GERMAN SCIENTISTS VISIT PAU

LUDHIANA, MARCH 10:(Anmol Singh)

A three-member delegation from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, is on a visit to Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for exploring the possibility of collaborative research project in the field of arsenic and selenium toxicity in soils, water, plants, human and animals. The delegation, comprising Professor Dr Thomas Neumann, Dr Elisabeth Eiche and Dr Mini Bajaj, held a meeting with PAU Vice- Chancellor Dr Manjit Singh Kang.

Apprising the visiting scientists about the PAU collaborative programmes with the various international universities, Dr Kang assured them of all the possible help in formulating the proposal. He appreciated the Soil scientists for making efforts for the future collaboration between KIT and PAU, in dealing with the problem of selenium and arsenic contamination in the ground waters of the state. Highlighting the key contributions of PAU, Dr Kang said that university has played a pivotal role in ushering in an era of green revolution, thereby making the country food-surplus. He acquainted the delegation with the research, extension and transfer of technology programs of the university, which are underway at PAU.

Evincing keen interest in having collaboration with PAU, Dr Eiche and Dr. Neumann dwelt on the contamination of ground waters by arsenic and selenium and presented the research activities of the Institute of Mineralogy and Geochemistry. A visiting scientist also delivered a lecture in a seminar organized by Ludhiana Chapter of Indian Society of Soil Science (LCISSS) in Department of Soil Science (DSS), informed Dr US Sadana, President of LCISSS and Principal Investigator of the collaborative research project.

Dr Yadvinder Singh, Head, DSS, said that the selenium toxicity was a serious problem in some pockets of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, whereas arsenic toxicity is widely observed in the southwest part of the state. A detailed interaction took place between PAU scientists and German delegation in this regard.
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