‘Researchers must focus on control of mercury pollution’

AGRA: “Researchers should focus on accumulation, biomagnification and control of mercury pollution as part of the Indian contribution to the United Nations Minamata Convention,” said Prof Asif Qureshi, department of civil engineering, IIT Hyderabad.

He was delivering a lecture as part of the week-long programme on World Environment Day for sensitisation and awareness on the UN convention on mercury, organised by the department of botany, Aligarh Muslim University.

Prof Qureshi said, the United Nations Minamata convention is an international treaty to protect the world environment from mercury pollution and India is one of the first 140 countries to sign this treaty.

Prof Fareed Ahmad Khan, the organising host said, the UN treaty has 35 articles regarding the control of mercury pollution and the role of scientists working in the field. “The convention expects active role of WHO, UNEP in developing effective scientific techniques and medical treatment protocols to control the mercury pollution and trade of mercury polluting items,” he said.

He said, some very interesting scientific research as per the requirement of this convention will soon be published/ contributed by the department of botany, AMU. Prof Wasim Ahmad, dean, faculty of life sciences, AMU and co-patron of the programme urged the scientists to focus on quality research in this area to keep India as a leading, active and significant contributor in controlling the mercury pollution at national and global scale.

The programme ended with a vote of thanks.