PFA uproots unhealthy crops

Rawalpindi: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Wednesday uprooted unhealthy vegetable crops in north Punjab by ploughing on 96-kanal land while carrying out an operation under the supervision of respective district officer.

According to details, PFA has discarded thousands of kilograms of toxic vegetables including onion, tomato, coriander, cucumber, bottle gourd, spinaches, green chili and ladyfinger. The operation was conducted on the directions of PFA Director General Irfan Memon.

The teams have inspected 2804-kanal land in 14 districts of north Punjab including 250-kanal each in Khushab and Bhakkar, 672-kanal land in Rawalpindi, 40 in Chakwal, 220 in Jhelum, 448 in Mianwali, 80 in Gujranwala, 196 in Hafizabad, 102 in Sialkot and 168 in Narrowal.

He said that the use of wastewater to irrigate crops causes health diseases after adding its toxic materials in the ready crops. He said farmers can cultivate the only alternative/non-edible crops with sewerage and industrial wastewater like bamboos, jute, indoor plants and flowers.

Irfan Memon further said that the seemingly fresh vegetables irrigated with from wastewater have to be extremely harmful to human health. He has warned farmers to avoid to irrigate crops with sewerage water, otherwise, PFA will plough on crops as per law. The PFA is vigilantly monitoring to ensure the safe food from farm to plate, he added.