Kali Bein reborn, Buddha Nullah still gasping

PUNJAB CM Bhagwant Mann’s promise, made at the 25th anniversary of the Kali Bein project on Wednesday, to step up efforts to clean Ludhiana’s Buddha Nullah is welcome. But promises need to be followed by firm action, with citizens as partners, not mere spectators. The transformation of the 165-km-long Kali Bein from a polluted drain into a rejuvenated lifeline offers a template for cleaning the Buddha Nullah. The Buddha, once a clean stream, is today one of Punjab’s stubborn environmental challenges: a toxic channel choked by industrial effluents and untreated sewage from Ludhiana and surrounding areas. Despite over Rs 2,000 crore spent on clean-up efforts over the years, little has changed on the ground. It is a case study in mismanagement, neglect and lack of sustained political will.

In contrast, the Kali Bein revival under the stewardship of Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal — now a Rajya Sabha MP — was a people-led, community-driven effort, rooted in accountability, spiritual commitment and ecological sensitivity. The ‘Seechewal Model’ is now internationally recognised and cited by the National Green Tribunal as an example of effective river restoration. It was not dependent on massive budgets but on persistent, coordinated action — desilting, stopping inflow of waste, creating awareness and linking the clean-up to faith and local pride.

Buddha Nullah, by comparison, suffers from bureaucratic delays, illegal encroachments, non-functional sewage treatment plants and resistance from industrial lobbies. Seechewal’s symbolic pitching of a tent in Ludhiana last December to protest its continuing pollution should serve as a wake-up call. If one stream could be transformed through sustained public effort and political backing, there is no reason why the Buddha Nullah must remain a disgrace. It is time to turn intention into impact — and learn from the Bein experience.

Editorials