Treated Wastewater Technology Imperative To Combat Water Scarcity: Experts

Treated wastewater technology in agriculture has become imperative to combat drought and water scarcity to overcome the ill impacts of climate change

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Feb, 2023 ) :Treated wastewater technology in agriculture has become imperative to combat drought and water scarcity to overcome the ill impacts of climate change.

This was stated by experts while addressing an international seminar on "Agroecological and social interventions of reused water irrigation in a gastroenteritis context" jointly organized by the Department of Agronomy and Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). The inaugural session was presided over by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan.

UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that since time of the inception of the country, the per capita water availability has gone down from 5000 cubic meter per annum to 900 cubic meter, placing the country in the list of water scarce countries. He said, "We have to rationalize the use of every drop of water for the generations to come." He said excessive ground water abstraction by pumps are resulting in lowering down groundwater coupled with deteriorating quality. He said that the adaptation of treated wastewater is an alternative way in agriculture. In this connection Interventions like Biochar have proven very successful.

Foreign delegation Prof Dr. Lyla Mehta from Institute of development studies, UK, Dr Ruben Sakrabani Associate Professor from Cranfield University, UK, Prof Elizabeth wellington from Warwick University, UK and Prof Christopher Quince while sharing their experiences from different regions said cross-cultural exchange of knowledge and ideas are invaluable, as it helped broaden perspectives and deepen understanding of the complex issues resulting in gastroenteritis by cultivating with reused water.

Chairman, Department of Rural sociology, UAF Dr Izhar Ahmad Khan stressed upon the need to create awareness among the people about water saving.

Department of Agronomy Chairman Dr Abdul Khaliq said that they are making all possible research and outreach efforts for increasing the per acre productively by effectively utilizing available natural resources and developing targeted interventions like biochar deployment with multiple benefits.

UAF Associate Professor of Agronomy / UKRI project's Principal Investigator Dr Fahd Rasool said that the promotion of biochar would help fight the challenge of soil, water and climate.

Prof Dr Syed Aftab Wajid, Dr Hassan Munir Bajwa (Co Organizer), Dr Sardar Alam, Dr Shahbaz, Dr Azizur Rehman and Dr Ghulam Mustafa and other honorable speakers elaborated their work.

The delegation visited field trials on vegetables that were grown with canal, treated waste water by biochar and directly by wastewater to compare the effect and uptake of heavy metals and pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis. On the occasion, the website of Project WWW.GASTROPAK.PK was launched and a "National center of Biochar" research was inaugurated at UAF.