Pesticide consumption in agriculture has been on the rise in the last 20 years in India. Pesticides are used extensively in crops such as cotton, paddy, chilies, horticulture, tobacco, etc. They are also used for public health purposes like vector control for diseases like malaria, dengue, and so forth. However, little attention is given to their long term impact on the environment and human beings. The report, The Killing Fields: Farmer deaths due to exposure to pesticides in Warangal District, investigates into the harmful effects of pesticides on farmers in the Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. The report is a collaborative effort of Toxics Link, Sarvodaya Youth Organisation, Centre for Resource Education, and Community Health Cell.
The objective of the study was to assess the current status of Bio medical waste management in Delhi. Though the study looked only at bedded health care facilities, it was clear that this infectious waste, even after almost 20 years of the Rules, is not fully implemented on ground. Though the practices and processes in larger healthcare establishments seemed in compliance with the Rules, the systems in hospitals or nursing homes of smaller sizes were lacking in many aspects. The study has not included clinics or non-bedded facilities, but our observation of the few clinics we visited and interviews of some key stakeholders seemed to suggest that most clinics are not in compliance with the Rules and many of them, in fact, have not even tied with the CBWTFs. One of the major shortcomings is that database of HCFs pertaining to BMWM was neither available online on official website of DPCC nor provided when asked through the medium of multiple RTIs. Non-availability of this data leads to apprehension, as well as is limiting factor to any agenda associated with ensuring the compliance of BMW rule in Delhi.
