PMC, UAF to revive Environment Watch in Faisalabad

Punjab Medical College (PMC) and University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Wednesday agreed to revive Environment Watch in the district for conducting tangible researches and making products for environment as well as alleviating the hazardous effects of spray on various crops and vegetables.
PMC Principal Dr Zahid Yasin Hashmi called on UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan at his chamber. He said working of the forum was stalled for the last 10 years that must be revived to address the issues especially health and agricultural sector.
He also UAF was a key player in the issues relating to environment and agriculture and it would play a vital role in the forum in a bid to address the issues. All the research organisations including Ayub Research, NIBGE and other would be members of it. Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said, "We must revive the forum on the pattern of Faisalabad Development Forum."
He also stressed the need to develop food supplement especially keeping in view liver patients. "The university scientists would actively work on the project as the supplement in the country is expensive ones and with the local production we can provide it to the people at low price that would decrease the expenditures of treatment of various diseases."
He said that keeping in view the climate changes and other issues, the university had launched a multi discipline Environment Programme. He said the varsity had also starting water mapping in the university to analyse the quality of water, adding that after that the model would be implemented in the district.
Ambassador of Brazil to Pakistan Alfredo Leoni said Brazil and Pakistan bilateral ties needed to be strengthened in a bid to get benefit from each other experiences for making progress in the field of mutual concerns especially agriculture, education and health sectors.
He was addressing deans and directors meeting headed by UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan on Wednesday at Syndicate Hall, UAF. He said that with a territory of 8.5 million square kilometres, Brazil housed a population of 190 million people, and a GDP of 2.3 trillion dollars.
Brazil stood for half of the territory, the population and the GDP of all South America, he said, adding Brazilian economy was the sixth biggest of the world. He also said that the Brazil had done a lot of work in sugarcane to increase its production so that Pakistan could also get benefit of it.
Responding to a question regarding language barrier, he said they had set up a language centre in Islamabad to train the people about Portuguese langue so that people could easily communicate while going to his country. He told the audience that last year, Brazil offered 10 PhD scholarships for Pakistani students to peruse their degree at the country.
He said there was plenty of room to improve our trade. "To this purpose, it is essential that Brazilian and Pakistani business communities know better each other capabilities that are the best interest of both countries." Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan praised Brazil for making a tangible development in wheat and sugarcane by introducing new varieties, and said sugarcane varieties made by Brazil were being grown in Pakistan that caused manifold increment in the production.
He called for strengthening Exchange Programmes keeping in view capacity building and uplifting of the agricultural sectors of both countries. The Vice Chancellor suggested establishing Portuguese Language Centre in Faisalabad. The envoy nodded to a suggestion to start the Centre. Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan also sought the help of Brazil in setting up slaughterhouses in the country through their expertise as the country was lagging far behind in the area. He also visited various post-harvest labs, CABB and green houses of the varsity.