The Silent killer– Pesticide Poisoning in Punjab
The Silent killer– Pesticide Poisoning in Punjab
“Is Punjab dying a slow death ? This food basket of India is fast becoming a disease basket thanks to its increased exposure to lethal chemicals.
The sole factor for this alarming change in Punjab is pesticide causing deadly diseases!
Pesticides are poisons that harm more than just killing the “pests” at which they are targeted. They are toxic,and not only cause a number of health hazards, but are also linked to a range of serious illnesses and diseases in humans, especially cancer.
The incidence of Cancer in Punjab has been on the rise day by day due to extensive use of pesticides in the fields by farmers. According to the reports by Population-based Cancer Registries (PBCR) run by Tata Memorial Centre, the risk of cancer in Punjab has doubled in past few years.
According to the study by experts at Capitol Hospital, the researchers found pesticide content in blood from 20 samples drawn from random persons of different regions. Experts found that pesticides damage the immune system and lead to lymphoma cancer in Punjab.
The experts at Capitol Hospital further found that ,20% of the sampled wells in Punjab has Nitrate level above the safety limit of 50 mg/l. Besides this, the Capitol Hospital researchers found that , the use of pesticide in farms has increased the risk of lymphoma cancer.
Malwa consumes 75% of pesticides used in Punjab reveals the State Council for Science and Technology in its State of Environment report. Due to the usage of pesticide, the cancer belt of Punjab - Malwa - has topped the cancer list with 33,318 deaths in past five years. What is lymphoma cancer ? A lymphoma is a cancer of lymphatic cells in the lymphatic system. Lymphomas are divided into two types - Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. What are the warning signs of lymphoma?
