Timely help could have saved 2 children from drowning: Kin
Victims drowned near Buddha Nullah ghat during Seechewal’s function on Tajpur Road
The wailing grandfather and father of Gurjit, one of the victims, at the Civil Hospital in Ludhiana. Himanshu Mahajan
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A tragic incident occurred on Sunday when two minor boys, aged 13 and 15 years, from Ram Das Nagar, who went to take a dip in the “clean” water near a ghat where water of Buddha Nullah flows on Tajpur Road, drowned.
An event was held by AAP MP Balbir Singh Seechewal to show the water body had been cleaned in the area.
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Though Seechewal said it was not a “snan” event and they had gathered to thank the Almighty for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, eyewitnesses maintained that many of the volunteers and followers of the environmentalist took a dip in the water body and there was no check on small children, who were also going towards the deep waters of the ghat.
One of the family members of a deceased boy said ardaas were held and langar was served to the people.
“The two children, Abhay and Gurjit, who were friends, also went to have langar and take a dip in the water but since there was no proper barricading, the children went towards the deep waters and drowned. Unfortunately, no immediate help was offered by organisers. Had there been a timely help, they could have been saved. After some time, divers were called in search of the boys and by the time they were taken out of the water body, they breathed their last,” rued a relative wishing not to be quoted.
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An industrialist, who has a dyeing unit on Tajpur Road, said near Balaji Pulley, Baba Seechewal and his volunteers had taken the task of cleaning the nullah and dairies were stopped from throwing cow dung into the water body.
“To an extent, the stretch is cleaned. Seechewal had held a function on Sunday to take a dip in the clean Buddha Nullah stretch and ardaas was also held when the unfortunate incident occurred. There was a pall of gloom all over as a huge number of people had gathered during the event,” the industrialist said.
Meanwhile, the volunteers of Seechewal also said it was not a “snan” event and that the people had gathered to take part in the Ardas held for the ceasefire between the two nations.
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