Spinach sold in Hyderabad contains pesticides!

Hyderabad: Against the popular belief that Palakura (Spinach) is good for health, in fact the best, a recent survey, quoting doctors, has found that it is harmful. ‘It amounts to directly taking poison’, they say. This is bound to cause a stir among the health-conscious persons.

The leaf vegetable is used on a daily basis for its iron content. However, the Spinach available in Hyderabad amounts to consuming pesticide, a survey by some research scholars of Jayashankar Agricultural University revealed startling realities after testing the samples secured from rythu bazaars in Mehdipatnam, Gudimalkapur and Shamshabad.

The survey found that leaf vegetable contains 11 types of pesticides, including five commonly used like chlorpyrifos, triazophos, cypermethrin, deltamethrin and profenofos, Dr Narasimha Reddy, a scientist of Pesticide Action Networks India told The Hans India. He said the pesticides were found to have been sprinkled on the leaves of the vegetable to prolong its longevity post-harvest, after cutting.

Doctors contacted by the survey team warn that consuming such leaf vegetable would lead to affliction of diseases like cancer, besides possible long –term ailments like nervous weakness. They are likely to have a severe impact on the would-be infants.

Doctors, like Ranga Reddy have been quoted as saying in the survey that these pesticides are likely have a long-term impact if they get mixed with fats in a person’s body, if not immediately.

On their part, nutritionists suggest that Spinach should be soaked in hot water before use by people who are conscious of their nutritious value.

However, farmers are not using pesticides on the leaves of Spinach, claim scientists, as, before cutting, it remains fresh. As such there is no need for spraying such chemicals, they assert, adding that there is a possibility of their use by middlemen to prolong its storage.

Ultimately it is the people who pay the price for consuming the leaf vegetable. To avoid bodily harm, the scientists favour giving a boost to agriculture sans the use of pesticides.

However, if organic vegetables are to be offered farmers have to toil and spend more in their cultivation, they point out. Such cultivation is likely to see a fall in the yield. In this scenario, they advocate the need for increased MSP and other incentives to farmers.

By: Satheesh Kumar Vempati