According to initial reports, the accident occurred around 10 pm near Main Majri village in Bassi Pathana. The bus, which was carrying devotees, reportedly developed a mechanical fault during the journey. The driver lost control and the vehicle crashed into an electric pole before overturning.

Eyewitnesses and survivors described a sudden turn of events. One injured woman said the bus flipped abruptly just as it was nearing the village.

Local residents were among the first to reach the accident site and played a crucial role in rescuing passengers trapped inside the damaged vehicle. Police and emergency response teams soon followed and began relief operations.

Officials confirmed the casualties and injuries. Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar stated that six persons died in the mishap, while 21 others were injured.

The injured were initially taken to nearby hospitals in Morinda and Fatehgarh Sahib. Those in critical condition were later referred to PGIMER Chandigarh.

SSP Shubham Agarwal said the victims were part of a group from Main Majri village who had travelled to Anandpur Sahib to pay obeisance on the occasion of Baisakhi.

Local MLA Rupinder Singh, who visited the site, confirmed that all passengers belonged to the same village.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also mourned the loss of lives and prayed for peace for the departed souls and strength for their families.

The ministry released a list of 131 non-attainment and Million Plus Cities identified under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to improve air quality in response to a question from Andhra Pradesh's Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani. Nathwani asked about the top 20 polluted cities in India and their global pollution rankings.

Ludhiana comes in at number ten on the list, which ranks 131 cities according to their average PM 10 concentration measured in FY 2023–2024, with an average level of 161 µg/m³. 

With an average PM 10 level of 208 µg/m³, Delhi, the nation's capital, leads the list. Faridabad, Noida (182), Patna (178), Ghaziabad (172), Muzaffarpur (168), Angul (167), Gajraula (167), and Anpara (166) are next on the list.

According to reports, earlier, Ludhiana was listed among the top 100 most polluting cities in the nation for the first half of 2024 according to a report done by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). However, a research by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in less than a month ranked Ludhiana among the top 100 most polluted cities in the nation for the first half of 2024.

Other Punjabi cities included among the 50 most polluted were Mandi Gobindgarh (average PM 10 levels: 126 µg/m³), Amritsar (119 µg/m³), and Jalandhar (111 µg/m³) among the 131 cities chosen for the air quality improvement initiative. The ministry made it clear that "due to variations in monitoring methods and environmental conditions, there is no worldwide ranking of cities for pollution levels."

Similarly, in January and June of 2020, the lowest value of 35 microns was measured. According to CREA analyst Sunil Dahiya, Ludhiana's daily PM 2.5 value above WHO standards on 182 out of the six months, while it exceeded the NAAQS limit on over 40 per cent of those days.

He put this down to transportation, industrial pollutants, and biomass (burned in communities during the winter for cooking and garbage disposal). He went on to say that elevated levels of PM 2.5 have an effect on human health, leading to conditions like respiratory illness, heart problems, and hypertension.

"The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019, a long-term, time-bound national strategy for the prevention, control, and abatement of air pollution," the Center's response continued, addressing steps to improve the quality of the air in these heavily polluted cities.

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According to the reports from The Indian Express, by 2024, 131 cities are expected to have achieved the NCAP's targets of a 20–30 per cent decrease in PM concentrations compared to the base year of 2017. The goal has since been changed to satisfy the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM concentrations by 2025–2026 or achieve a reduction of up to 40 per cent.

"Cities receive funding to help them carry out their action plans for bettering the quality of the air." Under NCAP, all 131 cities and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) have created City Action Plans. For the years FY 2019–20 to FY 2025–26, 131 cities have been allocated a total of Rs 19,614 crore. Of these, 82 cities are paid by MoEF&CC under the Control of Pollution Scheme, while 49 Million Plus Cities/Urban Agglomerations are funded under the XVth Finance Commission air quality award.

