With this, the total number of farmers and farm labourers affected by toxic insecticide has crossed 800. Information about admissions to private hospitals is yet to be collated and the scale is likely to go further up. With this, the total number of farmers and farm labourers affected by toxic insecticide has crossed 800. Information about admissions to private hospitals is yet to be collated and the scale is likely to go further up.

INSECTICIDE-INDUCED illnesses in Yavatmal district have seen a sharp rise, with over 450 more cases being reported in government hospitals, other than the Yavatmal Government Medical College (GMC), over the last three months .

With this, the total number of farmers and farm labourers affected has crossed 800. Information about admissions to private hospitals is yet to be collated and the scale is likely to go further up.

Yavatmal Civil Surgeon T G Dhote told The Indian Express, “I collected information from all rural and sub-district hospitals and was informed that over 450 patients were admitted in our hospitals in the last three months. These are apart from the ones treated at GMC.”

As reported earlier, the GMC has seen admission of 369 patients — farmers or farm labourers — with seven fatalities over the last three months due to inhalation of insecticides sprayed over cotton crops. Some were taken ill due to absorption of insecticides through the skin too.

Asked if there were any deaths in hospitals other than GMC, Dhote said, “I have been informed about six deaths. But I am yet to ascertain if those were due to accidental intake of insecticides or deliberate consumption in suicide bids.”

About admissions to private hospitals, he said, “I have sought the information and it is expected to come in a day or two.”

Agriculture department officials claimed that a good last spell of receding monsoon has led to good growth of cotton crops, which are standing up to five feet tall. This, they said, has made the farmers spray insecticides at the level of their heads, leading to accidental intake. They also claimed that disillusioned with pulses due to fallen prices, farmers had gone for high-density monocrop of cotton this time. This had led to excessive fumigation to control infestation of pink bollworms as well as sucking pests, which have come on the crop at a moderate scale.

The farmers use organophosphates, such as monosil or monocrophos to control pests.

Asked if similar incidents have been reported from other districts of Amravati Division, of which Yavarmal is one, Amravati Divisional Commissioner Piyush Singh said, “I have sought information from all collectors. They have not yet received any such complaints from their districts.”

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