Attention Is there ‘poison’ in your plate? Government becomes strict on pesticides in fruits and vegetables, big action started

If you are also eating fresh fruits and green vegetables brought from the market thinking that they will keep you healthy, then be careful. These things which make you healthy can also make you sick. In fact, the government has now come into full action mode regarding the indiscriminate use of pesticides to grow fruits and vegetables and keep them fresh for a long time. Expressing strong objection to this, Uttarakhand Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has decided to launch a big campaign across the state.

The effect of this strictness of the department is now visible on the ground. FSDA has not only started collecting samples of fruits and vegetables from across the state and sending them to the lab for testing, but the Agriculture and Horticulture Department has also been involved in it. The department believes that raids alone will not suffice, but farmers will also have to be made aware who are spraying chemicals without thinking in order to earn more profits or save their crops.

Alarm bells: Big revelation in FSSAI report

Actually, this entire exercise is not unnecessary. Behind this is the report of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which has given sleepless nights to the government departments. Food Safety and Drug Administration Commissioner Sachin Kurve has written a letter to the Secretary Agriculture and Horticulture warning that shocking facts have come to light in the surveillance campaigns conducted from time to time by FSSAI. Residues of pesticides have been found in many food items in excess of the prescribed standards.

It is being told that the ‘unscientific’ use of chemicals in agriculture has become a serious challenge for public health. Experts say that people are unknowingly consuming these chemicals, which can reach the body and cause serious diseases like cancer and liver. Keeping this in mind, now preparations are being made to organize awareness workshops among the farmers, so that they can be told which pesticide to use in what quantity.

Monitoring will be done from market to shops, 39 samples taken

Not only the farmers, but the department is now also keeping an eye on fruit-vegetable sellers and traders of local markets. It is often seen that harmful chemicals are used to ripen fruits or make them shiny. Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Ganesh Kandwal said that following the guidelines of the Commissioner, the sampling work has been intensified in the entire state.

In the action taken so far, 39 samples of seasonal fruits like mango, banana, papaya and watermelon have been taken from across the state. Of these, 19 samples have been taken from Kumaon region alone. The department says that this campaign will not stop now, but it will be expanded further in the coming days. After the lab report comes, strict legal action will be taken against the culprits.

CM Dhami’s instructions in view of Chardham Yatra and tourism season

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also taken a strong stance on this entire matter. Currently, Chardham Yatra is at its peak in the state and the tourism season has also started. In such a situation, lakhs of devotees and tourists are reaching Uttarakhand. CM Dhami has given clear instructions that playing with public health will not be tolerated at any cost.

The Chief Minister said, “All departments should work together to prevent adulteration of food items and use of harmful chemicals. It is our priority to ensure that tourists and local people get pure food items.” This strictness of the government has created a stir among adulterators and those who misuse pesticides. It is expected that through this joint campaign, the vegetables and fruits reaching people’s plates will be safer and purer in the times to come.