Bargant Mann, Chief Minister of Punjab, attended the 22nd anniversary ceremony of the Kali Bein river water purification project held in Sultanpur Lodhi on the 17th (local time) and drank the river water himself. [Photo by Twitter]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Foreign media reported that an Indian politician who drank local river water directly ended up hospitalized.
According to recent local media such as The Indian Express, Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister of Punjab, attended the 22nd anniversary ceremony of the Kali Bein river water purification project held in Sultanpur Lodhi on the 17th (local time).
The Kali Bein river is a major water source in Punjab, stretching 165 km. It is also famous as the place where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, attained enlightenment. Punjab has been conducting the Kali Bein river purification project for over 20 years since 2000. This was due to ecological damage caused by pollution from wastewater flowing into the river, which dried up farmland and caused epidemics. Although the purification project has made the river water clearer than before, it is still known that some villages illegally discharge untreated wastewater.
On that day, Chief Minister Mann drank a large glass of river water following the suggestion of the site manager. This was a performance to personally demonstrate that the water was clean and to showcase the success of the river purification project.
Two days after the ceremony, on the 19th, Mann was admitted to a hospital in Delhi. Local media reported that Mann visited the hospital due to severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with an infection.
Some speculated that this might be related to the water quality of the Kali Bein river, suggesting that Mann was hospitalized after being infected by bacteria or other pathogens from drinking the river water.
However, Mann’s office clarified that he visited the hospital only for a health checkup and was discharged within a day.
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