In a refreshing departure from the norm of legislators and parliamentarians surrounded by escorts and elaborate entourages, Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist, Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, can be seen operating excavators, JCBs, and filling tippers as he cleans the riverbed of the Sutlej ahead of the rainy season. This initiative follows the Punjab government's efforts to clean the river, and Baba Seechewal has taken up the task himself, dedicating hours to operating heavy machinery to remove the accumulated sand, particularly near the Gidderpindi railway bridge, as rains lash the state. "The urgency arises from the massive sand mounds near the Gidderpindi railway bridge, which pose a huge obstacle to the smooth flow of water during the rainy season when the river carries a tremendous volume of water. This bridge was a major cause of severe flooding in Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts during the 2019 floods when heavy rainfall couldn't pass through due to the sand mounds, resulting in the inundation of numerous villages across several kilometres. The Punjab government incurred a loss of approximately Rs. 1200 crore during that time," said Baba Seechewal while having his lunch inside an excavator on Wednesday. Baba Seechewal and his supporters have been actively cleaning the Sutlej river using their own resources since then. However, this time he appealed to the government to address this issue to prevent losses in case of heavy rainfall during the monsoon. "Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan has been attentive and encouraging toward our efforts,” said the MP. “This has spurred the administrative machinery into action,“ he added. Consequently, the Punjab government has initiated the desilting work of the Sutlej river under the Gidderpindi railway bridge. The accumulation of soil at this bridge had previously led to five floods, prompting Baba Seechewal's long-standing demand for its removal to protect people from monsoon flooding. A significant step was taken on June 12 when a meeting, chaired by Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, was held to address this matter following a letter from Seechewal to the Chief Minister. During the ongoing sand removal operations, Lok Sabha member Sushil Rinku also paid a visit to the site. Executive Engineer Amarinder Singh Pandher of the Drainage Department confirmed that the Punjab government had commenced the soil extraction work after floating a tender on June 23. MPs Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal and Sushil Kumar Rinku, alongside MLAs Bibi Inderjit Kaur from Nkaodar Assembly constituency and Devinderjit Singh Ladi from Dharamkot, visited the Gidderpindi bridge, where locals voiced their demand for the removal of soil beneath the bridge. Kulwinder Singh, President of the Flood Prevention Committee, urged officials of the drainage department to carry out the work on a war-footing, considering the impending monsoon season. Stressing the urgency of completing the soil extraction work before heavy rains arrive, he highlighted the potential disruption it could cause to the ongoing process. Dushyant Chaudhary, leader of the contracted company responsible for soil extraction, said that approximately 25 tippers and two excavator machines are currently being deployed every day. Additional machines will be arranged soon to expedite the process, with the number of tippers being increased on a daily basis. During the devastating floods of 2019, Baba Seechewal, together with his dedicated supporters, led the rescue operations. Under his leadership, as a member of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) at the time, hundreds of tractors were mobilised to level the submerged agricultural land and restore its cultivability. The floods had submerged the fields of several villages for over three weeks, causing extensive damage and rendering it uneven and unsuitable for farming, with depths ranging from 5 to 40 feet. Baba Seechewal took the initiative to level the land himself and shared his efforts on social media. Witnessing his actions, numerous farmers from neighbouring districts, including Moga, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, and Kapurthala, joined forces with their tractors to assist in the restoration process. Their generous contributions, including funds for diesel, had enabled the leveling process to be completed within a few days.
