By using pesticides, are we protecting the plants, increasing the yield of our crop, or unknown to us increasing the risk of cancer and other acute diseases in our body?
The answer to this unusual question is quite simple i.e. YES, a big yes.
Over the years, we have spoiled the agricultural lands of our region by excess usage of fertilizers to pocket extra gains. The experts at Capitol Hospital will shed some light on the usage of pesticides and their role in cancer.
In the experiments conducted on animals, experts have come up with evidence regarding the chemical pesticides i.e. many pesticides are carcinogenic while others are tumor promoters.
Carcinogenic is the term used for substances having the potential to cause cancer.
This is a grave uncovering for the people of Punjab, the land which boasts of maximum agriculture yield with the usage of fertilizers and pesticides. The state is already suffering a lot in this aspect, especially the Malwa belt of the region. The effects of pesticides are so dire that a train from Bathinda to Bikaner is christened with the name of Cancer Express as 60% of its population is cancer patients of all ages who come from all across Punjab. This train was so popular because to the fact that hospitals in Punjab were not equipped with the adequate resources of dealing with the deadly disease.
But now, The Capitol Hospital with its competent team of doctors is making sure that you get expert treatment quickly and without any hassles in your own region.
Malwa, which is known as Punjab’s cotton belt require an excessive amount of pesticides. Reportedly, farmers in this region use more than 15 different types of pesticides and excessive chemical fertilizers, which have resulted in farmers and their families living in lush green fields of toxicity.
High doses of pesticides damage the immune system and lead to lymphoma cancer. A door-to-door survey of cancer patients conducted by Punjab Health Department in 2013 had found that there are at least 90 cancer patients for every 1 lakh population in the state, the incidence was more than the then national average of 80 per lakh. The Malwa region of the state – known as the cancer belt – had the highest average of 136 cancer patients per 1 lakh people.
The thermal power plants in the region, which throw the industrial effluents in the water, do not help matters. That contaminated water is used for irrigation and drinking purpose by the region.
20% of the sampled wells showed Nitrate levels above the safety limit of 50 mg/l, established by WHO (World Health Organization), the study connected it with high use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.
Tests on ground water found the highest average concentration of Uranium 56.95 µg/l, in the town in Bathinda district. Various tests were carried out on cancer patients of these regions, all came up with high doses of Uranium in their blood.
According to a new report, Pesticide use in homes may increase the risk of children developing Leukemia or Lymphoma.
Pesticide usage should be stopped. Cancer is the last straw. It has many other harmful effects too.
If not for ourselves then let us stop the usage of pesticides for our children, who are more prone to adverse effects from pesticides as various studies suggest.
