Keeping in view of alarming impacts of environmental pollutants on animal and human health in Punjab, rise in cases of cancer and chronic diseases in cotton belt of Punjab, this workshop has been organized in collaboration with University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada this was informed by Dr VK Taneja Vice-chancellor, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) Ludhiana. Dr Taneja said there is need of scrutiny in of water, food, animal feed of various districts of Punjab State, which has confronted with a serious problem of contamination to develop strategies for production of residue free food of animal origin. A consistent and effective strategy needs to be derived to reduce these impacts and long-term effects on the environmental components. He also informed that Veterinary University has taken up a collaborative research project on “Environmental pollutants and zoonotic pathogens in Punjab: their impact on animal and human health” with University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada under International Partnership Fund Programme. The project envisages collaborative research in the areas of public health, zoonoses and environmental toxicology; exchange of faculty members from each institution and to provide financial assistance to post graduate students to undertake collaborative research in the designated areas. The long-term objective of this research initiative is to develop an integrated map of pesticide residues in animals, animal products, humans, soil and water, and study their physiological effects on the animal and human systems and advocate remedial measures.
The Department of Veterinary Public Health GADVASU organized an International Workshop on Environmental Pollutants and their impact on Human and Animal Health on 24th January at GADVASU, Ludhiana. Dr. John Gordon, Director of Canadian Center for Health and Safety in Agriculture, Dr. Baljit Singh Associate Dean, Research, Western College of Veterinary Medicine University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, experts from PAU, Ludhiana, Dr. Sameer Malhotra, PGI Chandigarh, Satpal Verma of Pollution Control Board. Dr.MPS Khurana of PAU interacted in this international workshop.
Dr. John Gordon revealed that international community should form a joint forum to address the issues of environmental pollutants and their harmful impacts on humanity.
Dr JPS Gill Organizing Secretary and Professor cum Head, Veterinary Public health has informed that scientists exchanged their expert views on pesticides, heavy and toxic metals, air pollutants in the workshop. He said that though Punjab has 1.5% of the Indian land mass, it consumes almost 15% of the total pesticides. Numerous reports and surveys have highlighted high incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases particularly in the cotton belt of Punjab, which is known for its intense use of pesticides in agriculture. Dr. Gill said that obviously the issue needs thorough investigation and proper mitigation strategies. The Panel Discussion of project coordinators, investigators with Canadian counterparts of collaborative research project will be held on 25th January at GADVASU to plan future strategies of this research project.
