Experts unfold strategies to mitigate soil pollution

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 3

The 30th national-level training course on ‘Soil, air, water pollution and mitigation strategies’ organised by the Centre of Advanced Faculty Training (CAFT), Department of Soil Science, PAU was inaugurated yesterday.

The event sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, was inaugurated by Dr HS Dhaliwal, dean, College of Agriculture, who was also the chief guest on the occasion.

In his inaugural address, Dr Dhaliwal highlighted the issue of soil, air and water pollution and said large quantities of fertilisers and pesticides used during the last four decades had posed a serious threat to the agricultural ecosystem. Dhaliwal also discussed how contamination of soil by pollutants and their absorption by plants beyond permissible limits had resulted in contamination of the food chain.

Training in mitigation strategies for soil, air and water pollution and sustaining crop yields was given.

The three-week-long training programme will cover topics based on environment issues associated with intensive agriculture, influence of industrial effluents, wastage of water, heavy metal pollution and crop nutrition, ameliorative techniques for mitigating heavy metal toxicity due to use of sewage, urban solid waste and industrial effluents.

Dr MS Hadda, head, Department of Soil Science, welcomed the chief guest. Dr OP Choudhary, chief-coordinator, CAFT, said about 25 participants from different ICAR institutes and state agricultural universities attended the training course.

Discussion on carbon sequestration— key to mitigate carbon dioxide concentration and sustain soil quality, salinity pollution, nitrate pollution due to fertilizers, pesticides loading in soil and water will also be held.