December 03, 2008	Wednesday	Zilhaj 4, 1429

HYDERABAD, Dec 2: Vice Chancellor, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, inaugurating a two-day seminar on ‘Modern irrigation techniques on Tuesday called for adopting water saving technologies.

The VC Prof Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan Rajput praised the efforts of faculty members in the research project. Prof Dr Riaz Ahmed Sohag, Dean Faculty of Engineering welcomed the participants.

The training, being held under the aegis of Institute of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, was an integral part of the ongoing research project titled “Water saving through micro irrigation methods” funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The course was aimed at training farmers in water saving techniques in irrigation. About 40 farmers and more than 100 others from different organisations were listed for the course.

Prof Dr Bakhshal Khan Lashari delivering the keynote address highlighted the importance of water resources and its judicious use. He appreciated the farmers showing enthusiasm in the information.

Prof Dr Munir Babar, principal investigator of the project, dwelt at length on the salient features. He said modern irrigation techniques required a fraction of water as compared to traditional methods.

He said that modern techniques included drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, subsurface irrigation, bubbler irrigation, pitcher irrigation, spray irrigation, micro sprinkler jets etc.

He said main topics to be discussed during the course included the necessity of modern irrigation techniques, different types of modern irrigation techniques, water saving through modern techniques, different technologies and modes of sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, miscellaneous micro irrigation methods such as bubbler, spray, pitcher, etc, and water and its use in general and irrigation scheduling.

Dr Babar said that the per capita availability of water was declining and had made the country a water scarce place.