131 cities have received Rs 11,211 crore so far to carry out their City Action Plans. Furthermore, according to Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh, "95 cities out of 131 have demonstrated improvement in air quality in terms of annual PM 10 concentrations in FY 2023-24 compared to the baseline of FY 2017-18."

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Details indicate that four friends drowned in the Sutlej River, though the exact reasons for their drowning are still unclear. The two surviving friends recounted their desperate efforts to save their companions but were unable to do so. They immediately alerted the village, and upon receiving the information, the police promptly arrived at the scene.

Currently, police, along with teams of divers, are conducting search operations to locate the missing youths. Preliminary information has identified two of the victims as Sameer Khan and Shahbaj Ansari. The families of the drowned youths are devastated, struggling to cope with the sudden loss.

The youths have been identified as Sameer Khan, Misaul, Zaheer, and Shahbaz Ansari. The tragic drowning has plunged their families into distress. All four youths were aged between 18 and 20 years.

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It has been revealed that the group arrived at the site on Sunday around 4 pm to enjoy a holiday bath. After parking their motorcycles, they headed to the river for a swim. Unfortunately, as they ventured into deeper waters, they were ensnared by the swift currents. Nearby individuals heard their cries and managed to rescue two of them, but the other four were swept away by the forceful current.

Police, aided by diver teams, are tirelessly conducting search operations to locate the missing youths.

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The massive fire erupted at Kurali chemical paint factory leaves five workers injured and some also feared trapped. 

According to reports, several blasts could be heard after a fire erupted in the Chemical Paint Factory at Kurali. 

Teams of five fire brigades from Mohali and Ropar districts have been deployed on the spot.

Reportedly, people residing in nearby the area were already facing many problems due to the factory, but their woes increased after the fire erupted early morning on Thursday.

Locals have been fearful and are facing difficulties in breathing due to smoke everywhere.

See Visuals

Below visuals from the scene showed smoke billowing from the Kurali Chemical Factory. 

The court ordered that the state government must provide the factory with an opportunity to present its case before any decision is made. Consequently, the Punjab Pollution Control Board has withdrawn its previous order that prohibited the cumin liquor factory from operating.

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Reprimand from the Chief Justice's Bench Leads to Withdrawal

Following a reprimand from the Chief Justice's bench, the Punjab Pollution Control Board decided to withdraw its orders. The factory owners voiced their grievances, alleging that despite the High Court's directives, they were denied clearance under the Water Prevention and Pollution Control Act. Furthermore, their petition on the matter was not given a fair chance for a hearing.

Punjab Government Given a Two-Week Deadline

The High Court has directed the Punjab government to issue a formal order within two weeks after carefully considering the factory's side of the case. The court emphasized that the reports from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Punjab Pollution Control Board should be taken into account during the decision-making process. The factory owners expressed their dissatisfaction, claiming that despite the favorable report, they were unjustly prohibited from resuming factory operations.

Factory Files Fresh Petition Against Ignoring High Court Orders

Malbros Liquor Factory in Zira has lodged a fresh petition in the High Court, alleging that the government has ignored previous court orders and continues to hinder their factory operations.

The factory owners voiced their protest against the denial of permission to operate their facility. Back in March, upon the factory's initial petition, the High Court had instructed the Punjab government to issue an order within two weeks after considering their appeal.

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The murder occurred on Thursday morning at the Yadvindra Enclave market on Nabha Road. The victim was shot dead in broad daylight, and it was found that both the victim and the accused had filed numerous complaints against each other following business-related differences. The victim, Darshan Singla, was a prominent service provider of the state and had been providing contractual and outsourcing services to many government and private departments of the state. 

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Singla was admitted to Government Rajindra Hospital after the incident and later died. The police have recovered the weapon used in the crime and further investigations are ongoing. Both the victim and accused were reportedly in the same profession of manpower supply services, security services, and other HR services.

 The incident took place at around 10.15 am yesterday, and the assailant fled on his motorcycle after firing the shots. Patiala IG, MS Chhina, has said that their teams were on the lookout for the accused since the murder took place, and they managed to arrest him in less than 24 hours.

