Latest news with #BalbirSinghSeechewal
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
4 villages get vacuum tankers from Seechewal
Ludhiana: MP and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal Monday provided vacuum tankers to four villages in the district using his MPLAD fund. It will benefit Bhukhri Khurd, Bhamia Khurd, Amar Colony, and Guru Ramdas Colony. Earlier, dairy waste and cow dung from these villages would flow directly into the Buddha Dariya. With the vacuum tankers, the wastewater will now be collected and disposed of in open fields, thereby preventing the Buddha Dariya from getting polluted. A grant of Rs 15 lakh was allocated for the tankers, which were formally handed over to the sarpanch of the villages in a ceremony attended by the MP, Buddhewal sugar mill chairman Zora Singh Mundian, and mayor Inderjit Kaur Gill. Sarpanch Satpal Singh of Bhukhri Khurd village, Balwinder Singh Virk of Guru Ramdas Nagar Colony, Kulwant Singh of Bhamia Khurd, and Rajinder Singh Hundal of Amar Colony thanked Seechewal for the initiative. Seechewal said, "The Buddha Dariya belongs to all Punjabis, and it is our collective duty to keep it clean. This river has been blessed by Guru Nanak, which makes it as sacred as the Holy Bein. That is why it is being cleaned with the same reverence and dedication."
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Rajya Sabha member Seechewal pulls up MC officials over coloured water from Jamalpur drain flowing into Buddha Dariya, PPCB collected samples on the spot.
Ludhiana: Toxic industrial effluents are once again flowing unchecked into the Buddha Dariya after a key motor at a pumping station failed, disrupting treatment operations and allowing untreated water from the Jamalpur drain to enter the river directly. The incident has sparked serious environmental concerns, with local dyeing and industrial units suspected of contributing to the contamination. Normally, the drain's wastewater is diverted to the 225 MLD treatment plant through three motors. However, with one out of service for several days, the remaining system has been overwhelmed — allowing most of the drain's polluted discharge to bypass treatment and spill into the Buddha Dariya. Water samples were collected from the site on Tuesday under the supervision of Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) officials, who were acting on instructions from Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal. The samples are expected to help identify the factories responsible for illegal dumping. "The people of Malwa and Rajasthan are drinking this contaminated water. It is linked to rising cases of cancer and other serious illnesses," Seechewal said, adding that the lack of accountability among officials has allowed this ecological disaster to deepen. Accountability crisis Seechewal accused both the PPCB and Ludhiana municipal corporation of neglecting basic maintenance and monitoring duties. "Until responsibilities are clearly fixed, nothing will improve," he said, accusing the bureaucracy of delaying efforts to restore the seasonal drain and convert it into a rejuvenated water body. He also said he had raised the issue directly with chief minister Bhagwant Mann, warning that pollution in the Buddha Dariya would persist unless strict action was taken against non-compliant officers and polluting industries. Ongoing cleanup effort The Buddha Dariya has long suffered from industrial waste discharge, especially from local dairies and dyeing factories. The second phase of a public clean-up initiative — the Kar Sewa — began on Dec 22, 2024, with Seechewal at the helm. The campaign received support from the-then Punjab governor, Banwarilal Purohit, who held three high-level meetings on the issue during his visit to Ludhiana. Despite these efforts, Seechewal claims that bureaucratic inertia continues to obstruct real change. "The same lobby that turned this seasonal stream into a black, foul-smelling drain is now resisting its revival," he said. He urged residents and civic groups to exert pressure on officials to stop the discharge of untreated waste and to support the long-term revival of the Buddha Dariya. MSID:: 122783966 413 |
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
From ‘black' to blessed: 25 yrs of cleaning of Kali Bein, a global model for river revival
On July 16, 2000, environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal, now a Rajya Sabha member and a Padma Shri awardee, stepped into a sludge-filled dying rivulet in Punjab, accompanied by a handful of volunteers — it was the beginning of a mission that completed 25 years on Wednesday. The mission mobilised lakhs of citizens and drew attention from national and global leaders, eventually transforming the toxic stream into a clean water body revered as a sacred site. Though the journey was not easy, the Kali Bein movement changed the narrative around the river restoration, and its success — driven by volunteerism, spiritual motivation and grassroots engineering — inspired governments beyond Punjab. And today, it stands as a global model for river revival. The rivulet Kali Bein — literally 'Black Rivulet' — a 165-km-long tributary of the Beas, originates in Dhanoa village near the Mukerian Hydel Project in Hoshiarpur district and flows through Kapurthala before merging with the Sutlej at Harike Pattan. So filthy was the stream that people began calling it 'Kali' (black) Bein, but for Sikhs, it was never just a