Inspired by professor’s efforts, over 200 people participate in cleaning Sutlej in Ludhiana

Inspired by a university professor who started cleaning the stretch of Sutlej river near Ladhowal bypass, over 200 volunteers have joined his efforts.

Manjeet Singh, a psychology professor at a private university, started cleaning the Sutlej in March. Volunteers joined him after seeing his efforts on social media.

Today, Manjeet leads a group of more than 200 volunteers who collect plastic and other waste from the Sutlej and Beas rivers every weekend.

Manjeet Singh said, “I started this campaign after visiting South India, where there are no rivers. People there save water. However, our groundwater levels are decreasing day by day. We need to save water and stop throwing waste into water bodies.”

The professor says he started his efforts because of the increasing pollution and alarming decline in groundwater. After gaining attention on social media, his efforts have now been joined by volunteers from Batala, Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh, among others.

Since March, the team has removed more than three truckloads of plastic and other waste from the Sutlej stretch near Ladhowal. The initiative also serves as a means of creating awareness about water body conservation.

Now, volunteers from various non-governmental organisations including Water Warriors Punjab have joined this work.

The group starts work at 5am every Sunday and works non-stop until noon. They have also received donations of gloves and other supplies to help them with their work.

Volunteers, in addition to the work of cleaning the river during the weekend, also strive to raise awareness among the population, urging them not to throw waste into the water bodies.

The campaign caught the attention of the Deputy Commissioner, who recently reached out to the volunteers through social media and lauded their efforts. The DC promised to take strict action against those dumping garbage and other waste in the rivers.

Volunteers including Water Warriors Punjab Amandeep Kaur and secretary Balkar Dhaliwal are dedicated to the cause.

In addition to the cleanup, volunteers have planted about 500 trees along the river banks, improving the ecological health of the area. They stress the need for better wildlife management and stricter regulations to prevent religious and industrial waste from polluting water bodies.