Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 14: With a hope to retrieve their research works of years, Scientists in Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-J), which suffered huge losses of infrastructure and intellectual properties during the recent flash floods, are personally cleansing the campus, particularly the laboratories.
Divisions situated at ground floor of the Faculty of Agriculture Main Campus Chatha are in shambles as state of the art laboratories of the University have been flooded with huge amount of garbage rendering expensive equipments totally non functional.
Chemicals worth crores were washed away and all the official record and data of scientists have been reduced to rubbish. Scientific literature, germplasm, microbial cultures were destroyed and the computers have become non functional. The scientists are yet to come up with the losses as their hard work and dedication of years has been vanished owing to nature’s fury. The entire scientific community of the varsity is trying very hard to retrieve their research works and bring normalcy on the campus.
While causing extensive damage to the official record of scientists and students, the flash floods from Balol Nallah also flooded the office of the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture SKUAST- Jammu at Main Campus Chatha. It also completely damaged all the computers and furniture of the Dean’s office.
Pertinent to mention that Research and class work have been suspended in the varsity for the time being as heavy floods completely destroyed the farm machinery in the field, classrooms and laboratory equipments of various departments.
Dr Vikas Sharma, president of SKUAST – Teaching Association Jammu (SKUAST-TAJ) discussed the prevailing situation with his executive body, comprising Dr Vivek M Arya, Dr Rajeev Sangra, Dr Devinder Sharma and others. He also appealed the Governer N N Vohra to depute a team of experts to assess the ground losses to the University for immediately grant of additional budget for reconstruction of the faculty and purchasing of equipments, chemicals etc so that research and agricultural education in Jammu division is back to its main track.
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