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As tragedy unfolds in Ludhiana where a gas leak has claimed 11 lives, including 2 children, I pray for the speedy recovery of those left unconscious. My deep condolences with the bereaved families. May Gurusahab grant them eternal peace. pic.twitter.com/D1UsaxRKw4

— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) April 30, 2023

ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ ਦੇ ਗਿਆਸਪੁਰਾ ਇਲਾਕੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਫ਼ੈਕਟਰੀ ਦੀ ਗੈਸ ਲੀਕ ਦੀ ਘਟਨਾ ਬੇਹੱਦ ਦੁੱਖਦਾਇਕ ਹੈ..ਪੁਲਿਸ, ਪੑਸ਼ਾਸਨ ਅਤੇ NDRF ਟੀਮਾਂ ਮੌਕੇ ‘ਤੇ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਹਨ ..ਹਰ ਸੰਭਵ ਮਦਦ ਪਹੁੰਚਾਈ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ..ਬਾਕੀ ਵੇਰਵੇ ਜਲਦੀ..

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) April 30, 2023

"The incident of a gas leak at a factory in the Giaspura area of Ludhiana is very sad. Police, government and NDRF teams are present at the spot. All possible help is being provided. Rest details soon," he tweeted in Punjabi.

"It is a gas leak case. The NDRF team is present at the spot to evacuate the people and will conduct the rescue operation. 9 people died in this incident and 11 are sick," said Swati, SDM Ludhiana West.

Official sources reported that around 10 people are in critical condition due to the gas leak, and have been admitted to nearby hospitals.

Meanwhile, a 50-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also reached the site.

Police said the casualties comprise five females and six males. Two boys aged 10 and 13 are among the 11 who died in the incident, they said. They have been identified as Sourav (35), Varsha (35), Aryan (10), Chulu (16), Abhay (13), unknown female (40), unknown female (25), Kalpesh (40) unknown male (25), Neetu Devi and Navneet Kumar.

An NDRF official said it was yet to be found which gas caused the deaths. "We will check it first then we will let you know," the official said in a response to a query.

Reports indicate that the tragedy has left some people dead on the road, causing panic amongst locals who have fled their homes in an attempt to save their lives.

More details are yet to be revealed.

These included the 'Sangat Darshan' programme, which was started during his tenure from 1997-2002. It was a scheme to help people resolve their grievances at their doorsteps. Badal, along with senior officials, used to personally meet people and listen to their problems.

Also Read: Mourners gather to pay last respects to Badal at his ancestral village

Harcharan Bains, who was the political advisor to Badal, said that Sangat Darshan was started to reach out to people and resolve their issues. He said Badal used to hear the problems of the people and try to resolve them on the spot. He was a man who was always concerned about the problems of the people and was very punctual. Bains said that Badal was never known to be bitter to anyone and was always respectful of people.

Badal's government also launched several populist schemes in Punjab. These included free electricity for all farmers, the 'Atta-Dal' scheme which provided foodgrain at subsidised rates and the 'Shagun' scheme, which provided financial assistance for the marriage of women from the Scheduled Caste and backward classes.

Badal also took up projects such as the Virasat-e-Khalsa museum in Anandpur Sahib and the ‘Jang-e-Azadi’ memorial in Jalandhar. 

Badal passed away on Tuesday at the age of 95 after being admitted to the Fortis Hospital in Mohali a week ago due to breathing issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to him at the Shiromani Akali Dal office, where scores of people and political leaders gathered to pay homage to him.

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Jokingly, he said, "Akaliyan nu jail bohat jana painda, islai asi sohnian jaillan bana ditiyan' (Akalis have to go to jail often. Therefore, we have built beautiful jails)." Little did he know that he would be among the first few inmates of the same prison in a few years.

