Ban pesticides in J&K

Sir,
I appreciate Daily Excelsior for highlighting issues of all the districts of J&K. Until 5 to 6 years back the newspaper was a Jammu centric newspaper , but now from last few years this newspaper carries issues that concern common man. Be it issues of Jammu , Doda , Kishtwar , Poonch or Kashmir valley , Excelsior is  trying its best to reach out to all the districts of state. The articles published on developmental issues , RTI , environment and waste management are very much informative.
This refers to editorial “Apple Orchards in Pulwama” (DE 5.8.2018). Pulwama , Shopian and Kulgam produces best quality apples , but the excessive use of pesticides in apple orchards is causing a great threat to lives of people. Not only human beings are suffering from various ailments due to use of pesticides but the animals too are at risk. The fodder obtained from apple orchards has lot of pesticides in it as the chemical spray  done on trees falls on the ground thus contaminating the green fodder. Even the milk produced from cows is infected with pesticides. This is the right time to act. I appeal Governor N N Vohra and his Advisor Khurshid Ahmad Ganai to call an immediate meeting of stakeholders so that blanket ban is imposed on use of chemical fertilizers and sprays across state. Our lives are under threat , cancer and other serious ailments are increasing day by day due to use of excessive use of pesticides in fruits and vegetables. Earlier apple growers used to spray chemical pesticides twice or thrice a year , now 12 to 13 such sprays are being done on the apple trees. The apple growers cannot put lives of people at risk. Our drinking water is contaminated with pesticides as the same is obtained from rivers and streams located around apple orchards.  We want to get rid of these nasty chemicals.
Bashir Ahmad Bhat
Srinagar

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