On World Wetlands Day, environmentalists in Punjab to promote clean rivers with boat ride, nature walk

“We are excited to announce a special celebration of nature at Harike Pattan, featuring a serene boat ride and bird-watching experience. Located at the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers, Harike is a haven for wildlife. This event offers an opportunity to witness the incredible diversity of migratory birds, including Siberian cranes, bar-headed geese, northern shovelers, and other remarkable species that travel thousands of kilometres in the winter,” Dr Sunny Sandhu from NGO Bhoomitra said.

This is the third consecutive time that a boat ride has been planned by NGOs Bhoomitra and Public Action Committee (PAC) Mattewara Buddha Darya Satluj at Karmuwala village near Harike Pattan Wetland.

While popular Sufi singer Rabbi Shergill and Niccolo Vacchi, a French saxophonist, had participated in the celebrations in the last two years, Claire Nicolet, a handpan musician and a psychologist from France, will perform this year.

This will be the third consecutive Beda Yatra. (File photo from 2023)

“Harike Pattan is also home to the endangered freshwater Indus River dolphins, a species that thrives in the cleaner waters of the Beas River. Sadly, while the Beas remains relatively pristine and supports these dolphins, the Sutlej River faces severe pollution challenges due to industrial effluents and untreated sewage. This stark contrast between the two rivers highlights the urgent need to address the growing issue of river pollution,” Sandhu, an NRI in France with roots in Tarn Taran, said.

“Through this unique initiative, we aim to not only celebrate the rich biodiversity of Harike but also draw attention to the importance of conserving these critical habitats. Wetlands like Harike are facing the brunt of polluted Sutlej waters and if we can tame polluters of the Buddha Dariya, Kala Sanghian drain and Chitti Bein then we can achieve a much cleaner Satluj just like the Beas river which is far better, and in turn, a cleaner Harike Wetland,” Jaskirat Singh of PAC said.

“We should all work towards protecting this vital wetland and ensuring that its biodiversity thrives for generations to come. The success of this event in the last two years and the rising interest of environmental activists, musicians and poets to promote and protect wetlands and rivers is a testament to the fact that people of Punjab are resisting the pollution and plunder of rivers and natural ecosystems of Punjab. This will also save people of Punjab and Rajasthan from toxic drinking water which has given rise to movements like ‘Kale Pani Da Morcha’,” he added.

Dr Jaspreet Singh and Sarpanch Iqbal Singh, environmentalists from Tarn Taran, said the quality and quantity of fish in the rivers has dropped significantly in the past few years. “The Sutlej fish is very poor in health, size and colour due to pollution in the river. The Beas fish has gone down in quantity ever since there was a large leak of molasses in the river in 2018 from a sugar factory in Kiri Afghana village in Gurdaspur… it never recovered to the original levels after that massive ecological disaster. The government should look into this issue and get some study conducted,” Singh said.

The activists said they would like sustainable ecotourism to be promoted in such areas so that the ecology can be conserved and locals and boatmen can benefit from its conservation. It can be done by building campsites, bicycle paths and rewilding the Beas conservation zone, they added.

Jeanette Satpel, a social media consultant from Bahrain, will be present to document the event, Jaskirat said.