GUJRAT-Top scientists and experts of the country during an international conference on new technologies urged the government to ensure pollution free environment and not to set up coal fired power plants.
Addressing the conference held at the University of Gujrat (UoG), they also called for more industry-academia cooperation to boost the country’s economy. “We must leave pure air and pure water for our future generations to come and make sure that none of our industrial or research activities pollute the atmosphere of the country,” Dr Samar Mubarak Mand, renowned nuclear scientist and architect of Pakistan’s Missile Programme, said at the First International Conference on Emerging Technologies for Waste Water & Alternative Energy Resources.
Dr Samar Mubarak said that coal fired power plants produce Nitrous and Sulphur oxides which are hundred times more dangerous than the visible bulging smoke produced by such plants. “Because of the extreme pollution and effects of hazardous gases on human health produced by coal fire power plants, China banned generation of electricity through such plants in 14 provinces, replacing production of power through coal gasification,” he said. He added that Pakistan should also take a lead from China and start coal gasification projects to generate electricity.
“Pakistan is a technically advanced nation. We are producing long range missiles, we are producing cruise missile. We have successfully started producing electricity by underground coal gasification, which is a clean process. Our scientists are producing 10,000 research papers in international journals every year. We are contributing to world knowledge. We cannot raise our GDP and improve our economy at the cost of human life,” he said.
Dr Samar said that there was a wide-spread reluctance of industry in Pakistan seeking help from academia. He called for more interaction between industry and academia for the country’s products to compete at the world market.
He gave examples of the developed countries like Germany, Sweden, UK and the United States, where universities’ more than 60 percent research is focused on their industry and for which the universities get paid by the industry.
In his address on the occasion, UoG Vice Chancellor Dr Ziaul Qayyum shed light on the progress of UoG in addressing various challenges through its research in the fields of energy, weather, climate, waste management, etc. and handling various issues through joint research and development activities with the local industry.
Water management expert Dr Sanaullah praised various UoG research projects. Ghulam Ahmad Cheema, Manager Servis Industry, also praised the UoG efforts in solving the problems facing the local industry. Project engineer Niaz Khan spoke about the importance of the role of universities in tackling the energy crisis in the country.
Dr Samar Mubarak and Dr Ziaul Qayyum also visited an exhibition on various industrial models organised by the UoG students from chemical and mechanical departments.