water body; it was the sacred site where Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru and the founder of Sikhism, attained enlightenment. For Seechewal and his growing team of volunteers, it became a mission that combined spiritual reverence with ecological urgency. What turned the rivulet 'black'? For decades, the Kali Bein served as an open drain for over 80 villages, small towns and industrial units based in Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Jalandhar. A major drain, Kala Sanghia, carrying industrial effluent, also emptied into it. Choked by weeds, garbage and untreated sewage, black water replaced fresh flow. Oxygen levels plummeted, and biodiversity vanished. Now, 25 years later, only a few villages still discharge untreated water into the rivulet in the absence of sewer treatment plants. Six treatment plants have been established, primarily in towns, while in several villages, a pond system has been developed in such a way that sewage is treated and water is used for irrigation. A community-led revolution On July 16, 2000, Seechewal and a few volunteers began 'kar sewa' (selfless service). Without any government funding, they cleared weeds, desilted the riverbed, constructed ghats, raised awareness and revived the water flow. Encouraged by public and presidential support, the Punjab government launched a plan to stop untreated sewage from entering the Bein. It identified 73 villages (53 in Kapurthala, 18 in Hoshiarpur, and two in Jalandhar) for intervention. Each village was to build a pond to collect and treat sewage before using it for irrigation. National and global recognition By 2004, efforts gained national recognition when President A P J Abdul Kalam praised the project in a public address and visited the site in 2006. In 2008, TIME magazine listed Seechewal among the world's top 30 environmental heroes. International platforms, including the Copenhagen Climate Summit and the Windsor Castle Interfaith Conference, invited him as a speaker. In May 2004, President Kalam included the Kali Bein among India's top nine achievements. He visited the Bein multiple times between 2006 and 2008 and spoke about it during over 2,000 national and international lectures. In 2015, then Union water resources minister Uma Bharti called the Bein a 'Guru Asthan' for the Ganga Mission. The Modi government adopted its model for the Namami Gange project. Around 500 village panchayat representatives from Ganga basin states were sent to study the Seechewal Model. Even the Delhi government announced plans to replicate it for cleaning the Yamuna. In 2017, Seechewal was awarded with Padma Shri for his work. When CM Mann drank its water On July 17, 2022, on the 22nd anniversary of the Kali Bein cleaning mission, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann drank a glass of water directly from the rivulet to showcase its purity. Two days later, he was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Delhi, sparking criticism and public concern. Why did the chief minister drink water from the rivulet that still received untreated sewage? The act was meant to symbolise faith in the movement, but it also exposed the reality — a rivulet spiritually clean, but environmentally vulnerable. Project status & road ahead Seechewal said, 'Now, in a majority of villages, ponds have been dug and pipes have been laid to carry household discharge to ponds, where it is cleaned and then used in the fields. However, in a few villages, ponds are encroached upon, and pipes have not been connected. The treatment plants in towns like Kapurthala and Sultanpur Lodhi function, but at times, they discharge untreated water directly into the Bein. We raise these issues whenever required.' Several traditional tree species have been planted on the banks. The water is now so clean that water games like boat races are held annually. Ghats and seating areas have been constructed for visitors. Local Bodies Department officials admit, 'If the government wanted, it could have completely stopped the discharge of filthy water by simply ensuring treatment plants run properly.' The Sewerage Board, however, cites the lack of funds to operate plants. Fish die every few years due to low oxygen levels in the polluted water, especially during the summer. River's revival and lifelong commitment 'The Kali Bein's journey is far from over. Although it flows cleaner, restoring full ecological balance requires unwavering political commitment, operational funding and local participation,' Seechewal said. 'Cleaning is a never-ending process, and it's now a part of our lives. All-natural flora and fauna have returned to the Bein, and one can now see clear water most of its course.' What began with one man and a prayer has turned into a movement of faith, resilience and environmental justice. From black waters to a blessed flow, the Kali Bein's revival stands as a reminder: every river can be reborn.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Waste treatment plants face hefty fines amid violations
