IN the developed countries, the seats of higher learning play pivotal role in the knowledge creation as well as providing solutions to the agriculture and industrial sectors, thus contribute immensely to the economic development.
At long last, our universities have also started treading the same path, which in fact will go a long way in changing the economic landscape of the country.
Talking to the media-men, Vice Chancellor of Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Athar Mahboob, who in fact is an academic leader par excellence, said his university has devised a meteorological system for increasing rainfall.
He said a special agro-economic zone could be established with this system in Cholistan Desert.
Of late, there had been severe water shortage in this region with death of animals also reported.
The innovative idea presented by the Vice Chancellor of Islamia University of Bahawalpur for increasing rainfall in the desert area will prove to be useful as on the one hand this will significantly increase the agricultural area and help deal with the challenge of food security whilst on the other hand this will make the locals of Cholistan prosperous and bring improvement to their living standards.
We will, therefore, strongly recommend the federal and provincial governments to extend full support to Athar Mahboob to give this plan a practical shape.
In fact, we can also get support both technical and financial from our friends such as China to implement this on the ground.
After its successful execution in Cholistan, the same can be replicated in other areas such as Thar to bring large swathes of land under cultivation.
We have no doubt in saying that the successful implementation of this project can bring an agricultural revolution in the country.
Under Athar Mahboob, Islamia University of Bahawalpur has also made some other strides such as introduction of several cotton varieties.
Whilst other universities should also follow the suit and focus on coming up with innovation projects either in industries or agriculture, we will suggest that our agriculture research institutes should work with Islamia University of Bahawalpur to enhance the productivity of our agriculture sector.
Doing so will help achieve self-reliance in food items and save valuable foreign exchange currently being spent on their imports.
