BAHAWALPUR:A meeting on “Provisions of Clean Drinking Water in South Punjab” was organized by the SDGs Collaboration Centre at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur in association with the Punjab Aab e Pak Authority.
Prof. Dr. Naveed Akhter, Vice Chancellor of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur chaired the meeting, and Prof. Dr. Rubina Bhatti, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences and Patron of the SDGsCC the Islamia University of Bahawalpur preceded it.
Engineer Aamir Khalid, Director of the Aab e Pak Authority gave a briefing about clean drinking water plants that are being provided by this organization in Southern Punjab as well as the region’s sweet water supplies. Both organizations agreed to start collaborative work on the Cholistan Desert’s water resources with the help of the Institute of Cholistan Desert through research and expertise sharing.
The utilization of advanced and reputable water testing facilities of the Institute of Soil Sciences and Water Resources at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur to test the water at commercial prices will be made available in the future.
Moreover, paid internship opportunities will be provided to students who are researching environmental and water projects. A briefing on the latest advances in technology used in laboratories for water testing was given by Prof. Dr. Maqshoof Ahmad, Director of the Institute of Soil and Water Resources.
Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Director Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies gave an overview of the initiatives in the desert region and the state of the sweat water there. Dr. Abid Rashid Gill, Director of the Green Campus Project, discussed efforts to reduce sweat water waste in the Islamia University of Bahawalpur and Environment Policy.
Prof. Dr. Naveed Akhter, Vice Chancellor appreciated the provision of clean drinking water and vowed that the Islamia University of Bahawalpur will collaborate with Punjab Aab e Pak Authority for water resource research which would help to increase the sustainability of water in South Punjab.
Prof. Dr. Rubina Bhatti stressed the need for academia and industry linkages and coordination with different organizations to achieve sustainable development goals.
Awareness sessions at schools, colleges, and communities can play a vital role in conservation and reducing waste of sweet drinking water, she said.
It was pledged to organize further collaborative activities on the forum of the SDGs Collaboration Centre, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur in the future.
The meeting was attended by Prof. Dr. Salman Bin Naeem Director of the SDGsCC, Prof. Dr. Samar Fahad, Director of Enabling Centre, Dr. Azhar Hussain Associate Professor of Water Management, Dr. Ali Azam, Associate Professor of Economics, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nafees Chairman and Dr. Rashid Shaheen Associate Professor Department of Horticulture Sciences.
To demonstrate the practical work on water and the Cholistan Desert, Dr. Mariam Abbas Soharwardi, Additional Director SDGsCC, organized a visit for the team of the Punjab Aab e Pak Authority to the Institute of Soil Science & Water Resources and the Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies.