Court orders pesticides tests on veggies in Delhi

Wednesday March 09, 2011 08:37:08 PM, IANS

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday ordered tests on fruits and vegetables being sold in the capital to find out if banned pesticides were being used while growing them.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said: "We would like to find out as to whether pesticides are there in the vegetables sold in Delhi or not. It would be appropriate that the vegetables be purchased randomly and sent for the test at laboratories certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)."

The court has directed Additional Solicitor General A.S. Chandiok, standing counsel for Delhi government Najmi Waziri, Delhi Legal Services Authority member secretary Asha Menon and others to physically purchase vegetables from 10 different shops or 'mandis' in the national capital.

The bench also allowed two representatives of NGO Consumer Voice to accompany the lawyers.

"A report shall be made available to this court after the tests are conducted within five weeks from today," said the bench.

"The tests be conducted at laboratories at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) or other places which are approved by NABL," said the bench.

Earlier, the court had taken suo motu cognizance of a news report about rampant use of banned pesticides in vegetables and fruits, putting the lives of consumers at risk.

"The pesticides cause headache and affect fertility and can damage the kidney and liver," said the bench.

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