Bihar to replicate Seechewal model: Nitish
SULTANPUR LODHI (KAPURTHALA): Appreciating the efforts of noted environmental activist Balbir Singh Seechewal in treating sewage water, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday announced to implement the latter’s model in Bihar villages.
Nitish, accompanied by his cabinet minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh and senior officials of the Bihar irrigation department, inspected two water treatment plants set up by Seechewal here. He was impressed by the technique being used to treat waste water for irrigation.
The Bihar CM, “The Seechewal model is best suited for Bihar where our government has recently started constructing drains in each village and sewage water has become a challenge for the administration.”
The model, he said, would not only benefit the government but also save the environment from getting polluted by waste water, which could be used for irrigation after treatment.
“We are impressed with this model. Another team of experts and officials will visit Punjab again to conduct an in-depth study on the ground,” he added.
“I met Seechewal in Patna Sahib on the occasion of 350th Parkash Parv of Guru Gobind Singh and sought his advice on treating polluted water,” Nitish said and added that Seechewal asked him to visit Sultanpur Lodhi to study his low-cost model.
The Bihar CM and his team also visited Seechewal’s ‘Nirmal Kutiya’ here, before taking a ride to the holy Kali Bein in a boat. Seechewal explained how he got the rivulet cleaned. Nitish said he would use this model to treat polluted water of drains in Bihar villages to useit for irrigation.
The Bihar CM also paid obeisance at historical Gurdwara Ber Sahib.
Nitish also invited Seechewal to visit Bihar on February 25-26 when the state government is holding a national conference on water conservation and environmental issues.
Kali Bein, which holds religious significance among the Sikhs, is a 64-km long rivulet. Its water had got converted into slush due to dense wild vegetation in it. Seechewal took the inititaive and got it cleaned, without taking any government support.