Biotechnology Park to be established in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD: National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) Director General Dr Shahid Mansoor Friday said first Biotechnology Park of Pakistan will be established in M-3 industrial city, Faisalabad.

During his visit to the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), he said the government is also mulling to setup proposed National University of Bio-sciences to avail the existing expertise of Nuclear Institute for Agriculture & Biotechnology (NIAB) and the NIBGE.

He said cutting edge biotechnology has gained importance in almost all segments of economy. Regarding Biotechnology Park, he said NIBGE has 12 acres of land in M3 Industry city near Sahianwala interchange.

“Its scientists will provide Research and Development facilities while businessmen in general and young entrepreneurs in particular will commercialize new and innovative technologies.

He said the FCCI should work closely with NIBGE and take responsibility to finance different pilot projects based on new and workable ideas.

Explaining the achievements of the NIBGE, he said it has introduced the innovative idea of floating gardens to recycle the industrial effluent. “These floating gardens are being successfully used in Chakera water treatment ponds by Water And Sanitation Agency (WASA)”, he maintained.

He said this facility could also be provided for Paharang and Maduaana drains passing from the western and eastern side of the city. “These floating gardens will treat the waste water before its safe discharge into the nearby river”, he said and added that it will not pollute the river water and thus play an instrumental role in saving aquatic life. He further said that treated water of these drains could also be used for irrigation purposes in the water starved areas of the region.

FCCI senior vice president Chaudhry Talat Mahmood appreciated the role of NIAB and NIBGE in the overall development of the country and said our main issue is dissemination of innovative technology at the gross root level and in this connection the FCCI and NIBGE should ink a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU). Executive Member Dr. Sajjad Arshad said Pakistan is importing vaccines for poultry birds from Egypt.

“NIBGE must prepare this vaccine locally to save the precious foreign exchange”, he added. The meeting was also attended by Dr Habib Aslam Gaba and other executive members of the FCCI.