Ecological balance of soil is badly disturbed due to excessive use of toxic chemical pesticides, insecticides & chemical synthetic fertilizers and other mal practices like burning of the roots and left over material on soil in agricultural/ paddy fields by the farmers, which not only burns all micro & macro nutrients of the soil but also destroys soil friendly germs & good pathogens/ worms. This also adds up to lot of environmental pollution.
Addressing farmers in a function, organized in community hall of village Patniyal in Sangrampur panchayat by “We The Human”, A K Verma resource person of the trust exhorted farmers to shift back to traditional system of agricultural farming, which is need of the hour and necessary for human survival and restoration of damages caused to nature and environment by excessive use of toxic chemical pesticides, insecticides and chemical synthetic fertilizers.
Verma further added that the farmers to move towards integrated agricultural farming system, which is only way to achieve target of doubling farmers’ income in next three to four years.
Founder members of the trust P K Ganju, Sardar Prem Singh, noted environmentalist R S Jasrotia, Kn Justice Y S Manhas Retired Principal secretary (Law), prominent Farmers’ leaders of J&K Kulbhushan Khajuria and Ashwani Sharma also addressed a gathering of more than two hundred farmers and local household ladies. They were asked to minimize use of plastic polythene in their day today life which has not only caused damage to our environment but also endangered animals’ life. Plastic Polythene is non biodegradable and it takes a period between 500-1000 years to get the same absorbed in soil of earth. Giving example, the speakers said that the mouth cleft problem among newly born is mostly due to intake of harmful diet by mothers during their pregnancy period and also because of intake of milk of cows who eat up polythene bags from garbage. They appealed all present in the function to say no to use of plastic toys, cups, glasses, polythene bags and junk food packed in plastics.
The noted environmentalist R S Jasrotia asked the farmers to do introspection before using excessive sprays of chemical pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers on their agricultural crop and do analysis about dangers and also monetary losses associated with use of such poisonous chemical sprays which are primarily harmful for their own & family members’ health and then health of soil of their land and also, for general masses who consume those vegetables or fruits laced with toxic chemical residues, without knowledge. He criticized role of the state Agriculture department which generally do not provide right and useful/ latest information to farmers, in time, having become stooges in hands of few people having vested interests.
Later, fifteen farmers from Sangrampur panchayat were honored and presented with mementos by the trust for taking initiatives to shift back to traditional system of agricultural system.
Chander Mohan
Krishi Jagran/New Delhi
