Yavatmal Pesticide Poisoning toll raises 15 - Task force urge GOI to address Core Issues of Crisis
Dated-30 september 2017
As many as 15 deaths of innocent tribal farm workers and farmers & more than 600 cases of inhalation infection after pesticides poisoning reported in last 15 days in farm suicides ridden Yavatmal district of maharashtra ,Indiscriminate and faulty use with wrong combinations of pesticides, and direct and extended exposure without any protective gear for days together to insecticides are some of the apparent reasons for the death of farmers and farm workers in Yavatmal district in the last two months but core issues related to genetically modified Bt cotton seeds that are supposed to be resistant to bollworm and other infestations failed to serve the purpose resulting massive pesticide spray along with use of very toxic and internationally banned monocrotophos (class I pesticide) which makes the plants look very green and healthy but it also causes resurgence of pink boll worm. "The chances of exposure to toxic chemicals increase as the farmers use many non-recommended combinations,The chief of Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission (the state government task force to deal with farm distress) Kishore Tiwari informed today.
The victims are
1.Dashrath Chavan (50) from Naygaon in Darwha tehsil; ;
2.Devidas Madavi (52) from Kalamb;
3.Kailash Pendor (45) from Jamni in Patan;
4.Ayub Sheikh (30) from Kalgaon in Digras tehsil;
5.Anil Chavan (24) from Kalamb;
6.Ramesh Chirawar (45) from Ghatanji and
7.Ravi Rathod (35) from Uchegaon
8.Vithal Parkewar pahapal kelapur
9.Pradip Soyam tembhi kelapur
10.Vasant Sidam Maregoan
11.Maroti Pimpalkar Kalegoan
12.divakar Ghoshi Ghoddara
13.Shankar Kedam Talki
14.Dipak Madavi shendurghani Arni
15.Bndu Sonurle from Manoli ,all are in Yavatmal district
The team experts tem visited in crisis hit area found that most of the farm labours engaged in spraying want to cover as much areas as possible in a single day to earn more. Also, they try to work in as many fields as possible in the season. They end up working for 8-10 hours a day at a stretch whereas they should be working just in morning hours without eating or drinking.
"The farmers take smoke breaks, tobacco chewing breaks or drink water with the same hands that they are spraying with without washing hands. They don't wear a shirt allowing more body area to be exposed to pesticide,"
Earlier The chief of Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission (the state government task force to deal with farm distress) Kishore Tiwari has claimed this year the situation could be worse as it is found that the Bt cotton seeds were now susceptible to attack of not only pink worm, but also thips , mealybug and regular bollworm. With over 40 lakh hectares under cotton cultivation, Maharashtra has largest area of cotton crop in the country.
The state Previous agriculture commissioner S Kendrekar is believed to have apprised deputy director (quality control) of Union agriculture ministry on August 1 about the situation. According to him, last year too incidents of pink worm attacks were reported and confirmed by CICR too hence now in order to stop victimization and killing innocent tribal farm workers state has to ban chemical farming in this farm suicide hit region of indian ,TIwari urged .
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