SKUAST-JAMMU SUFFERS HEAVY LOSSES DUE TO FLOODS Jammu, Sep 10: In what could be termed as major setback to research and agricultural education in Jammu Division, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu suffered huge losses during the recent floods in Jammu. The unprecedented rains and massive floods severely damaged physical infrastructure, laboratories, equipments, experimental farms besides glass houses, net houses and high tech polyhouses of the Faculty of Agriculture at University Main Campus Chatha. All the divisions / schools situated at ground floor like Division of Agronomy, Agroforestry, Agricultural Engineering, Biochemistry, Basic Sciences, Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Plant Physiology, Plant Breeding & Genetics, Entomology and School of Genomics & Molecular Biology at Faculty of Agriculture were the major sufferers. Along with flood water, a huge amount of garbage has entered the state of technology laboratories of the Varsity causing heavy losses to expensive laboratory equipments. All the official records and data of scientists has been reduced to rubbish due to the garbage destroying the computers and files. Intensity of flood can be gauged from the fact that many equipments which were installed using heavy machinery have been broken into pieces. The scientists are yet to come up with the losses as their hard work and dedication of years has been vanished owing to natures fury. While causing extensive damage to the official record of scientists and students, the flash floods from Balol Nallah also flooded the Dean Office, Director Educations office, Registrars Office, Examination Cell, Central Library, Student Centre and Farmers Hostel of SKUAST- Jammu at Main Campus Chatha. The Faculty of Veterinary Science at R.S. Pura and Research Stations / KVKs of the Varsity situated at Reasi, Poonch and Rajouri could not escape the fury of nature and suffered heavy losses. An emergency meeting of SKUAST- Teaching Association Jammu (SKUAST-TAJ) was convened by its President Dr. Vikas Sharma to discuss the future strategy of taking up the matter of losses with the State and Central Government. He appealed to the State and Central Government to assess the losses and immediately grant additional budget for reconstruction of the Faculty and putting up the research and teaching of agricultural education in Jammu division back to its main track.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:34:44 +0000