EdMail
Protracted strangulation of PCSIR
By Technology Times at October 1, 2012 | 12:00 am | 0 Comment
ADVANCEMENT OF science and technology is the key to the development. Pakistan has tried to keep up with the times but seems to be going under on several other issues. They have grievously neglected a large institute which only serves science; Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR). Scientists working in this Council, with the limited available more...
Testing Aquamax, Artesian technologies for corn
By Technology Times at September 30, 2012 | 11:58 pm | 0 Comment
PIONEER SEED Company (Dupont) and Syngenta have developed the Aquamax and Artesian technologies to develop drought tolerant Corn. These technologies have been developed using the ‘Old school’ germ plasm breeding techniques. Monsanto on the other hand is working to develop ‘Droughtgard’ which depends on genetic modification and maybe available in 2013-14 and is more...
Climate change and agriculture
By Technology Times at September 23, 2012 | 12:42 pm | 0 Comment
AGRICULTURE IS the mainstay of Pakistan’s economy. According to Pakistan Economic Survey 2011-12, it is important for growth, exports, incomes, food security and industrialisation. It is the second largest sector of the economy and contributes about 21 per cent to the GDP, generates productive employment opportunities for 45 per cent of our labour force and 60 per more...
Decommissioning of large dams
By Technology Times at September 18, 2012 | 4:34 pm | 0 Comment
ACCORDING TO international rivers, on Aug 16, after nearly 10 years of campaigning, La Parota Dam, in Mexico, was officially cancelled. La Parota would have consisted of a 900 MW dam on the Papagayo River 28km from the city of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero. It would have flooded close to 17,000 hectares of land, displaced more than 25,000 people, and affected another more...
Overpopulation: a ticking bomb
By Technology Times at September 10, 2012 | 5:23 pm | 0 Comment
THE MEDIA and politicians always talk about corruption, terrorism, militancy, economy, employment, inflation, loadshedding, education, law and order and overpopulation. We have one of the highest birth rates in the world, but we do not care about it. And this is the only problem for which we cannot blame the Indians and Americans. It is not on the agenda of any of the more...
Curbing deforestation
By Technology Times at September 10, 2012 | 5:21 pm | 0 Comment
I HAVE personally witnessed erosion of the Chenab River near Shorkot where cultivatable land was being eroded by the river, reducing useful land. I think the Irrigation Department concerned is not taking any note of it which is depriving owners of precious agricultural land. I suggest that floods every year are for warning against such devastations. This must be more...
Time for telcos to appoint industry spokesperson
By Technology Times at September 2, 2012 | 5:26 pm | 0 Comment
PAKISTAN’S CELLULAR companies have been hit with industry specific situations lately. From tax evasion to shutdown of cellular services on Eid day and then the issue of ban on prepaid SIMs. During all these events, media persons remained deprived of sufficient and correct information from cellular companies, for the reasons we will mention below. Since banning of more...
Thar drought and migration
By Technology Times at September 2, 2012 | 5:25 pm | 0 Comment
THIS YEAR, due to lack of monsoon rains, the area is again experiencing a drought and the district government has already recommended declaring the district as calamity-hit. There are indications that the situation might turn out to be more serious than it was in 1985-87 and 1999-2000 when Tharparkar had its worst droughts in last three decades. The last year’s more...
Demo of water car
By Technology Times at August 24, 2012 | 5:01 pm | 1 Comments
I WOULD like to share with readers that way back in the early 1940s, just before the end of World War II, an experiment to run water-fuelled car was successfully held and went into operation in the former state of Hyderabad (Deccan), India. As a reaction to extreme scarcity and rationing of petrol, Mahboob Ali, a pioneering former director of wireless and broadcasting and more...
Corporate farming in Pakistan
By Technology Times at August 24, 2012 | 4:55 pm | 0 Comment
DURING THE last couple of years the increase in prices of staple commodities have forced many countries to grow their own crops to manage supplies for their domestic consumers. In pursuit of what is being called food security, some Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have focused on Pakistan to undertake corporate farming on its fertile more...
Automobile companies
By Technology Times at August 13, 2012 | 2:26 am | 0 Comment
IT IS common scientific knowledge that water when electrolysed yields hydrogen and oxygen gas. This gas, known as HHO, is supposedly supplied to the engine as fuel. The point of contention here is that this is being put forward as a new invention. A cursory search on the Internet reveals that this so-called invention is nothing new. In fact, this idea has been more...
Floods and disaster management
By Technology Times at August 13, 2012 | 2:24 am | 0 Comment
I REGRET to say that the authorities concerned have not learnt a lesson from the devastating floods in the last two years. They have not prepared any disaster management plan to counter possible floods this year. Despite millions of dollars as relief funds from within and outside Pakistan, the authorities concerned and NGOs have hardly done enough to feed and shelter more...
Pesticide harmful for health…
By Technology Times at August 6, 2012 | 11:00 pm | 0 Comment
PAKISTAN IS an agricultural country. Some of the major crops grown here include cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize, banana and sunflower, but how do we protect and safeguard them from harmful pests and diseases? Being a plant protectionist, I would suggest that we should apply and use all safeguard measures, which have been recommended by experts. Chemicals control more...
