7 days ago
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.
