Pesticides and insecticide were unheard of, but now a single farmer uses 50 to 60 bags of pesticides depending on the cultivable land.
HYDERABAD, Apr 24 (The CONNECT) – Thirty years ago we had not heard of a specialisation called Oncology. Now, in every nook and corner of the city, we have an Oncologist.
This was the focus of a workshop Rooftop Kitchen Gardening organized by the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) on Saturday last against the backdrop of the harmful impact of the indiscriminate use of fertilisers and pesticides in growing vegetables
Today the situation is we are putting zinc into the soil and we are eating it as well, said Chandra Mohan Siram, Chairman of the FTCCI’s Agro & Food Processing Committee.
In the past, we used to consume zinc from horticultural products. But now things have changed, he observed.
Thirty or forty years ago, Chandra Mohan said, before the green revolution, pesticides and insecticide usage never existed. Now, a single farmer uses 50 to 60 bags of pesticides depending on the cultivable land.
Further to increase productivity, every vegetable crop is subjected to many types of sprays. Pesticides or insecticides are sprayed before harvesting, to improve the colour and freshness. This is leading to cancer diseases.
A small country like Israel which does not have much land and water resources is doing wonders in terms of horticultural production and also exporting. So is Kenya. We can emulate these countries, said Chandra Mohan Siram. “We must encourage Rooftop Kitchen Gardening in our city,” he said.
In his welcome address, Ravi Kumar, Vice President of FTCCI said, rooftop kitchen gardening reduces urban heat, pollution and contributes to the clean air.
K. Sridevi, Assistant Director of Horticulture(Urban Farming), Government of Telangana, said the information is just a click away and is abundantly available online. “Don’t get into Rooftop Kitchen Gardening because of peer pressure,” she said asked the people to “get into it for sheer pleasure, to produce pure vegetables, for happiness and the good health of the family”.
Her colleagues B. Manga and Smt. K. Synitha Rose, both the officers in urban farming spoke about the cultural practices to be adopted and organic ways of controlling pests and diseases. Hyderabad which was once a garden city is now turned into a concrete jungle. And the only spaces left are balconies and rooftops.
