FAISALABAD, Nov 7: Government officials have decided to establish an environment protection forum to discuss environmental issues involving stakeholders such as industrials, scientists and civil society.

The decision was taken at a Faisalabad Research Forum meeting held at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF). Commissioner Sardar Akram Javed presided over the meeting.

The participants discussed the depleting water and forest resources, increasing pollution, climate changes and waste management challenges confronting the country, in general, and Faisalabad, in particular.

UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad, District Coordination Officer Noorul Amin Mengal, GC University, Faisalabad, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Zakir Hussain, Faisalabad Development Authority Additional

Director General Muhammad Ahmad Rajwana, Wasa Managing Director Zahid Aziz, Punjab Forest Research Institute Director Muhammad Afzal and FAST Director of Faisalabad Campus Aftab Maroof attended the meeting.

The meeting also approved setting up Arfa Karim Information Technology Park in the city.

The commissioner said that felling of trees had increased carbon dioxide and decreased oxygen. He urged the scientists to produce techniques and innovations to make public-friendly and environment-friendly goods to severe the humanity.

About food security, he said climate changes were affecting our food production. The country lost 30 to 40 percent of yields in the post-harvest losses that could be tackled by raising awareness and transferring modern techniques among farmers.

Dr Ahmad stressed the need to promote drip irrigation, sprinkle irrigation and precision agriculture to save the natural resources.

He said Pakistan had to spend a huge amount on edible oil and pulses import which could be saved by promoting cultivation in country.

Prof Dr Zakir Hussain suggested a Ground Water Authority to tackle the issue of ground water as no authority was functioning on this pattern. He also offered to provide land for the technology park. He said per capita water availability had gone below 1,000 cubic metre which was the threshold level.

Zahid Aziz said the population of the city needed to be shifted from the brackish water zone to the sweet water zone.

Muhammad Ahmad Rajwana said Canal Road was being taken as the pilot project for plantation and beautification. He stressed the need to make the environment clean by involving civil society to awareness among the masses.