Research and contemplation should be done to make sea water drinkable. This was stated by Higher and Technical Education Minister Umashankar Gupta at Hydro 2014-Internatinal Conference at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) here on Thursday.
The conference will hold discussions on hydraulics, water resources, seashore and environmental engineering from December 18 to 20. As many as 290 research papers will be read out at the conference. The Technical Education Minister said that the conference should extensively contemplate on conserving nature’s gift water. He said that at the conference, such conclusions should be drawn that are helpful for the State and Central Governments to chalk out effective strategies.
He said that environmental aspect of river linking project should also be discussed. Gupta said that the State has achieved 24.99 agriculture growth rate and 11.08 GDP only as a result of conferences (Panchayats) of various sections of society convened by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Gupta informed that area under irrigation has also increased from 7.5 lakh hectares to 27 lakh hectares. He also released souvenir of the conference. MANIT’s Director Prof Appu Kuttan KK said that MANIT will be brought under-10 technical institutes in the country. Prof Kuttan said that MANIT is under-15 at present.
Prof BP Singh of Texas University, America while quoting Ramayana’s chaupai “Kshiti, Jal, Pawak, Gagan, Sameera— Panch Tatva Se Bana Shareera” said that life is inconceivable without water. Meanwhile, Prof BP Singh was conferred lifetime Achievement Award of Indian Society for Hydraulics. He said that students should be taught to conserve water right from school level.