Dams: A national necessity
By Technology Times at August 6, 2012 | 10:57 pm | 0 Comment
IT IS right in general saying that agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan’s economy. He has spelt out in detail all the benefits that accrue to the country from agriculture as well as the many reasons for its decline. Surprisingly, he did not mention the shortage of water. There is a 24 per cent shortage of water in the Kharif period and up to 40 per cent for the Rabi more...
Pesticide use proving harmful
By Technology Times at July 30, 2012 | 6:21 pm | 0 Comment
PAKISTAN IS an agricultural country where different crops are cultivated according to the season and the region. Some of the major crops grown here include cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize, banana and sunflower. But how do we protect and safeguard them from harmful pests and diseases? Being a plant protectionist, I would suggest that we should apply and use all more...
Dr Salam’s legacy
By Technology Times at July 30, 2012 | 6:17 pm | 0 Comment
I AM distressed to learn that Dr Abdus Salam, who led to the discovery of the subatomic ‘God particle’, is not well-regarded in his homeland. He holds the distinction of being the only and the first Pakistani scientist to receive a Nobel Prize in physics. He tirelessly advocated for the development of science in the Third World countries. Dr Salam shared the more...
Why hydropower?
By Technology Times at July 23, 2012 | 2:13 pm | 0 Comment
HYDROPOWER IS globally recognized as a renewable, cheap and reliable resource of energy as it generates electricity with zero emission and produces no waste. There is no requirement of fuel, operating cost is much lower and hydropower plants have longer economic lives than thermal plants. Pakistan has total installed power generation capacity of 20,456 MW. The demand more...
Propaganda on GM Corn
By Technology Times at July 23, 2012 | 2:13 pm | 0 Comment
REFERENCE TO the current debate of GM crop in Pakistan, I found that Pioneer, Syngenta and Monsanto make the following claims with reference to introduction of GM/Bt Corn in our country: 1. Corn yields will increase 2. Pesticide usage reduction will occur 3. Economic benefit to Pakistani farmers The questions that regulators, farmers, media & more...
Dangers for girls leaving personal info on internet
By Technology Times at July 17, 2012 | 5:18 am | 0 Comment
IN THIS day and age, with predators lurking everywhere, it is very dangerous for girls to leave pictures, cell phone numbers, addresses, or any personal information for that matter, anywhere on the internet. The most common place where predators look for girls’ personal information is social networking websites, the most common being Facebook. Girls are naive and more...
Dangers for girls leaving personal info on internet
By Technology Times at July 10, 2012 | 12:04 am | 0 Comment
IN THIS day and age, with predators lurking everywhere, it is very dangerous for girls to leave pictures, cell phone numbers, addresses, or any personal information for that matter, anywhere on the internet. The most common place where predators look for girls’ personal information is social networking websites, the most common being Facebook. Girls are naive and more...
Environment unfriendly plastic use
By Technology Times at July 10, 2012 | 12:01 am | 0 Comment
MAN-MADE PLASTIC has been a boon in many ways and has countless uses, but it is also an environmental time-bomb waiting to explode. These plastics do not decompose easily and, hence, lead to countless health and environmental hazards when disposed of carelessly. Burning of plastic bags and items leads to the creation of noxious fumes, such as carbon monoxide. The more...
Mass hunting of markhor
By Technology Times at July 2, 2012 | 9:37 pm | 0 Comment
I WOULD like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned towards the mass hunting of wildlife at Goth Ismail Shikari Kharkhacho tehsil, Bela district, Lasbella, Balochistan. About 10,000 wild goats (markhor) and sheep are present in this area and people are free to hunt. Wildlife is diminishing and damaging the beauty of area. Locals d lodged a complaint with more...
Averting energy crisis
By Technology Times at July 2, 2012 | 9:36 pm | 0 Comment
EVERY YEAR in winter people are promised to overcome power loadshedding, and then every year in summer they have a naked excuse by the government. This year, too, the government has played the same. Among many of their unfathomable ideas, one is to ask the commercial sector to shut down their business during their peak hours. The others include displaying a unique more...
Govt yet to drain Attabad Lake
By Technology Times at July 2, 2012 | 9:34 pm | 0 Comment
I AM writing this letter to highlight a pivotal issue which the dwellers and local businessmen of Gilgit-Baltistan have been facing since January 2010 due to the forming of artificial Attabad Lake. The people living upstream remained cut off from the rest of the district for several months, but the local businessmen provided them relief by starting a ferry more...
Technology to fight file culture
By Technology Times at June 23, 2012 | 4:47 pm | 0 Comment
PRIVATE SECTOR organisations are making the best use of computer technology, smartly addressing customer complaints, but government offices still carry out work manually. All records are maintained in large registers and files. Office rooms are filled with large bales of files. Instead of providing computers to government offices, officials resist working on more...
