Lectures were held on the occasion to give the message that wetlands are the most vital and threatened ecosystems all over the world. “They not only help expand biodiversity, but also help in flood control, groundwater replenishment, storm protection, sediment and nutrient retention, climate change mitigation, water purification, recreation and tourism and having cultural values associated with them,” the speakers said.

Suresh Kumar, principal secretary, technical education and industrial training Punjab, emphasised on the scientific shortcomings in calculating the actual water need and resources. He motivated the PTU-affiliated college students to work for saving natural resources. 

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, February 3
Punjab Technical University (PTU) celebrated World Wetlands Day on Thursday at its main campus. On the occasion, PTU signed an MoU with IITTM for collaborative academic and research programme in the area of environmental natural sciences. 

PTU Vice Chancellor Dr Rajneesh Arora and Dr Manjula Chaudhary, director, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, Gwalior, signed the MoU.

Lectures were held on the occasion to give the message that wetlands are the most vital and threatened ecosystems all over the world. “They not only help expand biodiversity, but also help in flood control, groundwater replenishment, storm protection, sediment and nutrient retention, climate change mitigation, water purification, recreation and tourism and having cultural values associated with them,” the speakers said.

Suresh Kumar, principal secretary, technical education and industrial training Punjab, emphasised on the scientific shortcomings in calculating the actual water need and resources. He motivated the PTU-affiliated college students to work for saving natural resources. 

Dr Chaudhary from IITTM and Dr Chander Prakash, Assistant Professor in PTU, said that in Punjab there are three internationally recognised wetlands named Harike, Ropar and Thai Kanjli. “These are home to rare animals like Indus river dolphins and Indian star tortoise and many birds and fish species.” He said due to lack of awareness of the importance of wetlands, these ecosystems are subjected to many natural and manmade threats which have further jeopardised their existence. “Developing these wetlands as tourist destination will not only help in generating awareness about the importance of wetlands, but also generate revenue for their conservation”, they pointed out.