Pesticide overuse on vegetables poses health risks in Pabna

Regardless of the consequential health hazards, farmers are using harmful pesticides in cultivation of vegetables in Pabna district.

Sources said cultivators are applying pesticides which are very much harmful to the human body, in vegetable fields, even in some cases beyond the permissible quantity, in the hope of getting higher yield.

As a result, the taste of vegetables gets spoiled and human health also faces risks from various sides.

In some instances, farmers harvest and sell their produce even the day after using pesticides in fields. Although there is a rule not to harvest crops within at least seven days of pesticide use, it is not followed in many cases, putting public health in jeopardy.

Doctors opined that such risks must be overcome, otherwise there is a dark future ahead as far as human health is concerned.

Pabna has a name as a prime vegetable producing district. Vegetables from Pabna play an important role in meeting the country's aggregate demand. But the question is how safe are these vegetables? Where the expected yield is obtained by applying organic fertilisers and using herbal pesticides.

In the hope of extra profit, farmers are using pesticides called Thiovit, Flora and the hormone Okozim in vegetables, which are very harmful to the human body, to get an early harvest.

According to the farmers, they are using these in the hope of extra profit by harvesting vegetables in advance.

According to the Agriculture Department and doctors, although there is a rule not to harvest vegetables from fields immediately after spraying pesticides, they are still selling those within a day or two, while the toxicity of pesticides can last for five to six weeks.

Consequently, consuming these vegetables can lead to various health risks in addition to kidney and liver complications.

Various organs of the human body can be damaged in the long term, said Dr Md. Nazmul Haque, a liver and digestive system specialist at Pabna Medical College. Meanwhile, Civil Surgeon Dr.Shahidullah Dewan told The Financial Express, "Health risks are increasing due to the use of pesticides in vegetables. Despite the rule of wearing a cloth over the face while spraying pesticides in fields, some are reluctant to comply."

"If farmers spray pesticides like this day after day, they will be attacked with various diseases including respiratory complications. There is a high possibility of people getting infected with various serious and complex diseases if they eat vegetables picked on the day of pesticide spraying or the next day," he warned.

Dr Md. Iqtedar Rahman (Shaon), a dermatologist at Pabna Medical College, told The Financial Express, "The number of pesticides farmers are using in vegetables increases the chances of people getting infected with various serious and complex diseases including skin diseases and cancer."

The number of patients with skin diseases is increasing at an alarming rate."Therefore, awareness should be raised at the farmer and consumer level. It should be publicised that vegetables with excessive pesticide application are harmful to the human body. Otherwise, the future is dark," he said.

After visiting various areas including Shanikdia, Ghoshpur, Islampur, and Barara in Pabna Sadar upazila, such inconsistencies were found in the application of pesticides.

Farmers said they spray pesticides using their own ideas and advices of the shopkeepers.

In this case, the correct dosage, application, and specific day interval are not followed. They often spray pesticides excessively.

Jamal Uddin, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Pabna, told The Financial Express, "Vegetables have been cultivated on 16,865 hectares of land in nine upazilas of the district targeting 4,39,091 tonnes of production. Farmers use excessive pesticides in vegetables like brinjal, cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, beans and teasel gourd. Our field-level agriculture officers give guidelines on the use of pesticides in vegetables. Still, some farmers do not follow them and use pesticides as they wish, which causes problems."

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