Work On River

Sant Seechewal mobilized numberless people (Sangat) round the globe for the voluntary kar sewa of rejuvenation of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s historic river Kali Bein, 160-km long tributary of the Beas, flowing through Doaba, the fertile central part of Punjab, known as the Granary of India. When Sant Seecyewal began the kar sewa in July 2000, the Kali Bein river was on the verge of death due to worst type of domestic and industrial pollution. Sant Seechewal, with the help of his Sangat, has cleared hyacinth and silt out of the bed of river, restored flow of clean water in it and beautified it with flowers and fruit trees, bathing ghats and bricked roads on its banks, transforming it into a picnic spot where the religious pilgrims, students and tourists from India and abroad come daily in large numbers to have a glimpse of its beauty.

Work On Underground sewerage System

Sant Seechewal has devised an underground sewerage system which is low-cost and indigenously modeled, but very effective, durable and easy to install. The efficacy of this system has been attested by its practical installation in more than 50 villages and towns. In this system, sewage waters are stored in a pond, treated in natural way and, then, supplied for agricultural use. This process promotes organic farming and saves farmers’ money on fertilizers and irrigation. The farmers of the area who, being crop-less and poor, were compelled to commit suicides, are glad to have a taste of prosperity as a result of Sant Seechewal’s kar sewa of the river.

Work On the Roads

Often remembered as “Baba of Roads”, Sant Seechewal has built thousands of kms of roads in backwards areas, which has set in a new era of faster economic and social development in this area.Work 

Problem of Encroachments

Problem of Encroachments 

Equally grave is the problem of encroachments on the Bein area. Like the problem of polluted waters, that of encroachments is quite common with almost all the rivers and streams.

            The first type of encroachment comes from the builders of houses and other concerns. Due to the steep growth of population in Doaba area, the land for construction of houses is fast falling short. The area on the banks of the Bein which  generally lies vacant and unused, seems to be an ideal place for constructing houses and other buildings. Thus unauthorized colonies and houses are being built on the banks of the Bein.

The opposition to such possessions of the Bein area is lacking because in most of the cases the encroachers are influential people.

            Second type of encroachment is by the farmers who own lands adjoining to the Bein. The greed for more yield and more income at any cost has led the farmers to hunt for more land. They find the Bein area lying vacant and unused and are naturally tempted to expand their fields in that direction. Greater was the expansion of the fields, the more the Kali Bein shrank. The farmers filled the low-lying area of the Bein with soil carried from outside and brought it at same level with their fields. They started cultivating it and also maneuvered to get this encroached area  entered as their ownership in revenue records. One of the reasons why this process went on unchecked is that in most cases revenue records of dimensions of the Bein area was not available. But where revenue record was available, there too, some revenue authorities registered illegal sale deeds of encroached lands in favour of  encroachers. Such cases of illegal sale deed are daring infringement of the law, and not simple ignorance of it.

            Due to such encroachments, the passage of the Kali Bein got narrowed down, leaving about no space for the flow of water in it. This is why the floods playing havoc on life and property have been very frequent in this area. Both pollution and encroachments have proved fatal for the Kali Bein. The farmers with adjoining lands, who tend to encroach upon the Bein area, are easier to convince of the need to protect it. But those who have illegally got their sale deeds registered are more adamant. They go to the court of law not with a purpose that justice be done, but that justice be delayed. Those who want law to be implemented feel harassed and disheartend and, as a result of the inordinate delay, the opposition to these illegal encroachments dies out.