Balbir Singh Seechewal


Balbir Singh Seechewal is an Indian environmentalist and politician. He is a Nirmala Sikh and has been particularly recognised for his role in organising a cleanup campaign of the Kali Bein rivulet, an important site in Sikh history. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha for Punjab, representing the Aam Aadmi Party.

Life

He was born in a Sikh, agricultural family in Seechewal in Jalandhar district in Punjab, India to Chanan Singh and Chanan Kaur.

Kali Bein cleanup

The Kali Bein rivulet is an important site in the history of Sikhism, being the place where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, had a mystical revelation leading to his founding of the religion. In the modern day, the river was one of many in Punjab polluted by agricultural runoff, sewage, and water hyacinth. Leading up to the year 2000 there were government attempts to clean up the river, but the campaign came to much larger public attention thanks to Seechewal's cleanup in 2000.

Awards and honors

Balbir Singh Seechewal receiving Padma Shri award from the President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 30 March 2017.