Faridkot, March 2
A study conducted by Greenpeace India, a voluntary organisation working on environmental issues, has reported an alarming rise in the concentration of harmful nitrates in drinking water in Malwa. For this, scientists blame rampant use of chemical fertilisers.
The quality of milk is also believed to be critical in Punjab as the high use of synthetic nitrogen in green fodder and dry cattle feed is going unchecked, said Gopikrishna SR, senior campaigner, Greenpeace India.
About 20 per cent of all sampled wells in Malwa have nitrate levels above the WHO safety limit of 50 mg per litre, the study mentioned. The samples were collected from 50 villages in Bathinda, Muktsar and Ludhiana districts.
He said the high nitrate content in underground water had been particularly affecting the health of children in rural areas.
The urea concentration in cattle feed is also found much more than the permissible limit of 1.5 per cent, the study said.
The practice is adopted to raise milk protein, said Harminder Singh Sandhu, former assistant director in the Animal Husbandry Department.
Animal Husbandry Dept needs to monitor whether the recommended dose of Fertilisers are applied after testing soil? Excess Urea application is reflected in the milk .
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