Top scientists committee to research heavy metal and uranium in groundwater of Punjab

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, November 18

The Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, has started materialising the idea of setting up an integrated platform for the researchers of the top institutions of the country such as Atomic Mineral Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDER), Hyderabad, and Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, to provide the solution of contamination of heavy metals and uranium in the groundwater of Malwa region of Punjab.

In a meeting held yesterday, between the top scientists of CUPB, BARC and AMDER, it was decided to set up a six-member high profile committee of the leading scientists, who would collaboratively work, to find out the real-time solution of the heavy metal and uranium in groundwater of Punjab and its surrounding regions.

In this interactive session, Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, Vice Chancellor CUPB, Dr DK Sinha, Director AMDER, R. M. Suresh Babu, Group Director, Health Safety & Environment Group of BARC, along with the other leading scientists including Dr M. Kulkarni, Dr Sanjay Jha, Prof  VK Garg, CUPB, Dr Sunit Mittal were present.

It is pertinent to mention that this integrated platform is a brainchild of Prof Raghvendra P Tiwari, Vice Chancellor, CUPB, to find out the real time solution of contamination of heavy metals and uranium in the groundwater of Punjab.

Prof Raghavendra P Tiwari stated that CUPB has taken the initiative to find out the solutions of groundwater pollution of Punjab by collaborating with the top scientists of leading institutions of the country like BARC and AMDER.

He shared the outcome of the meeting that a high profile committee of leading scientists, two each from all three institutes (CUPB, BARC, AMDER), will be constituted to monitor the research progress and find out real-time solutions of the local heavy metal and uranium in the groundwater.

Tiwari briefed that this integrated platform would generate ample of opportunities to research with premier institutions to promote collaborative research and to get access to high-tech research infrastructure.

He also mentioned that efforts would be made to rope in the Central Ground Water Board for collaborative research in future.

Prof Tiwari further assured that this will help in setting up a platform where best scientists would work together to find out an innovative solution for contamination of groundwater of Punjab.

He added that BARC, Mumbai, and AMDER, Hyderabad, are the premier institutes of India and expertise of their scientists will surely prove to be vital to conduct of path-breaking research.

Prof VK Garg, a leading environmental scientist, of CUPB, briefed that the thrust of discussion during interactive session was to find out sources of contaminants causing groundwater pollution, to study the impact of groundwater quality on the health of localities and to find out suitable solutions to this problem.

Dr Sunil Mittal, Associate Dean, School of Environmental Science & Technology, CUPB, shared the presentation on research projects conducted in the area of groundwater by faculty members of CUPB and discussed the challenges with expert scientists. He shared the current status of groundwater quality in Malwa region of Punjab along with adjoining districts of Haryana and Rajasthan states.