Apropos Surinder Sud’s column “Poison in your plate?” (Farm View, September 11), we must not forget cases like Kasargod where the use of Endosulfan has crippled many and caused devastating health problems. It was only after a continuous fight for 30 years that the state government recognised the long-term harmful effects of Endosulfan and agreed to pay compensation to the victims. In this context, we must commend the efforts of Sikkim to go fully organic by 2015 and ban the use of fertilisers and pesticides. This should encourage other states since it is possible to get similar and maybe even better yields without using chemicals. Apart from the harmful effects on human health, we should also spare a thought to the groundwater poisoning that occurs owing to the use of insecticides.
Vinay Singhal Gurgaon
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