Indian veggies, fruits remain highly toxic

Pesticides Much Higher Than European Standards

New Delhi: Rampant use of banned pesticides in fruits and vegetables continues to put at risk the life of the common man. Farmers apply pesticides such as chlordane, endrin and heptachor that can cause serious neurological problems, kidney damage and skin diseases. A study conducted by Delhi-based NGO Consumer-Voice reveals that the amount of pesticides used in eatables in India is as much as 750 times the European standards. The survey collected sample data from various wholesale and retail shops in Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata.
    ''Out of five internationally-banned pesticides, four were found to be common in vegetables sold in the Indian markets. Banned pesticides were found in bitter gourd and spinach,'' said Sisir Ghosh, head of Consumer-Voice. The banned chemicals included chlordane, a potent central nervous system toxin, endrin, which can cause headache nausea and dizziness, and heptachor that can damage the liver and decrease fertility.
    Officials said the tests conducted on vegetables at the government-approved and NABLaccredited laboratory, Arbro Analytical Division, revealed that ladies finger contained captan, a toxic pesticide, up to 15,000 parts per billion (ppb) whereas that in the EU has only up to 20 ppb. ''Indian cauliflower can have malathion pesticide up to 150 times higher than the European standards,'' said an official. The vegetables studied included potato, tomato, snake gourd, pumpkin, cabbage, cucumber and bottle gourd, among others. ''We have informed Food Safety and Standards Authority of India about the excessive use of pesticides in fruits and vegetables that pose serious health hazards,'' said Ghosh. He added strict monitoring from government agencies is required to check manufacture, import and use of banned pesticides. The pesticide residue limits have not been reviewed for the past 30 years, said Ghosh.
    The organization had conducted tests on fruits sold in Indian markets which again showed that 12 fruits, including bananas, apple and grapes, had high quantity of pesticides, violating both Indian and European Union standards. The chemical contents found in fruits were endosuplhan, captan, thiacloprid, parathion and DDT residues.
HC seeks govt reply after TOI report
    Taking suo motu cognizance of the report—published recently in the Delhi edition of TOI— showing alarming levels of toxicity in vegetables and fruits in India, a concerned Delhi high court on Tuesday asked the Delhi and central government to respond. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan converted the matter into a PIL, issued notice to both the governments and said the ''health hazard which has become quite epidemic'' as highlighted in the report ''can be curbed at the very root'' only if urgent steps are taken. The bench also appointed two lawyers, V K Rao and Saket Sikri, as 'amicus curiae' to assist the court as the ''matter requires certain study, research and assistance''. TNN