225 tractors join RS MP’s drive to restore farmlands

A large-scale volunteer initiative led by Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal has entered its seventh day in the Baupur Mand area, where flood-hit farmlands are being levelled and restored on a war footing.

Tractors brought in by young volunteers from across Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana continued working late into the evening, clearing fields devastated by recent floods. So far, nearly 225 tractors have joined the kar seva, a community-led volunteer effort.

The work began at Bhaini Kadar village, where the breach in the embankment was repaired first. Rehabilitation work then focussed on the fields of farmer Kulwant Singh and his three brothers. As many as 20 acres were buried under layers of sand and silt here.

Speaking to the volunteers, Seechewal emphasised that true humanity lay in selfless service. “Many of these young people do not even know the names of the affected farmers, but they felt their pain and left their homes to help,” he said. He added that such service carried no motive of gain or bargain.

Seechewal also thanked overseas Punjabis for their overwhelming support and solidarity. “The farmers’ pain binds all Punjabis together. The spirit of seva in Punjab has once again been recognised by the world,” he noted.

Flood devastation in Punjab, he said, was immense and difficult to fully compensate for, but collective volunteer efforts were bringing hope to the affected families.