PESHAWAR, Oct 30: The presence of 2000 tons of expired pesticides in the country needed proper disposal on emergent basis as this toxic substance poses serious threat to local population living close to the areas where it has been stored.
Informed director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) NWFP Dr Bashir Ahmed while talking to newsmen here on Wednesday.
He added that the main problem of these pesticides was its acute toxicity as some of the active ingredients of these stored pesticides fall within the highest category of toxicity and have been classified as extremely hazardous by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
These toxic substances were imported by the MINFAL (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock) during mid 60s for aerial spraying and were piled up in the godowns of the Plant Protection wing of the Agriculture Department, he said.
The stock comprised a wide range of organophosphorous, organochlorine and dithiocarbamate insecticides.
About the quantity, the official, while quoting the findings of a survey conducted in 1997 by Royal Dutch Embassy, said that there were 2000 tons of pesticides stored in 288 stores throughout the country.
Giving the break-up of the total quantity the total pesticides Dr Ahmed said, 400 tons are in Sindh, 1200 tons in Punjab, 60 tons in Balochistan and 185 tons in the NWFP.
Due to unsophisticated packing and long storage time, Dr Bashir cautioned, that most of the containers which contained these pesticides have become damaged, while sacks are rotten and drums are rusted.
Adding that the people living in the surrounding of these stores though are not well aware of the threat to their health, however were constantly complaining about the bad odour in their areas.
The worst example is one of the stores in Malir (Karachi) where large piles with several thousands of kilograms of mixed pesticides were lying in the open.
Similarly, rain waters could also carry the active ingredients and contaminate more soil and infiltrate into the ground water, he added.
Replying to a question, Dr Ahmed said, the liquid pesticides in stores have leaked out and still continuing to pour out resulting in contamination of the soil.
It is not possible to estimate the degree of soil contamination, however, according to analysis conducted in the laboratory of GTZ in Germany, it was found that the soil taken from one of the stores is heavily contaminated with pesticides, he informed.
About redressal of this problem, the official observed that these pesticides needed proper disposal through burning at a temperature of 1200 to 1500 degree centigrade under special safety measures.
Though, he continued, we lack the facility of such an incinerator in Pakistan, but to get rid of this toxic chemical, it can be shifted to any other country having such a facility.
In this regard, he gave the example of a pilot project of shifting of 50 tons of outdated pesticides from Peshawar to England for proper incineration. The effort was initiated by the EPA and GTZ in the year 2000, he told.
He said the government took a number of initiatives for disposal of these pesticides but couldn’t achieve the desired goal.
In 1987, he continued, an experiment was jointly undertaken by USAID and Pakistan government by incinerating expired pesticides in a cement factory located in D.G Khan. After a test trial, the project was cancelled due to safety and environment concerns.
Similarly, in 1993, an operation was launched in Cholistan by the Punjab government with the objectives of dumping the outdated pesticides in desert. However, the operation had to be stopped due to public complaints, he informed.
After different experiences, environmental experts have come to the conclusion that the only solution to this problem is burning of these pesticides at an incinerator of high temperature, build for this purpose.—APP