Balbir Singh Seechewal turns to Punjab CM over green concerns

Jalandhar, May 10

Rajya Sabha member and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal today handed over the environment agenda to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. He also submitted a memorandum to the CM on the behalf of the Flood Prevention Committee.

The memorandum has been signed by panches and sarpanches of more than 12 villages. They have demanded that the villages be saved from the devastation caused by floods. Seechewal said the environmental agenda was being given to all the candidates on his behalf to take up the serious issue during the elections.

Interacting with mediapersons, Seechewal said 15-18 ft soil had settled under the railway bridge over Sutlej river in Gidderpindi, and took up the issue before the CM.

Seechewal told HIM about the seriousness of the matter and said the entire month of May would be spent in the elections and there was a possibility of rain in June and July. He said in such a situation, it would be difficult to remove the soil.

Seechewal further said the CM assured him that since the matter was directly related to the lives of people, he would talk to senior officials to start the work so that the Dhusi Dam on Sutlej river could be strengthened.

The Rajya Sabha member further said Faridkot nominee Karamjit Singh Anmol was also raising the environmental issue. He has pledged to make Faridkot green. He also appealed to the CM to get the soil removed from under the railway bridge. He said there were some people, who were illegally occupying the river land. He told CM Mann that the Punjab Government had suffered a loss of Rs 1,200 crores due to floods in 2019.