Tricity buzz: HT Chandigarh reporters’ tracker on all those making, or faking, news

With the festival season peaking, traffic jams are back in the tricity. Markets are teeming with shoppers, keeping traders on their toes and they’re not complaining for the footfall is back to pre-Covid levels.

Diwali is here, so are parking pangs

While the Chandigarh Traffic Police have opened up nearby government schools to accommodate extra vehicles in the playgrounds, traders say this is not enough as most customers still prefer to park in cramped parkings for they are not keen on walking after shopping. (Keshav Singh/HT)

With the festival season peaking, traffic jams are back in the tricity. Markets are teeming with shoppers, keeping traders on their toes and they’re not complaining for the footfall is back to pre-Covid levels. But parking is a problem in major markets. While the Chandigarh Traffic Police have opened up nearby government schools to accommodate extra vehicles in the playgrounds, traders say this is not enough as most customers still prefer to park in cramped parkings for they are not keen on walking after shopping. Moreover, there are no directions to the nearest parking lot in these markets due to which many remain unaware about the arrangements. Traffic cops are keeping a close watch on all major markets ready to tow away any wrongly parked vehicle.

Loyal soldier left behind

Certain loyal soldiers of the BJP are miffed that their names did not figure in the list of nominated councillors of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh. Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, the president of the Chandigarh Traders Association, Sector 17, and a staunch BJP supporter could not hold himself back and tweeted his angst, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah. Punchhi informed the party bigwigs that his file was still with UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit and added in all earnestness that a “loyal soldier of the party has been left behind”. This when the UT BJP is being criticised by the opposition Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress for nominating members affiliated with the saffron party.

No Diwali gifts please, we’re Punjab vigilance

After the Punjab vigilance department warned its officers against accepting gifts given the state government’s fight against corruption, even senior police officers are playing it safe. A senior cop was prompt to pull up his reader after he informed him that he had a visitor with a Diwali gift. “No! I don’t want to meet anyone with a gift. The vigilance is keeping a strict eye so don’t accept any gift in my name,” the officer told his reader.

Keep an eye on safety

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is geared up to tackle healthcare problems of people during Diwali. “In case of an injury, don’t rub the eye, just wash it with clean water and consult an eye specialist. Advanced Eye Centre is open round the clock to deal with Diwali-related injuries. The department of plastic surgery has also made arrangements to look after patients with burn injuries this festival season,” the institute said in a release.

Innovative way to bring down pollution

The Chandigarh administration has come up with an innovative way to control air pollution this Diwali. On roads with heavy traffic, such as in the industrial area, a tanker was spotted sprinkling water the other day, much to the respite of commuters.

Inputs by Surender Sharma, Nikhil Sharma, Tanbir Dhaliwal, Rajanbir Singh and Mandeep Narula