Judicious Use of Pesticides a Must

The excessive, indiscriminate and unregulated use of pesticides has led to new problems and has resulted in the presence of pesticide residues in the food chain and environment. It is not only the responsibility of the government but also the manufacturers to advise the farming community to make safe and judicious use of pesticides. Pesticides should be used when necessary and farmers should always adhere to the set of guidelines recommended by the scientists and the experts.

There have been groups who have an agenda to nail the manufacturers by misleading the farming community.  Although various methods were used to control pests in different pest management systems, pesticides continue to be the major component of most of the pest control programme and will probably remain so in the near future. If crops are required to develop in a healthy manner, it is very necessary that undesirable and destructive micro-organism and plants are eliminated.

Today pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, nematicides etc) are extensively used all over the world to save crops in the field and in the storage. Evidence suggests that not only are chemical pesticides used in increasing quantities but they are sometimes used and handled in an irresponsible way. There is a huge misconception that use of pesticides has led to the problems affecting human health and environment.

In developed countries the usage of pesticides is 20 times more than India; their crop yields are much higher than ours. For this we must take steps to spread awareness on the judicious use of pesticides by organising educational programmes, seminars, publicity campaigns, radio and TV talk and kisan melas from time to time.

We must realise that pesticides are as important as any other ingredient for the crop production in this country. Pesticides like drugs are beneficial to man when properly used: if misused they may be extremely dangerous. It is entirely possible for a user to handle pesticides safely for many years with no obvious ill-effects to himself or his environment. The ill effects are preventable. Safe handling of pesticides by the user may be dealt with under the following precautionary measures:

Pesticide Selection

- Before making a selection, the pest problem should be identified.

- Select a pesticide that would control the pest with minimum danger to other organisms.

- The pesticide should be one approved, registered and recommended.

- Buy only the required quantity of pesticide and avoid storage.

Despite the fact that judicious use of pesticides can prevent crop losses and provide economic benefits to the farmers, pesticide consumption in India is limited to about 25% of the arable land. Pesticides are the last input in the agricultural process but are important for the sustainable development of agriculture and food security.

Engaging employees for CSR activity is important

We at Crystal have always believed in immense contribution for the sustainable development of the society. We have been taking up activities for last several years which helps in the overall growth of the society at large. It is not only important for organizations to formulate CSR strategies but also important to make them to be adapted by their employees. The success of implementation of corporate social responsibility relies upon the participation of employees in it.

The recent painting competition organized for the specially abled children in association with the NGO Deepalaya was an enriching experience for all our employees. We are glad that we managed to pull off a successful event with the help of our team which contributed in a big way by planning the activity and making the arrangements accordingly.

Interacting with the specially abled kids at the spot and help them understand the theme of the competition was altogether a different experience for each one of us who volunteered to be a part of this activity. There were children who could not hear, speak, walk etc. as well as those who were mentally challenged. It was a touching experience for all of us to mix with these kids and bring smile on their faces through this activity.

 Each and every kid at the spot tried to do something innovative and paint his mind on the canvas. It was amazing to see these bright and young talents who had the ability to become a successful artist someday in future if they are encouraged and motivated on a regular basis through these activities. This is one workforce where we must focus on and as a responsible citizen of the country must work on to bring them in the mainstream. As a corporate entity, we must take a step forward and pledge to make a difference in the society by contributing through such activities.

Changing the values and beliefs that some people have with regard to people with disabilities is very important. One of our responsibilities is to encourage humanitarian activities that would contribute to the development of our society. As much as each one of us harbour a dream, so do people with special needs.