CM Bhagwant Mann announces campaign to clean all rivers, drains in Punjab

SULTANPUR LODHI: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday announced a statewide campaign to clean all rivers and drains in the state. He also urged the people to support the drive and make it a mass movement.
"There is no dearth of funds for this noble cause and people should also come forward to support it and make the campaign a mass movement," he said while addressing a gathering here during a function organised by environmentalist and Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal to mark the 22nd anniversary of rejuvenation of historic Kali Bein. He quoted from Gurbani, saying (Sikh) Gurus had already shown the way to respect and preserve the ecology.
"Unfortunately, the word of the Gurus has not been honoured by us, as we have polluted air, water, and earth. But now, we must imbibe the teachings of Gurbani in letter and spirit to restore the glory of the state," he said. The state government would soon embark upon a massive campaign to clean the natural resources in the form of rivers and drains in the state, he said.
Mann said that the state government was making concerted efforts to enhance the green cover in the state, for which Shaheed Bhagat Singh Haryiwal Lehar has been started. He said the state government was making strenuous efforts for checking the depletion of groundwater by ensuring optimum utilisation of surface water to reduce pressure on groundwater. In this regard, he mentioned incentivizing DSR and MSP on moong.
Slamming the previous state governments for ruining the ecosystem of the state, the chief minister said it was unfortunate that those who were entrusted with the responsibility of serving the state had ruined the ecosystem for their own vested interests. "Those ministers who were supposed to enhance green cover by planting trees did the opposite by mercilessly allowing felling of trees and claiming commission from it. These leaders plundered the wealth of the state far more than the Britishers," he said.
Lauding the efforts of Seechewal in the cleaning of Kali Bein, he said the historic initiative taken around 22 years ago needed to be replicated at a mass level to carry forward the legacy of great Gurus.
Meanwhile, Seechewal stressed on the need to clean Buddha Nullah and Chitti Bein also at a mass level and with the active support of the state government.