BAJARHATHNOOR(ADILABAD): Pesticides used by farmers to protect their crops from insects have been posing a risk to their health with some of them losing their lives to the poison.
Among the various threats, mixing of tobacco and gutka with pesticide has reportedly killed many farmers in recent days. Inhaling pesticide spray and seeping pesticide particles into body have also taken a toll.
Many farmers use pesticides in higher concentration unlike in the past. Some of them are habituated to taking tobacco and gutka and often fail to clean their hands before eating tobacco or gutka. The do so even while spraying pesticides and swallow tobacco or gutka mixed with pesticide.
The farmers fall sick after swallowing the gutka and tobacco and die. Some farmers do not take a bath after spraying pesticide and do not wash their hands with soap nor do they wear protective rexine dress and gloves.
Farmer Gajula Gajanand of Pipri in Bajarhathnoor pointed out the careless behaviour of some of the farmers that results in the pesticides used on their crops going into the stomach with food, tobacco and ghutka. The farmers would fall sick and sometimes die.
Recently, three farmers died after inhaling pesticide while spraying it on to the cotton crops in different places in the old Adilabad district. It was reported that the incident occurred because the farmers did not take precautionary measures while spraying pesticide.
R. Lingaiah,42, of Mittapalli village in Luxettipet mandal died after inhaling pesticide being sprayed over standing cotton crop in his field in Mancherial district. Ramulu, 54, of Palsi village in Kubheer mandal fell sick after inhaling pesticide and died while under going treatment in Nirmal district.
Agriculture laborer Gali Gangaiah, 35, of Girnur village in Bajarhatnoor mandal also died of inhaling pesticide spray while applying to the standing cotton crop. He fell sick after returning home from the agriculture field and died while undergoing treatment at RIMS, Adilabad.
A farmer Vinod Reddy of Girnur said most of the farmers do not take precautionary measures while spraying pesticides and added that farmers should cover their nose and mouth with a strong cloth and even head so that the pesticide particles are kept out of the system through the mouth or through breathing.
