Pesticides have failed to thwart pest invasion, caused health hazards: ICRA

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New Delhi, Mar 16: A study done by ICRA has said that though chemical pesticides have contributed to India’s growing food production, they have also paved the way for serious outbreaks of pests and diseases as well as damage to bio-diversity and the environment.

Despite the use of pesticides, pest outbreaks continue in many crops and many pests like bollworms and whitefly in cotton, brown planthopper in rice, Spodoptera litura in groundnut have developed manifold resistance due to indiscriminate use of pesticides. It said that laboratory studies show that pesticides can cause health problems like birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time. The study further said, ‘More than 80% of milk samples tested in India were found to contain residues of DDT and HCH. According to another study, the residue of DDT and benzene hexachloride, both suspected carcinogens, were found in breast milk samples collected from mothers in Punjab. The amount of residue was very high and babies were ingesting 21 times the amount of these chemicals considered acceptable, through their mother’s milk. Pesticide residues have often been detected in most parts of the country in food grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, feed and fodder, and fibre.’

According to the study about 72% of the food samples showed a presence of pesticide residues within tolerance level and in 25% samples they were above the tolerance levels. BHC and DDT residues have been detected in the milk samples including human milk. Similarly, the residues of these two pesticides have also been found in egg and spices. Residues of other pesticides like organophosphorous, carbomates, synthetic pyrethroids, organochlorine pesticides such as Aldrin, Dieldrin, Chlordane, Lindane, Endosulphan have also been found. “This indicates the seriousness of pesticide residue hazards prevailing in the country,” the ICRA study said.

The ICRA study made out a case for bio-pesticides and said, “They are inherently less harmful, more target-specific than chemical pesticides affecting only the target pests and their close relatives. In contrast, chemical pesticides often destroy friendly insects, birds, and mammals. Bio-pesticides are often effective in small quantities and they decompose quickly and do not leave problematic residues.”

The study said that with growing awareness about the ill effects of chemical pesticides, coupled with the introduction of integrated pest management in different crops, and cultivation of Bt cotton, there has been a marked reduction in the use of chemical pesticides.