The disposal of 0.1 million kg obsolete pesticides, turned into toxic waste, by the district officer Agriculture Khairpur in open near village Choondko in proximity of desert has posed a serious threat to environment and health of the people of the area.
The obsolete pesticide, stored at agriculture department godowns situated at Madina Colony, Khairpur near government grain warehouses, was part of the Rs 38 million worth of pesticide stored at various warehouses of agriculture department all over the province, following the privatisation of pesticides and fertiliser trade in 1980.
It was not disposed off for various reasons (including the provincial ministry's refusal to write off the amount), which, with the passage of time, turned into toxic waste.
In December last, a resident of Madina Colony filed a petition in Sukkur Bench of Sindh High Court pleading that the pesticide, stored near government grain warehouses, is a serious threat to the health of the residents and as such should be removed.
The Court after completing the legal procedure issued directive to Sindh government to shift or dispose the toxic waste, within three days, from its present storage site.
When the matter was brought to the notice of Chief Secretary of Sindh he called for a report from DO Agriculture Khairpur immediately, but the DO Agriculture, Ghulam Qadir Sherr failed to respond to the orders of the Chief Secretary and Director General Agriculture Extension and Research.
The DO Agriculture informed the DG Agriculture about the High Court decision who in reply directed him to act according to apex Court instructions.
The DO Agriculture immediately loaded ten goods trucks with 0.1 million Kg expired pesticide and dumped it on roadside in proximity of the desert near Choondko despite the strong protest of desert folks of nearby villages.
A three-member team headed by Director Plant Protection Agriculture Extension rushed to the spot and found that the pesticides was dumped in open. The entire atmosphere was polluted so much so that it made it impossible for the team's members to assess the quantity or the type of pesticide as claimed by the DO Agriculture.
According to sources of agriculture department the DO Agriculture has no record of the pesticides, which also includes large quantity of DDT powder.
An elected representative of the district government told Business Recorder that the DDO has not informed the district Nazim of the situation, which led to speculations that some of the obsolete pesticides might have been sold to people engaged in marketing spurious pesticides.
The experts are of the opinion that the pesticides dumped in open might pollute environment and create health hazard in a vast area of the district during the summer when high velocity winds start.
According to a study report experts in Khairpur district found pesticides' residue in water up to ten feet deep.
It has also been observed that 19,812 persons associated with agriculture reported sick during the cotton season of which 3,566 were hospitalised.
The studies carried out by the International Agency for Research in Cancer has found sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in eighteen pesticides and limited evidence in sixteen pesticides. But there is evidence that pesticides have been affecting human health with leukaemia, lymphoma, a plastic anaemia, soft tissue sarcoma and cancer of breast, brain, prostate and ovaries.
Studies have also shown link between a variety of reproductive health problems in women and pesticides; studies have also documented increased incidence of miscarriages, stillbirth and delayed pregnancy amongst agriculture workers, this also carries risk of birth defects from parental exposure to pesticides.
The pesticide dumped in open would have high risk to pesticide exposure and if immediate measures were not taken for its safe disposal it might cause catastrophic impacts on the health of the people of Khairpur district.
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