In 1982, Badal was arrested for protesting against SYL (Satluj-Yamuna link) canal and was lodged in Tajpur Road jail for about two months. Maheshinder Singh Grewal, an SAD leader from Ludhiana, recalled that Dharam Yudh Morcha was launched by the Shiromani Akali Dal to protest against SYL, at first in Kapoori village and then in Amritsar. 

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Badal was protesting in Amritsar and was arrested there, and later on shifted to Ludhiana jail. Grewal visited him every Sunday in the jail with home-cooked food.

During Emergency, Badal was also lodged in Ludhiana jail which was located in Ludhiana's Old City part from July 18, 1975, to September 23, 1975. In August 1992, he was again lodged in Tajpur Road jail from August 28, 1992, to September 1, 1992. 

In December 1992, the then jathedar of Akal Takht, Gurdev Singh Kaunke, of Jagraon's Kaunke Kalan area, had disappeared after he was arrested by the police. Badal staged a protest against police over the disappearance of jathedar and was arrested and lodged again in Ludhiana jail from January 1 to 13, 1993.

Thus, throughout his life, Parkash Singh Badal spent a significant amount of time in jail, due to his fight against injustice.

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He had contested assembly elections for the first time in 1957, when he was 30 years old, as a Congressman. He lost only two elections in his career spanning over seven decades - one in 1967, and the latest in 2022.

Badal courted arrest during Operation Bluestar in June 1984 when the Army had entered the Golden Temple complex at Amritsar to flush out militants. He was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Mohali a week ago after he complained of uneasiness while breathing.

The Akali Dal leader vehemently opposed the idea of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, and under his leadership, the state assembly passed the controversial Punjab Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal (Transfer of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2016. His party broke off ties with the BJP over the farmers' agitation against the Centre new agricultural laws in 2020.

In protest against the treatment of the protesting farmers by the Central government, Badal had returned his Padma Vibhushan award - the second highest civilian honour of the country that he received from the government in 2015.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes to the Punjab leader, calling him a “colossal figure of Indian politics, and a remarkable statesman”. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed the veteran leader's death a “personal loss”, while Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his deepest condolences to Badal's family. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi also tweeted his condolences.

Badal was born in Punjab's Abul Khurana close to the Rajasthan border and studied at Lahore's Forman Christian College. He leaves behind a legacy of political and social impact laced with simplicity, loyalty and progress for the state of Punjab.

"On the intervening night of April 12-13, on intelligence-based operations, troops deployed on the border fired at a drone that intruded into Indian airspace," a BSF officer said.

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During a search of the area near Maharkhewa Mansa village in Fazilka district, two large bags containing four packets of narcotics, suspected to be heroin, were recovered. The total weight of the narcotics was 4.560 kg. 

Further search operation of the area is in progress.

However, a full investigation is being conducted into the matter.

This incident came just one day after four Army jawans were killed in a firing inside the same military station on Wednesday. Witnesses reported seeing two men with covered faces and armed with a rifle and an axe fleeing the scene afterwards. It is suspected that an INSAS rifle, which was reported missing two days prior, was used in the shooting.

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The Army Chief briefed the Defence Minister on the matter and a court of inquiry is being conducted alongside the police investigation. The police have filed an FIR, stating that a jawan saw two unidentified men in white kurta-pyjama, their faces and heads covered, coming out of the barracks after the firing.

The investigation is ongoing and the authorities are still trying to determine the exact cause of the incidents.

Efforts are in motion to resolve the matter peacefully. Despite this, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has noted that the government has yet to take any concrete steps. Thus, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has given the government a chance to work out a solution and has adjourned the hearing until May 17. 

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The court is aware that this is a delicate situation and is giving the government an opportunity to take action.

However, the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha has been protesting at YPS Chowk since January 7, demanding the release of Sikh prisoners who have completed their jail terms but are still being held in different jails. 

Additionally, they are seeking registration of a murder case against the officials and politicians who were allegedly responsible for the police action at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan. This has caused two major roads connecting Chandigarh and Mohali to be blocked, leaving commuters greatly inconvenienced.

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