NEW DELHI: The zeal and dedication of Sant Balbir Singh Sinchewal has helped in reviving the Kali Bein, the river in which Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, is believed to have taken a holy dip and attained enlightenment five centuries ago.

A rare mix of piety and passion for environment conservation took Mr. Sinchewal about six years to bring a "dead river to life" through kar seva (volutary service). He motivated others to join him in the onerous task of cleansing the Kali Bein.

In July 2000, he jumped into the muddy waters overshadowed by overgrown weeds and began removing the hyacinth. The act drew hundreds of his followers to the river, which had turned into a virtual sewer with several drains pouring into it from adjoining townships as well as effluents from the Railway Coach factory in Kapurthala.

On Friday, Mr. Sinchewal met President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and invited him to visit his "work of passion." The President, who was already aware of the Sant's distinct feat, agreed to visit the river within two months. The "zealous service" found mention as many as 11 times in Mr. Kalam's speeches on environmental issues.

The 160-km-long river, which springs from Dhanoa village in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, merges in the confluence of the Beas and the Ravi at Hakike Pattan. The Rajasthan canal originates from here.

The spring was brick lined during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Also, a gurdwara at Sultanpur Lodhi near the bank of the Kali Bein came up, commemorating the enlightenment of the Guru. The Sant invoked the episode in the Guru's life to inspire the people to join the project.

Now, the river has been embanked and openings allowing the entry of polluted water have been plugged. Flowerbeds have been laid on banks. The river, which has a depth of 3 fathoms at some places, is no longer dead. It flows with water piped into it from upstream Talwara Dam. — UNI

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