Even as the state and central government have pumped in crores of rupees for the construction of sewage and effluent treatment infrastructure in Ludhiana, these facilities have come under serious scrutiny for repeated environmental violations. The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has slapped environmental compensation (EC) running into crores on various common effluent treatment plants (CETPs), effluent treatment plants (ETPs), and sewage treatment plants (STPs) across the city for failing to comply with environmental norms in the past few years. In several orders issued over the past few years, the PPCB has pointed to a consistent failure in plant operations, ranging from non-functioning equipment to untreated discharge being released into natural drains. While the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC), in its defence, has submitted that it completed the construction of several STPs and handed them over to the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the penalties continue to be imposed due to lapses during operational control and maintenance periods. According to officials, these violations indicate serious negligence on the part of the civic body and related departments. While crores have been spent on the construction of these plants, environmental compensation of almost equal magnitude has been levied — reflecting systemic issues in their operation and monitoring. Among the biggest violators is the CETP at Bahadur Ke. In a series of five different EC orders issued between October 2022 and January 2025, a total penalty of nearly ₹10 crore has been imposed. Similarly, the 50 MLD CETP near the Central Jail on Tajpur Road has faced six EC orders in just four months between September 2024 and January 2025, with fines totalling over ₹5 crore. The 40 MLD CETP at Focal Point was hit with a ₹2.96 crore penalty this March. Meanwhile, STPs at Balloke and Bhattian have also faced fines ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹68 lakh each. Environmental compensation has also been imposed due to the non-installation of CETPs for dairy complexes, with the PPCB issuing a ₹3.6 crore penalty in March 2023. Environmental experts have raised concerns about the mounting penalties, warning that unless strict accountability and timely corrective measures are implemented, the city will continue to face both ecological damage and financial loss. The situation reflects a dual failure- massive investments made into the infrastructure on one hand, and a string of costly environmental penalties on the other. With EC orders continuing, the civic body is now under pressure to not only fix the operational gaps but also ensure that environmental safeguards are genuinely implemented on ground. PPCB chief RK Rattra said, 'The EC has been imposed by the PPCB during past few years and regular action is also being taken against offenders. Few of the compensations have been deposited but rest remain yet to be submitted by the departments and CETPs.' Rajya Sabha MP, Balbir Singh Seechewal said, 'The 2.25 MLD ETP, which was made few years ago on Tajpur Road at the cost of ₹9 crore but EC imposed on this plant is more than ₹3 crore which is a sheer wastage and pressure on common people as this is taxpayers' money. I request the MC officials and other departments to dispose of the cow dung at Tajpur Road dairy complex area so that the ETP can run properly and cow dung is not released into the Buddha Nullah.'
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Punjab Pollution Control Board issues ultimatum to Ludhiana's scattered dyeing units to adopt zero-liquid-discharge technology or shift out of city.
Ludhiana: The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has issued a final ultimatum to nearly four-dozen scattered local dyeing units — adopt zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technology by the end of the year or shift operations outside the city. The directive is part of an intensified crackdown to prevent untreated industrial effluents from contaminating the Buddha Dariya, a heavily polluted urban drain in the heart of the city that joins the Satluj. While cleaning efforts outside Ludhiana have shown significant progress, authorities are struggling to curb wastewater inflows within city limits, from small-scale dyeing units particularly. R K Ratra, chief engineer at the PPCB, said: "Operators of these units must either install ZLD systems or relocate to designated industrial hubs. The deadline for infrastructure setup is Sept 2025, with full compliance expected by Dec." Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, a noted environmental activist, is spearheading efforts to restore the Buddha Dariya through community-driven 'kar sewa' (voluntary service). Despite these efforts, several units operating in pockets such as Industrial Area, Jalandhar Bypass, and Samrala Chowk continue discharging untreated wastewater into municipal sewers, undermining the broader cleanup mission. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 그랜저 월32만원에 신차장기렌트 지금 바로! ★특판할인★ 렌트런 할인 보기 Undo The owners of a few units have submitted compliance proposals to the PPCB. While a few are adopting ZLD, others prepare to move their operations outside city limits, where treated water will be repurposed for irrigation. Larger textile manufacturers, meanwhile, are opting to outsource dyeing to third-party fabricators or cease in-house processing altogether. Notably, while the PPCB urged Ludhiana's municipal corporation to disconnect sewer lines of non-compliant units more than two years ago, no action has been taken. Officials cite pending decisions from the state govt as the reason for inaction. As the Dec 2025 deadline looms, PPCB officials have claimed that monitoring and enforcement will intensify to ensure Ludhiana's waterways are no longer used as industrial dumping grounds. MSID:: 121314890 413 |
