Rayagada: Substandard quality pesticides worth lakhs of rupees were found dumped on the banks of river Nagabali on Dumaguda-Adapadiguda road, about six km from here Wednesday.
The matter came to the locals’ notice after strong odour emanated from the insect killer. The incident could pose serious threat to the environment once the chemical gets mixed up with river, said locals.
Regular raids are being conducted on traders who have hoarded banned and expired pesticides. Some unscrupulous traders are suspected to have dumped the pesticides, which are generally used in paddy, vegetables and cotton cultivations, fearing administrative action.
According to locals, some people came in a four-wheeler late Sunday night and dumped the pesticides in a pit. This has happened due to the negligence of agriculture department and has posed threat to the lives of farm animals, the locals alleged, demanding action against the traders involved in the incident.
When contacted, deputy director of agriculture Rabindra Kumar Khuntia said he along with other officials including district agriculture officer Krushnachandra Singh and joint quality control inspector Gyanaranjan Panigrahi visited the site to take stock of the situation.
Such pesticides should be buried instead of being dumped. All the pesticide dealers of the district would be asked strictly not to do this, he added.
The department would take immediate measures to prevent the repetition of such incident, Khuntia said. PNN
