'AJK water provides living to dependants of Indus River'

Muhammad Aslam, a research scholar, delivered on Monday final seminar for his PhD research on "Assessment of water quality in Azad Jammu & Kashmir; analytical method development for biological active compounds and metal ion." He did his thesis under the supervision of highly learned chemist and scholar Dr M Y Khuhawar.
He said that Kashmir soil being of volcanic nature possesses elevated levels heavy metals and radioactive species - a perspective further aggravated by nascent anthropogenic activity and land use.
Highlighting the complex water system of Jammu & Kashmir he said that mountains and valleys of Kashmir sustain an intricate system of catchments of its water stock, adding that lures not only 3.2 million inhabitants but also provides credible living to majority of dependants of the Indus River system further downstream to the coast of Arabian Sea.
He said to keep a tab on both these concerns and also to aid nation's water strategists a representative monitoring a Kashmir Water Stock covering an area of 13,000 squire kilometres was initiated. He said that as a corollary to it methods reproducible under normal laboratory conditions detecting nano level metal presence were also developed.
He said that the study was undertaken in three phases. He said that in phase one 30 springs, 10 hill torrent, 7 rivers samples, 3 lakes, 10 streams, 3 rains water, 3 snowmelt samples 28 hand pumps, 40 well and 20 waste water samples were analysed generating sufficient data to establish a sound base line, adding that industrial and domestic waste samples were also collected to quantify the pollution content in the study area.
Also pointed out that in phase two organic matter was quantified and characterised. He said that of the total organic matters humic and fulvic acid constitute 44.61% and 38.56% respectively in the ratio of 0.793-1.581 as detailed in the presentation.
He said that in third phase the study was focused on the development of methods for the determination of bioactive compounds and metal ions. He added that his present research work examines Micellar Electrokinetice Capillary Chorography (MEKC) for the determination of Uranium, copper, nickel and iron and separation of cobalt, copper, nickel, thorium, uranium, palladium and Iron from rock and water.
He has also conducted research to provide preventive and analytical treat to the diabetic patients. The Vice Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui who presided over the seminar appreciated the research work of scholar.