Dealing with ‘silent killer’ : The Tribune India

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Dealing with ‘silent killer’

Do you know “someone” is secretly violating your fundamental right to life? Uninformed, you are being slowly poisoned to death.



Ruchi Allahabadia

Do you know “someone” is secretly violating your fundamental right to life? Uninformed, you are being slowly poisoned to death. The ‘silent killer’ has made its way into your home. Daily, in bits and pieces, you are being administered venom and you think you are an educated, intelligent person who can decipher between right and wrong?

This is the stark reality for every Punjabi or perhaps every Indian!

Day in and day out, adulteration in milk and milk products is making headlines, with news about the seizure of spurious milk, sub-standard paneer, synthetic khoya, misleading/misbranded edible oils.

The smarter ones have chosen to play safe by resorting to branded, packaged products. But, the question is: are these “smarter ones” really “smart” or is there someone around to outsmart them too?

Recently, there were media reports that Basmati rice export orders have been declined by the US and European Union due to presence of excessive pesticide residue. Basmati is a non-MSP crop. It is procured by private traders/millers. If the Basmati exports were rejected, where has the 1 million tonne Basmati procured for exports gone? It hasn’t landed in your kitchen, I hope.

Dig deeper and the fact is that pesticides, herbicides, insecticides along with chemical fertilisers and agro chemicals are the real villains. Overwhelmed by the Malthusian scare-mongering tactics of the pesticide/fertiliser industry, the farmers resort to un-mindful usage of pesticides/fertilisers for a bumper harvest.

As per PAU recommendations, there is no need of application of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser for paddy in case it follows the wheat crop cycle. However, farmers of Punjab have been using about 40,000 tonnes of DAP for the paddy crop each year. Similarly, as per the recommendations of PAU, only two bags of urea are required for paddy crop. Farmers have been using three to four.

According to official statistics of the Punjab Agriculture Department, last year 10.5 lakh tonnes of urea was used by farmers for the paddy crop. Directly or indirectly, the toxicity of these unwanted chemicals is taking a toll on human health.

The presence of residue of pesticides — Acephate, Cabandazim, Thiamethoxam, Tricyclazole and Triazophos — in Basmati stalled export orders but since these pesticides are registered with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC), the usage goes unabated. The EU and United States have categorically refused to accept such rice, but then there are always Indians back home who can be made to consume.

The Punjab Government through its flagship programme Tandrust Punjab Mission claims that the consumption of DAP in paddy has been reduced substantially. It deserves kudos if true.

In this changing world, with unique challenges that threaten the health and well-being of the population, it is imperative that the government and community collectively rise to the occasion and face these challenges simultaneously, inclusively and sustainably to restrain the ‘silent killer’.

Need for collective effort

It is imperative that the government and community collectively rise to the occasion and face these challenges simultaneously, inclusively and sustainably to restrain the 'silent killer'. 

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