HYDERABAD, May 15: A spokesman of the Sindh Agriculture Extension Project, has said that a multi-pronged approach has been adopted to check adulteration in pesticides and promote integrated pest management technology, which aims at reducing unnecessary use of pesticides.

He said the directorate of the plant protection, Sindh, had drawn 618 samples of pesticides from various parts of the province during 2001 for analysis at its two pesticides quality control laboratories at Hyderabad and Rohri.

Of these pesticides samples, 71 were found substandard and unfit. Cases against the culprits were under process in courts, he said.

Similarly, during the first four months of 2002, the directorate drew 113 pesticide samples, 56 were analysed, two were found unfit and 57 were under analysis, the spokesman said.

He said the pesticides laboratories at Hyderabad and Rohri had been strengthened and fully equipped with modern technologies to accelerate the process of pesticide analysis.

He said the field officers of the agriculture extension, who were pesticide inspectors, had been directed to expedite the legal process so that culprits get punishment.