Overuse of pesticides increases mortality rate of peacocks

The Tribune , Thursday, April 13, 2006
Correspondent : Bipin Bhardwaj
Panchkula, April 12

Mortality rate of peacocks has witnessed a drastic increase due to overuse of pesticides by farmers of Haryana in the past over five years. To save the seed from pests and have a good yield of their produce, farmers have been using over three to four times the quantity of the required amount of the pesticide, thus putting an adverse affect on the human being, animals and birds.

High mortality rate of peacock has also been proving a boon for smugglers of peacock feathers in this part of the region, claimed Mr R. D. Jakati, Chief Conservator of Forest and Wildlife (CCFW), Haryana.

While responding to a news item published in The Tribune on Wednesday, Mr Jakati claimed that no complaint had been received from any part of the region about poaching of peacocks for feathers. The tail-feathers of a peacock could be well identified from their tips to know whether the birds were killed for feathers or the feathers were naturally shed, said Mr Jakati.

He, however, claimed that the 'traders' of peacock feathers had been collecting naturally shed feather by the birds from different parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and other states for sale. Sale of naturally shed peacock tail feathers is exempted as per the Wildlife Protection Act, he informed.

The CCFW also claimed that treating crop seed with excess of pesticide (chlorpyriphose) than the required amount have been proving toxic for the peacocks, sparrows and other fauna found in Haryana. The Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, has already conducted an indepth study over the issue and proved the facts true.

Mr Jakati also claimed that wildlife inspectors had been deployed at village level to educate the farmers of the consequences of intensive use of the pesticides over humans and the wildlife. The inspectors have been holding meetings with farmers of three to four villages every month since 2001, he claimed.

"To save the humans and wildlife from the side affects of pesticides, I have also written to the Director, Agriculture, for motivating farmers to use bio-pesticides as an alternate. In the list of states that lead in pesticide consumption, Haryana stands eighth in the country. As much as 85 per cent of the total area of the state has witnessed a sharp decline in wild animals and birds," added Mr Jakati.

 
SOURCE : The Tribune, Thursday, April 13, 2006
 


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