Activist

Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal

Environmental Conservationist & MP · Punjab

Verified by Zero Excuses

The Story

Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal is a Sikh environmentalist and Rajya Sabha MP who spearheaded a self-funded 20-year community movement to clean and restore the choked 160-km Kali Bein rivulet. He developed the 'Seechewal Model' of low-cost underground sewage treatment and tree plantation nurseries, distributing over 100,000 free saplings annually.

Impact

Restored the 160-km historic Kali Bein river and led Buddha Nullah cleanup; developed Seechewal Eco-Model adopted in 1,657 villages

Evidence

Padma Shri 2017, Time Magazine Hero of the Environment, 250+ villages running zero-sewage eco-systems

Replication

Seechewal Model adopted by Ministry of Jal Shakti for 1,657 villages along River Ganga