History of science,innovations in Punjab to be compiled

Once compiled,the compendium may be distributed at schools,libraries and other institutes. Funded by the Union Department of Science and Technology,the project will be completed in two years. PSCST Additional Director Dr Neelam Gulati Sharma will be the chief investigator of the project along with Bath.

“At present,scientists at individual levels have compiled histories of various states,but Punjab is probably the first one where a government department is doing the job. However,at the all-India level,a list has been compiled,” he said.

Bath maintained that to attract the youth towards the subject,they have to be told that people of the region were trailblazers and the state’s forts,bridges,roads,gardens and the irrigation system vouch for their scientific acumen. People of the Indus Valley Civilisation followed scientific agricultural practices and their system of measurement and computational techniques for constructions and commercial transactions and town planning were very advanced,he added.

The compendium will cover all eras up to post-Independence and the concluding chapter will talk about the current scenario – problems arising out of unplanned development and future scientific requirements.

The history of science and technology in Punjab began at Mehrgarh (now in Pakistan) and irrigation was developed in the Indus Valley Civilization,which brought prosperity and eventually lead to more planned settlements.

Claiming that the region was more advanced than the West,he added: “There were pottery pipes in walls that allowed drainage of water. In some cases,there was also the provision of a crib for sitting in toilets. Excavations at Balakot in Pakistan have yielded evidence of an early furnace. The Aryans’ knowledge of astronomy and mathematics gave them a military and technological advantage.”

Listing other achievements of the region,Bath said: “During the Mughal rule,the introduction of Persian wheel facilitated artificial irrigation,resulting in considerable increase in agricultural production. After the Turks introduced manufacturing of paper,Sialkot emerged as an important industrial hub. Then came Sufis and Sikh gurus,who popularised scientific temper through their teachings.” Ranjit Singh was the first ruler in Punjab who made largescale utilisation of canal water for the irrigation,he added.