Pesticides in food: HC slams Agri Min over vague report

The Delhi High Court today slammed the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation for placing a "vague" report on its website regarding the extent of pesticides in fruits and vegetables.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw directed the ministry to file a detailed report regarding the steps taken by it to regulate use of pesticides in vegetables and fruits while posting the matter for further consideration on February 11.

"The report placed on your website is very vague. There is no mention of the samples and the name of the pesticide is missing as well," the bench said.

It also directed Delhi government to file an affidavit with regard to lapses pointed out in the report.

During the proceedings, advocate Meera Bhatia, appearing for the ministry, submitted a status report of pesticide residue in fruits and vegetables samples collected from Delhi during the period April 1, 2013 to October 31, 2014 in which out of 1319 samples tested 43 were found to contain pesticides above precribed level as per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India norms.

"Department of Agriculture & Cooperation is implementing a Central Sector Scheme 'Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at national level' since 2006 to monitor pesticide residues in agricultural commodities through a network of 24 laboratories in India.

Samples of fruits, vegetables, cereals, spices, pulses, milk, etc. are analysed to detect and monitor presence of pesticide residues and the data generated is shared with state governments for prompt corrective action," the ministry said in its report.

Earlier, taking suo motu cognisance of a media report, the court had directed the ministry to set up a committee and frame guidelines to prevent use of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.

The Centre had constituted the committee comprising experts and government officials but the guidelines are yet to be framed.

The move had come after some NGOs submitted survey reports that vegetables and fruits sold in the city's markets contain pesticides capable of causing cancer and harming the nervous system and liver.

The NGO Consumer Voice, one of the petitioners in the court, has said the quantum of pesticides in fruits and vegetables in India, especially those sold in Delhi markets, was as much as 750 times the European standards.

It had claimed that of the five internationally-banned pesticides, four were found to be common in vegetables sold here. They included a central nervous system toxin endrin which causes nausea and dizziness and heptachlor that can damage the liver and decrease fertility.