalence among injectable drug users (IDUs) is 27 per cent in Tarn Taran and 40 per cent in Amritsar, much above the national average of 10 per cent. The Opiod Substitution Therapy (OST) Centre here has over 1,000 registered male patients, of whom 180 have been regularly visiting the centre to avail the treatment. Amritsar too has an OST Centre with 420 men listed with it; 90 have been visiting regularly for treatment.

Illegal sand mining in Amritsar and its surrounding areas continues unabated, thanks to a shortage of staff in the Industries Department and the alleged indifferent attitude of the Police Department.

The illegal activity has resulted in environmental degradation. It is also proving a security threat as mining is being done near the Indo-Pak border from where the Ravi flows. The Rajasansi police yesterday intercepted a truck and a trolley laden with sand coming from the Ajnala side. Though the police impounded the vehicles, the accused managed to escape.

The pollution level around the Golden Temple declined marginally this Divali as compared to last year.

Notwithstanding the awareness drive for celebrating Divali in an eco-friendly manner, the air pollution level recorded on the occasion witnessed an increase as compared to the previous year.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is all set to pump in Rs 464 crore to uplift the sagging rural economy of the state.

Amritsar: The illegal mining of sand in villages near Ajnala in Amritsar district is allegedly posing a serious threat to the residential units, roads and may even take a toll on the BSF installati

HC directions come on MP Navjot Sidhu’s plea on sanitation

Combined installed capacity 3920 MW; generation to begin from April next year

Punjab’s dream of becoming self-sufficient in power would become a reality, when three major thermal plants in the private sector, with a combined installed capacity of 3920 MW, start operating and begin generation from April 2013. This was disclosed by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday after he visited the sites of these power projects that were at advanced stages of completion at Goindwal Sahib, Talwandi Sabo and Rajpura in Tarn Taran, Bathinda and Patiala districts respectively. He said the facilities entailed an investment of Rs. 22,000 crore.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed the Amritsar municipal commissioner to take effective steps within six weeks to ensure garbage dumped on city roads is collected by the civic b

Witnessing a stagnation in agriculture, Punjab has decided to focus on the dairy industry.