Real kindness makes a person courageous to stand up for what is good. Kind hearted people motivate us to do good things, and become happy. The art of kindness is a scarce commodity; such people enrich the society. These people have a special sense of justice and they do what is right. Balbir Singh Seechewal (born 2 February 1962) is a Sikh who led an anti-river pollution crusade in Punjab, India. He is fondly called “Eco Baba” for his philosophy of belief in self reliance added with act of strengthening the environment. Balbir Singh is a staunch believer in the essence of the Gurbani (Sikh term, very commonly used by Sikhs to refer to various compositions by the Sikh Gurus and other writers of Guru Granth Sahib). He has restored life the 160 km long Kali Bein rivulet of Beas River in Doaba region of Punjab.
In the year 2000, Balbir Singh decided to put in efforts to stop the pollution and wastage of the water of Kali Bein River because of domestic and industrial waste. Like rest of India, rivers are considered sacred in the state of Punjab. Kali Bein had reduced to nothing but a drain because of all the waste that was being dumped in it. Some portions of the river had even dried up which resulted in enormous water problems in the surrounding farms. Balbir Singh began his campaign by educating local people the importance of cleaning of the river, many volunteers joined him for raising funds with the help of contributions from residents living on the banks of the river which included more than 24 villages. With this amount Balbir Singh and his volunteers group could purchase equipment required for cleaning. He had to propagate again and again urging villagers to dispose sewage in a particular place and not in the river. With a clean riverbed, natural springs were restored and the river started to fill up once again.
After cleaning of the river Kali Bein, Balbir Singh developed an underground sewerage system model with the help of the Punjab government. It is a low cost model that collects sewage water from ponds and treats it in a natural way which can be used for agriculture and irrigation purposes. Eco Baba, Balir Singh’s work through all these years has been naturally appreciated by people in India and abroad. It is really commendable to note that this kind hearted man other than working for the cause of the conservation of environment has also established schools and colleges in different regions in Punjab. In the year 2016, environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal devised a solution for solid waste treatment in the state. A machine has been created at the Sant Avtar Singh Yadgari Technical Research Centre with instructions from the environmentalist. The ‘Short Machine’ that’s what it is called segregates the various things comprised in the garbage. The machine has been researched further for adding more features to it.
Today, the rivulet Kali Bein is cleaned up and has been gushing with pristine water. The river bank has become a picnic spot, the devotees of the Gurudwara Ber Sahib bathe in it during religious festivals. Eco Baba has now turned his sights onto the tanneries and other factories that dispose of unprocessed waste in rivers. His mission is to clean up rivers and creeks in a more systematic way across the state with help from residents and State Government. His crusade is against factories and mills which pollute rivers; he says that we have no right to kill the living creatures in water and damaging the aquatic ecosystem. Eco Baba Balbir Seechewal has proved through his selfless actions where there is a will, there are a way!!!
