Srinagar: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir held online expert talks and student competitions to commemorate World Nature Conservation Day.
The programme was conducted by the University’s Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura in collaboration with ICAR-World Bank funded National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). Online painting and one-minute video competition was also organised in which more than 100 scholars, students and scientists participated.
Prof Raihana Habib Kanth, Chief Scientist Agronomy and Faculty Coordinator IDP-NAHEP, Faculty of Agriculture Wadura, in the welcome address, said that world nature conservation day is observed to create and increase awareness about the importance of natural resources and how one can live sustainably, protect earth’s natural resources that are fast depleting owing to overexploitation and even misuse.
Indira Prakash, ESS consultant, NAHEP ICAR, New Delhi gave a presentation about the Environment Management Framework and Environmental Legal Regulations and Guidelines of National Agricultural Higher Educational Project. She talked about Trees Act, The Air (Prevention and Control Pollution Act) 1981, National biodiversity Act 2002, Energy conservation Act 2001, E-waste (Management and Handling Rules), 2016 and about the safeguard policies triggered by NAHEP like environmental assessment, natural habitation and pest management with the objective to ensure the environmental sustainability and to integrate the key environmental concerns in agriculture into education and research. She also spoke about the environmental friendly features like reducing energy use, roof tap solar systems, paper recycling machine and innovative ways for conservation of environment, natural ecosystem and waste management.
In addition to the webinar from the expert, selected youth presented their views under the theme “My future My voice”. The school students Tawkeer-un-nisa (2nd Std.), Hadeeqat Khalid (10th std.), Hurmat Khalid (12th Std.) and students of Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, Saika Ashraf and Goldy Fhonsa (UG Std.) and Rafiq Ahmad Mengnoo (PG student) expressed their views on conservation of nature, biodiversity, water, wildlife and soil respectively.
The webinar was attended by many scientists of SKUAST-K including Prof. Azmat Alam Khan, Prof. M. Ashraf Bhat, Prof. Shaheen Kausar, Prof. Zahoor Ahmad Dar, Dr. Zahida Rashid, Dr. Sabeena Malik, Dr. Sabiya Bashir, Dr. Tahir A Sheikh and Dr. Najeeb Mughal.

KR Desk