KOCHI: After Endosulfan worries, the Agricultural Department has now started taking steps to monitor the usage of banned pesticides in the district.
A special inspection team led by the District Collector was formed for the task recently. The department issued notices through agricultural officers to all outlets in the district to stop the sale of banned pesticides.
It ordered retailers to return banned pesticides and other toxic and hazardous materials kept in stock to manufacturers.
The department banned about 15 pesticides, including Endosulfan, four herbicides and three fungicides in May. Commonly-used Furadan, Phorate, Metacid, Paramelt, Parattaff, Monocrotophod, Nuvacrone, Monophose, Hilcrone, Monocil are among the banned pesticides. Hinosan, H-phose, and Beam are the banned fungicides. Technical Officer of Agricultural Department Saji Varghese said, “The government took its decision after a report by the Agricultural University sought ban on pesticides that are hazardous to nature and people”.
Paddy and vegetable farmers commonly use these pesticides. “Paddy farmers spray pesticides four to six times in their farm within a five-month period,” M P Thomas, a farmer from the Edakkattuvyel panchayat, said. “Herbicides and fungicides, too, are used before cultivation,” he said.
Bitter gourd, snake gourd and pea are usually grown in the district during summers. Since these vegetables are vulnerable to pests, hazardous pesticides are used during cultivation.
A pesticide outlet run by the Farmers Co-operative Society in the district sold pesticides worth `8 lakh in the last cultivation season which ended in May, a source said. “Pineapple cultivation is common in eastern parts of the district as an intercrop in rubber plantations. After three years of cultivation, farmers use weedkillers to dry out the plants. It causes health problems to the residents. But the authorities concerned do not bother to stop this trend,” said Swamidas, an activist of Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad.