Grief runs deep: MP Bablir Singh Seechewal mourns Ludhiana's drowned youths, pleads for caution near treacherous waters.

Ludhiana: After two separate tragedies involving young drowning victims shook communities in Punjab, environmentalist and Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal on Tuesday visited grieving families to offer condolences and demand greater public awareness around river safety.

Seechewal first met with the families of Gurjit Singh, 17, and Abhay, 15, who had drowned while bathing at a new upstream ghat in the Buddha Dariya during his religious event. The MP expressed deep sorrow over the loss and assured the families of all possible support, describing the deaths as an "irreparable shock". Local leaders, including sarpanch Balvinder Singh of Guru Ramdas Nagar and activist Jasbir Singh Garewal, who had witnessed the tragedy, claimed to have made all efforts to rescue the boys.

The tragedy unfolded despite previous warnings to the boys and the public against entering the water during the ongoing cleaning of the river. "The Buddha Dariya's cleaning campaign has helped reduce pollution and toxic emissions in the area, but people must refrain from entering the river," Garewal said. He called on the public to avoid bathing in urban sections of the river while restoration work continues.

In a separate visit, Seechewal also extended condolences to a family from Sultanpur Lodhi's Chandigarh Mohalla after a brother and sister had drowned in the Beas river. The siblings had been working in nearby fields when the girl slipped into the water while washing her face. Her brother leapt in to save her but also drowned. Authorities have recovered the boy's body, while the search for the girl continues. Both cases have highlighted the dangers of river access in unmonitored areas and have renewed calls for stricter safeguards and public education.