The Punjab Government on Sunday started cleaning operation of 160 kilometre long holy Kali Bein river associated with the early life of first Sikh Guru Guru Nanak Dev by removing hyacinth and under water vegetation.
Guru Nanak had spent 14 years of his early life at Sultanpur lodhi and used to bath in it daily.
Punjab Irrigation and Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh inspected the cleaning operation at Kanjali picnic spot from where the holy Bein passes.
Rana Gurjit Singh and large number of Congress workers and prominent residents visited the Kanjali wet land and supervised the cleaning operation.
Rana has developed a special device which was attached to JCV machine and it helped in removing the hyacinth and under vegetation.
Talking to mediapersons at the spot, Rana Gurjit Singh said it was the first experiment with an indigenous device which proved successful in removing the hyacinth from the holy Bein.
He disclosed that Punjab Government would soon buy new machines which would operate in the water to remove the hyacinth.
The Minister said Drainage department would soon install conveyor belt system at the barrage at Kanjali bridge which would help in removing hyacinth and organic manure would be prepared from the extracted hyacinth and underwater vegetation for use in the farming.
The drainage department has also deployed large number of women of nearby villages under MNERGA scheme to remove hyacinth in the rivulet.
The Minister directed the drainage department to float tenders for pitching work 12 kilometre long Chhoti Kali Bein during this month and start the work within a month.
Rana disclosed that 3 kilometre long forest look walk way would be developed for the morning and evening walk for the local residents and government would spent Rs 4.50 crore on it.
He claimed the continuous flow in the chotti bein would help in raising the water table of the town and its surrounding areas.
He said that the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress Government in the State was committed to the cleaning of holy rivulet and stopping of sewage flow of towns and villages still flowing in it by 2019 to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
The holy Bein originates from village Dhanoa in Hoshiarpur district and merges with river Beas in the Mand area of Sultanpur lodhi after traversing a distance of 160 kilometre in a zig zag way.
The Bein is the life line of Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala districts as it helped in raising the water table of both the districts with its continuous flow.