GNDU organized National Conference on Drinking and Waste Water monitoring
KI Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Amritsar
A ‘Two-Day National Conference on Drinking and Waste Water: Monitoring and Analysis” was inaugurated here today at the new FDC (HRDC) building. This conference is being organized under the aegis of the Faculty Development Centre (FDC) allocated to the University under the Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Training (PMMMNMTT) Scheme of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). 45 participants comprising faculty members and research scholars from various institutes across the state are participating.
Prof. Jagbir Singh Kirti, Punjabi University, Patiala, an internationally acclaimed Biologist was the Chief Guest, whereas Prof. Hardeep Singh, Dean Students Welfare presided over the inaugural session. In his inaugural address, Prof. Jagbir Singh lamented the deteriorating quality of potable water in the country in our times and said that Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, whose 550th birth anniversary is being celebrated all over the world with religious fervor, was, perhaps, the First one, who recognized its immense significance by equating it with “Param Pita” in his verses. A water crisis of unprecedented dimensions magnitude stares in the face of our society in the foreseeable future, he warned. Attributing this crisis to a great extent to the Green Revolution, he opined that water-guzzling crop like paddy, rice are turning out to be the bane of our times. The deterioration of water bodies like rivers, streams etc. is leading to the disappearance of few species of flora and fauna at a rapid pace, he rued. The dire need of the hour is to get our act together and to engross ourselves with these challenges not only for ourselves, but for future generations as well, he concluded.
Labelling the water as “Elixir of life”, Prof Hardeep Singh in his presidential remarks urged the world community at large to accept this challenge as a wake-up call & to pay attention to one of the gravest issues looming large over the mankind, it deserves. Incorporating authentic facts & figures in his address, he portrayed a rather dismal picture of the crisis before the participants. All the stakeholders ranging from those sitting at the helm of affairs to the man on the street need to do something concrete in order to conserve it for the generations to come, he counseled.
Dr Rajinder Kaur, Coordinator, apprised the participants with the thrust are of the conference. Prof. Adarsh Pal Vig, Project Coordinator of the FDC shared aims and objectives of the Centre with the participants. These aims can be achieved only with the whole-hearted cooperation of the participants, he stressed. Earlier, Prof. Jagbir Singh & Prof Hardeep Singh were presented a sapling by Prof. Adarsh Pal Vig, Prof. Preet Mohinder Singh Bedi, Dr. Rajinder Kaur Prof. Preet Mohinder Singh Bedi, Director, Drug & Pollution Testing Lab, GNDU, proposed the vote of thanks. Prof. Saroj Arora, Dr. Jatinder Kaur and Dr. Balbir Singh were also present on this occasion.
