Chandigarh, March 29 — Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa questioned the effectiveness of Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal’s pond-cleaning model, arguing that its success was debatable.
In response to Seechewal’s claims during the Punjab Assembly’s budget session, Bajwa stressed the importance of engineering expertise. “We should not hastily dismiss the deep understanding that engineers from IITs, Punjab Engineering College, GNE, and Thapar Institute bring to the table. Engineering drives human progress. Doubting their capabilities undermines the institutions that foster such talent,” he said.
Bajwa highlighted that while Seechewal’s model, credited with reviving the Kali Bein rivulet, relies on natural treatment and community participation, it faces scrutiny in urban contexts. He pointed to Buddha Dariya in Ludhiana, where Seechewal claimed partial success in reducing pollution. However, Bajwa noted that social media videos showed the river still laden with toxic foam, waste, and a persistent stench, raising doubts about the model’s impact.
He further cited the Yamuna river in Delhi, where the AAP government had attempted to implement Seechewal’s model in 2016. “Despite initial praise, the Yamuna remains heavily polluted nearly a decade later. If the model was as effective as claimed, why didn’t Kejriwal’s administration succeed in applying it to Delhi’s crisis?” Bajwa asked.
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