Imperative for Punjab to save its rivers: Speaker

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 28

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan today stressed, “To save the state of Punjab, it is imperative to save the rivers and underground water in the state.”

The Speaker made the remarks during a visit to Nirmal Kutiya at Seechewal village in Sultanpur Lodhi, on the occasion of the 35th death anniversary of Sant Avtar Singh.

In his address to a gathering at MP and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal’s work centre, Sandhwan lauded the Seechewal’s efforts to save the environment.

Dwelling on concerns about the depleting groundwater, Sandhwan referred to a report by the Central Ground Water Board. “By 2039, Punjab water would go 1,000 feet deep under the earth. Punjab cannot even be imagined without water,” he Referring to the Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana, he noted, “There was a time when a stream of the Sutlej would flow there.” Due to neglect on part of the government, the stream is gone, he rued.

Sandhwan shared that under Seechewal’s leadership, the Punjab Government would start a campaign to clean the polluted rivers of Punjab by converting the Buddha Nullah into a river.

Seechewal expressed gratitude to those who attended the programme. He said, “Avtar Singh did revolutionary work by spreading the message of Gurbani in the region.”

Sushil Rinku, an MP from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, also offered flowers to Avtar Singh.

Shahkot Assembly Constituency MLA Hardev Singh Ladi, AAP’s Constituency in-charge Ratan Singh Kakkar Kalan were among those present on the occasion.