How pesticides are affecting our daily life is forcing us to deliberate upon this fact, and today we will try to understand this fact point by point. This topic will not only make us aware but will also force us to think deeply about the ecological imbalance caused by its harmful effects. So, let us try to understand it.
Thousands of years ago, when farmers first started practicing agriculture, they would put a massive amount of effort in to raising crops, only to have pests destroy them. because of this, farmers began spraying ash on their crops.
As we gradually developed further, various methods were tried to eradicate these crop damaging pest completely, but none were successful. however, during the second world war , many chemical's discovered. When these were applied to crops, it successfully kept the pest away.
Following this between 1950 and 1960, the research and development of these chemicals accelerated greatly. thanks to these achievements, we have successfully increased crop productivity today.
Today, nearly 80 years after the discovery of pesticides, their benefits are clearly visible to us. However, their negative impacts were hidden in some places, gradually affecting the soil, water, human beings and many insects and animals. Now, we can see these negative effects on a large scale, even in rural areas. We must understand that we should use them minimally, and only when absolutely necessary.
In this image, we can clearly see that the grass here has completely dried up. The reason behind this is the heavy use of pesticides on it. Let's try to understand how these pesticides are applied to the grass.
First farmers buy chemicals and pesticides from a private shop. Then they mix it with water. After that, they spray it onto the grass using a spraying machine. As a result, the grass completely dries up within 10 to 15 days. These chemicals are so toxic that even nearby plants and trees dry up under their influence.
Farmers use these in the exact same way on and with in their crops to prevent grass or weeds from growing and to keep insects away, which help produce a good harvest. However, they are highly toxic. If any animal consumes grass from an area where these chemicals and pesticides have been used, it falls ill, and in many cases, it even leads to their death.
When farmers use pesticides and chemicals, they seep deep in to the earth through water. To understand this easily, think of it like applying oil to your hair. Just as the oil absorbs through the pores to benefit the deeper layers of your head, these chemicals and pesticides seep down and ruin our groundwater. A large amount of these pesticides and chemicals are applied directly to the soil, heavy polluting it.
I asked several experts and elderly people if the soil was the same during their time. They said, No' when we were young, we used to play in the mud and sometimes even eat it, but never fell sick. Today, if children just play in the mud, they fall ill.
They also shared some interesting facts: back then, when paddy crops like Juhi and Basmati rice were ready far harvest, the entire field would be filled with a beautiful aroma. When that rice was cooked, its fragrance alone was enough to satisfy your appetite. However, due to the heavy use of modern pesticides, chemicals, and fertilizers, neither the standing crop nor the cooked rice has that fragrance anymore.
Let's try to understand how these chemicals and pesticides are harming water and human beings. When farmers use pesticides and chemicals, they travel through rainwater in to canals, ponds, puddles and rivers, making the water polluted. Because of this, many living creatures residing in these ponds, puddles and rivers are affected. In many cases, a large number of fish die. By drinking water from these same ponds and puddles, other animals like cows and buffaloes face harmful effects.
Furthermore, these pesticides and chemicals affect cows and buffaloes in several ways. For instance, cow and buffaloes eat the very crops on which farmers use these pesticides and chemicals, and they also drink water from the ponds and puddles. This means nothing natural is left for them anymore. As a result, milk and ghee no longer have that original aroma and energy.
I am not completely against pesticides, insecticides and chemicals. Instead, my purpose is to make people look at both their positive and negative impacts. Today, people are blindly using them on crops just to increase productivity. We need to understand the importance of adopting a balance approach and using them only when absolutely necessary. As you can see in the image, so many insects and living organisms coexist there. The use of pesticides, chemicals and insecticides kill these organisms and insects, which somehow play a crucial role in maintaining our ecological balance.
Today, when we visit rural areas, we find that the weeds and wild plants- where animals used to graze earlier- have completely disappeared. Not only this, but the vegetables and fruits we eat are no longer natural; chemicals are being used everywhere, which is proving to be fatal for humans as well. Today, there isn't a single hospital without long queues of patients, and even unqualified doctors have no shortage of patients. Medicines have become a part of every households. I am not saying that pesticides, insecticides are the sole reason behind this, but they are certainly playing a very major role.
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