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Monday, Jun 02, 2008
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Two die of pesticide poisoning

Staff Correspondent

Brothers Kuldeep and Sandeep had eaten cucumber from their field

Concern over excessive use of dangerous and banned pesticides by farmers
Awareness campaign needed about safety precautions while spraying pesticides

DEHRA DUN: Two brothers died after eating cucumber freshly sprayed with pesticides in their field in village Khanpur in Laksar area of Hardwar district on Friday.

Kuldeep and Sandeep had gone to look after their cucumber field that fateful evening and plucked two cucumbers and ate them. Soon they developed severe stomach ache and dizziness and were rushed to a hospital. Kuldeep died on the way while Sandeep died in the hospital, villagers said.

Formal report

Although confirming the incident, the Laksar police station said that they would register a formal report only after receiving a complaint from the parents or someone from the village.

Expressing grave concern over the excessive use of dangerous and often banned pesticides and farmers sending the crops to the markets before completion of the safe waiting periods, Ms Bithi Chandramohan, Chairperson Lokhit Foundation urged the Government to immediately launch a mass awareness campaign to educate the farmers, especially the labourers about the safety precautions that need to be taken during and after spray of pesticides on crops.

Ban sought

The State Agriculture Minister, Mr Trivendra Singh Rawat should also order a complete ban on the sale and use of pesticides banned under the Stockholm Convention and subsequent orders of the Union Government, she said.

“ Instances of a good number of persons, mostly poor labourers employed to spray pesticides, developing symptoms like dizziness, rashes, vomiting, irritation in the eye and throat are common in the rural areas of Hardwar, Udham Singh Nagar and plains of Dehra Dun and Naini Tal districts and we have to take effective steps to protect the farmers, farm labourers as well as the population consuming such contaminated fruits, vegetables and cereals before it is too late,” she said adding that access to clean poison free food and safe working conditions for the labourers was a fundamental right of every Indian citizen.

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