Are those
beautifully packed and fresh looking exotic fruits displayed on the stands in
posh markets really healthy? We'll find it out very soon as for the first time,
imported fruits and vegetables are set to come under pesticide watch following
the recommendations from a court appointed committee.
In
the wake of the reports of rampant contamination of vegetables and fruits in
Delhi's markets, the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court have initiated several
steps to curb the use of pesticides and artificial colour for enhancing their
size and appearance.
The
amount of pesticides in fruits and vegetables in India, and especially those
sold in Delhi markets, were as much as 750 times the European standards, NGOs
Center for Public Interest Litigation and Consumer Voice claimed in the SC and
HC, respectively. The NGOs claimed in their pleas that the fruits were a toxic
cocktail of banned pesticides capable of causing headache, cancer, heart
disease, infertility and pose a risk to the nervous system and liver.
The banned
pesticides included chlordane, a rat poison that affects the nervous system and
endrin, an insecticide that causes headache.
"Surprise
checks will be conducted at major markets once in a month and there will not be
any differentiation between local fruits and vegetables and those imported. The
court panel's report says an eye has to be kept on them also as they too are
susceptible to contamination because of lucrative business," Meera Bhatia,
the lawyer for Delhi government said.
Terming
the situation as "alarming", the court said 1.7 crore Delhiites
everyday consume fruits and vegetables unfit for human consumption. It had
recently asked the Delhi government to publicise the short-term measures and
Dos and Don'ts suggested by the expert committee to minimise the presence of
pesticides residue. Ordering intensification of the crackdown against the
contamination, the court has sought a status report on April 15.
"No
such consignment should be allowed to enter the country without pre-dispatch
pesticide testing report by the exporter. Samples of imported fruits and
vegetables should be drawn by plant quarantine stations at international
arrival points and monitored for the presence of pesticide residues," said
a report filed in the court by the panel headed by Sandhya Kulshreshta,
additional deputy DG in the health ministry.
"Surprise
inspections were conducted in many markets like Azadpur Mandi, Kotla, Mayur
Vihar, Sarojini Nagar, INA, Defence Colony, Vasant Vihar and Lodhi Estate in
the last three years. We found that pesticides, toxic colours and hormones are
being used by farmers and traders to speed up growth, ripen and improve
colour," said Bhatia.
The
expert committee said results of tests should be posted on the website of the
Delhi government's food department along with the name of the market.
The
SC said: "Right to life and human dignity encompasses, within its ambit
availability of articles of food without insecticides or pesticides residues.
But the fact remains that food available in the market contain insecticides or
pesticides residues, beyond the tolerable limits, causing serious health
hazards. Fruit-based soft drinks also contain pesticides in alarming
proportion, but no attention is made to examine its contents.
Harmful
for kids
"Children
and infants are uniquely susceptible to the effects of pesticides because of
their physiological immaturity and greater exposure to soft drinks". The
SC directed Food and Safety Standards Authority of India to coordinate with
counterparts in all the states and conduct periodical inspections and
monitoring of major fruits and vegetable markets.
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