HYDERABAD, Feb 5: A research scholar has said that mountains and valleys of Kashmir have an intricate system of catchments of its water stock that caters to the needs of not only 3.2 million people there but also provides sustenance to 160 million dependents of the Indus River system further downstream.

Mohammad Aslam was delivering his final seminar for PhD research on “Assessment of water quality in Azad Jammu and Kashmir area and analytical method development for biological active compounds and metal ion” under supervision of learned scholar Dr M.Y. Khuhawar here on Monday.

The final PhD seminar was presided over by vice-chancellor Sindh University, Mazharul Haq Siddiqui while a large number of scholars were present on the occasion.

The scholar said that Kashmiri soil because of its volcanic nature possess elevated levels heavy metals and radioactive species-a perspective further aggravated by nascent anthropogenic activity and land use.

He said to keep a tab on both these concerns and also to aid nation’s water strategists a monitoring system of Kashmir water stock covering an area of 13,000 square kilometres was initiated.—Bureau