he death of a teenage girl after consuming tomatoes that had been sprayed with pesticides has sparked concerns over the safety of fruit and vegetables sold in Meghalaya.
Shailynti Marngar (15), of Mawriang Tyrnai in Eastern West Khasi Hills, died on July 13 soon after eating tomatoes that had been treated with pesticides and fungicides.
Although Meghalaya is hoping to expand its organic farming footprint, farmers still heavily rely on synthetic pesticides. Tomatoes are notorious for being prone to pest damage and also have a short shelf life once harvested.
However, Ampareen Lyngdoh, who holds charge both as Health Minister and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, allayed fears of the danger of pesticides, if correct procedures are followed.
According to her, investigators found that the tomatoes consumed by Marngar and her family had been harvested without observing a mandatory safety interval from the time the pesticide was applied.
Lyngdoh explained that farmers are instructed not to consume or sell produce for at least seven to 10 days after applying strong chemical agents. In this case, she said, the failure to observe that precautionary period could be directly linked to the poisoning. A full report is still awaited, however.
The minister still urged farmers to return to organic agriculture methods.
Marngar’s family members also suffered some symptoms but recovered following medical treatment. The teenage victim, however, fell ill at home and died before she reached a medical centre.
