FAISALABAD, Feb 1: University of Agriculture (UoA) Vice Chancellor Dr. Bashir Ahmed has said that 80 per cent of water pumped through tube-wells is unfit for irrigation due to which lands are turning barren.

Speaking to participants of a seminar on 'A comparison of production in Indian and Pakistani Punjab' held here at the university on Tuesday, the VC said a majority of the Punjab farmers was using tube-wells and 80 per cent of this water had become unfit.

He said production in the Indian Punjab was much more high as compared to the Pakistani province despite having about one-fourth land resources. Mr Ahmed said per acre yield of all cash crops, especially wheat, rice and sugarcane, was also high in India and Pakistan had failed to compete the Indian growers and scientists despite making all-out efforts in the field of agriculture.

The vice-chancellor said there were 80 tractors in the Indian Punjab for cultivation on one-hectare area against 19 here. "We have only 473,667 tube-wells in the Punjab to irrigate lands but the Indian province has 1,090,000 tube-wells."

Dr. Bashir further said all villages of the Indian Punjab had been electrified and connected with cities through metalled roads but the situation in Pakistan is far different. Jawed Niaz Manj, Zafar Iqbal, Dr. Saeed Ahmed and other growers and scientists also addressed the seminar.