KATHMANDU, NEPAL: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are widely used in agriculture to enhance and increase the production of crops, but they have chemical compound with harmful characteristics.

At the farmer level, more awareness is essential to restrict the potential illegal use of the POPs, speakers that included environmental scientists and human rights lawyers, said at a programme organised by the Nepal Forum of Environment Journalists (NEFEJ) on Friday.

POPs are imported in Nepal in the name of disease control and to increase agriculture production. There were said to be 12 POPs in the world out of which 8 should be banned, speakers said.

These chemicals used in the agriculture never degrade and have long-term effect on human beings like disorder in reproductive system, birth of abnormal child, tumor and cancer, decrease of immune system. They have low VP and low water solubility and travel long distances on air and water

It is said that about 5000 metric tons of obsolete pesticide in the global market.

Nepal is using this chemical without any precaution and safety. Although the government has banned on the import, storage and marketing of the eight POPs under pesticide category which are DDT, Aldrin, Dieldrin, Chlordane, Endrin, Heptachlor, Mirex, and Toxaphene, but the ban does not cover other industrial chemicals, which are also harmful to the environment and human being, including animals.

and the unintentional POPs are being produced from textile and paper mills, lubricating oil and electrification and they should be controlled, said the speakers.

Many of these chemicals are not packed in chemically and environmental safe manner, some of the stockpiles have been used as pesticides in the farms by which the population and disorder of human health is increasing, according to a paper ‘POPs situation in Nepal’ presented at the programme.

Society For Human Right, Environment, Law and Governance Activities said that to prevent environment and health, the government should formulate law related to the sale, production and disposal of POPs.

Source: gorkhapatra.org.np