October 02, 2007
Punjabis are poisoning themselves
From The Economist:
If Indian newspaper reports are to be believed, the children of Punjab are in the throes of a grey revolution. Even those as young as ten are sprouting tufts of white and grey hair. Some are going blind. In Punjabi villages, children and adults are afflicted by uncommon cancers.
The reason is massive and unregulated use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals in India’s most intensively farmed state. According to an environmental report by Punjab’s government, the modest-sized state accounts for 17% of India’s total pesticide use. The state’s water, people, animals, milk and agricultural produce are all poisoned with the stuff.
Ignorance is part of the problem. The report includes details of a survey suggesting that nearly one-third of Punjabi farmers were unaware that pesticides come with instructions for use. Half of the farmers ignored these instructions. Three-quarters put empty pesticide containers to domestic uses.
More here. [Thanks to Ruchira Paul.]
Posted by Abbas Raza at 04:15 PM | Permalink
Comments
Thanks for the link to this, Ruchira. I'd just been reading
a Slate piece on a book about the lack of accountability of the toxic waste/chemicals industries` in relation to cancer in particular and health in general, and the piece youve linked drives the author's point home with poignant clarity.
The agribusiness chemicals industries - Monstanto and the mob - are using the poor of the world as guinea pigs and a primary profit stream with no regard for people or the planet. And they can comfortably afford to bribe governments to use their products at the expense of their citizens.
But you know all this.
Still, the more mad more of us get, and the more evidence the world sees, the more likely we are to be able take tough action to stop it. I hope.
Liv
Posted by: oliviab | Oct 3, 2007 1:18:22 AM
It's called trying to feed too many people with too little real estate.
Posted by: eric | Oct 3, 2007 10:16:41 AM
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