Correct planting of crops and efficient irrigation systems can reduce irrigation water use by 50 to 70 percent and overall water consumption by up to 25 percent.
Sindh Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Bashir Ahmed Sheikhs stated this at the certificate awarding ceremony of a three-day training workshop at Setharja, Khairpur on Tuesday.
The workshop was organised by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, under a Higher Education Commission (HEC) funded research programme entitled "Efficient use of land and water resources for poverty alleviation".
Dr Bashir said we were currently on the threshold at a serious water shortage not only in irrigation but also in other uses, adding it was therefore necessary to develop new water saving technologies for poverty alleviation.
He was of the opinion that a radically different approach is essential. "We must switch from an indiscriminate use of our natural assets, to their conservation and development in harmony with the environment," he added. He said that unfortunately development under the present technological model appeared to run counter to environmental conservation. Third world countries including Pakistan, for their part, couldn't resign themselves to under-development and poverty for the sake of extremist notions of conservation, he added.
The search for a solution had led to the emergence of a new concept out of this contradiction, which although had yet to become a reality, it must govern any future discussion on the exploitation of natural resources and sustainable development, he said. The Vice Chancellor said the current project of Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, should address the problem under indigenous environment.
He praised the HEC role under leadership of Professor Atta-ur-Rehman for funding the research project that might pave way for efficient use of land and water resources for poverty alleviation.
Experts contributed in training included Professor Nisar A. Memon, Professor Hussain Bux Bhutto and Riasat Ali Kubar of Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam and Professor B. K. Lashari of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro.
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