Ludhiana, Feb 24 :  In response to the growing environmental crisis affecting Punjab’s rivers, Water Warriors Punjab and Udyan Care launched the ‘Pani Pani Yatra’ awareness campaign on Sunday. The initiative aimed to highlight the deteriorating condition of the state’s water bodies due to unchecked development, pollution, and resource exploitation.

The campaign was held at Ladhowal, Ludhiana, focusing on the Sutlej River, and at Nikka and Makora Pattan villages in Gurdaspur, addressing concerns about the Ravi River. Participants raised alarms over the impact of the Shahpur Kandi Dam on the Ravi, warning that such projects, along with illegal sand mining and poor water management, are depleting Punjab’s natural water resources.

Manjeet Singh, spokesperson for Water Warriors Punjab, pointed out that industrial waste dumping and reverse boring have severely degraded water quality in Jarg village and other affected areas. “This is not an isolated problem; it is a state-wide crisis,” he stressed, affirming his organization’s commitment to legal and awareness-driven interventions.

Amandeep Kaur, president of Water Warriors Punjab, underscored the Ravi River’s shared heritage between Indian and Pakistani Punjab. She introduced a sustainable village pond model aimed at grassroots water conservation, providing a long-term solution to Punjab’s escalating water scarcity.

Environmentalists called on authorities to take immediate action by strictly regulating industrial waste disposal, curbing illegal mining, and enforcing sustainable water management practices to safeguard Punjab’s vital water resources.