The Hindu Business Line : Exposure to pesticides -- Warangal cotton farms turn `killing fields'

Warangal district has emerged as one of the main cotton-growing areas in the country next to Guntur district. It was officially estimated that over 600 tonnes of pesticides, costing Rs 30 crore, were used on the cotton crop in the district last season.

HYDERABAD, April 5

COTTON farms in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh have turned "killing fields''. Exposure to chemical pesticides is leading to the death of an increasing number of farmers, according to a report prepared by a fact-finding team comprising the representatives of three voluntary organisations and a professional group.

The report states that between August and December last year, over 1,000 persons could have been exposed to these pesticides and over 500 fatally affected. Most of the deaths and exposure were stated to have occurred during September and October when pesticide spraying on the cotton crop was high.

The members of the fact-finding team are Mr P. Damoder, Sarvodaya Youth Organisation, Mr Rajesh Rangarajan and Ms Madhumita Datta of Toxics Link, Mr M. D. Narasimha Reddy of Centre for Resource Education, Dr Rajan Patil of Community Health Cell, Mr S. Nagasena Reddy, an advocate and Ms Abhitha, a media professional.

Their report is based on first-hand observations from field visits to Mogilicherla, Akkampeta, Damera, Vasantapuram, Mudu Thanda and Pattipaka villages.

The report says that though it is well established that deaths and illness have occurred during pesticide spraying, it still needs to be investigated whether the batches of pesticides are spurious.

The team feels that an in-depth health study needs to be conducted in this regard. Early symptoms of exposure to pesticides, according to the report, include dizziness, fatigue, runny nose or eyes, salivation, nausea, sweating, chest pain, dermatitis, diarrhoea, visual disturbances, insomnia and joint pains.

In acute cases, paralysis, seizures, loss of consciousness and death have been reported.

The team also examined post-mortem reports of eight deaths. All the reports cited that major organs showed congestion which, according to doctors, was a clear indication of exposure to pesticides and poisoning cases.

The majority of the people affected by pesticide exposure were agricultural labourers and marginal farmers. Medical treatment for the affected persons was mostly limited to oxygen supply and glucose drips. All the victims initially approached the nearby private medical practitioners.

Incidentally, Warangal district has emerged as one of the main cotton-growing areas in the country next to Guntur district.

Last year, cotton was sown in an extent of 2.5 lakh acres in the district. It was officially estimated that over 600 tonnes of pesticides, costing Rs 30 crore, were used on the cotton crop in the district last season.

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