Need to raise water reservoirs stressed

A major concern for the water conservation drive that 60 percent of the available water resources are wasted. This was stated by International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) Country Head Dr Abdul Majid. He was speaking at a seminar titled ‘Water and Food Security’, organised by the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) Environmental Science department.
He stated that there was a need for improving the water reservoirs to cope with the water shortage and that dams could easily be built to add to the existing water reservoirs. On food security, he said the traditional methods used to harvest crops are costly and that new technology should be applied to get better results.
IIUI Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Prof Dr Irfan said social behaviours regarding water consumption need to be changed. He stated that the need for water and food is growing faster than the human population. He added that water conversation is the key for the survival of the generations to come.
Atlantis Premium Chief Executive Officer Mohsin Lodhi said water is the most important element for human survival.
He stated that Islam also teaches the judicious use of water. He added that there had been a rise in Pakistan in the deaths caused by polluted water.
Polish nationals celebrate success of mountaineers: The members of the Polish community celebrated the success on Thursday of two polish mountaineers who became the first climbers to summit the Gasherbrum I, the world’s second highest mountain.
On March 9, the two Poles made history when they stood 8,068 metres high on the ‘Hidden Peak’ in the Karakoram Range.
They made their ascent without using oxygen- a feat unheard of among mountaineers.
However, the celebrations were marred by the deaths of three mountaineers who lost their lives during the expedition.
The mountaineers included Nisar Hussain, a high-altitude Pakistani porter, Austrian national and team leader Gerfried Goschl and Swiss national Cedric Hahlen.
Talking to the media at a ceremony organised in this regard, Polish team leader Artur Hajzer said climbing the Gasherbrum I was previously considered impossible, especially during the winter season.
“Many people attempt the climb in summer. However, it is impossible to climb any higher than 8,000 feet in February as the weather does not allow it,” said Artur.
Elaborating on the harsh conditions the team faced, he said the winds exceeded 300 kilometres at 10,000 metres and that temperatures at the base camp dropped to 30 degrees below zero. At the summit, it dropped 30 to 50 degrees below zero.