Raw bananas brought by farmers from Danabari, Ilam, to the wholesale vegetable market in Birtamod were found to contain dangerously high levels of pesticides, rendering them unfit for consumption. Three samples, weighing 70 grams each, brought by Kamal Magar, a farmer from Danabari, were tested at the Pesticide Residue Rapid Analysis Laboratory Unit under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development on Wednesday morning.

Ambika Bohora, head of the laboratory, confirmed that two of the samples contained high levels of carbamate pesticides. The inhibition percentages for these two samples were 52.85 and 53.11, exceeding the safe limit of 45 percent. The third sample showed a slightly lower, yet concerning, carbamate level of 44.76 percent.

Technician Bohora explained that any produce with carbamate levels exceeding 45 percent is considered unfit for consumption and must be discarded. If pesticide levels fall between 35 to 45 percent, the items are placed under quarantine for a few days and retested. Additionally, significant traces of organophosphate pesticides, ranging between 27 to 35 percent, were detected in the bananas.

Nagendra Sangraula, deputy mayor of Birtamod Municipality and coordinator of the monitoring committee, stated that any produce found unfit for consumption would be destroyed. In cases requiring quarantine, the produce would remain in the agricultural wholesale market until further testing confirms its safety. Sangraula added that pesticide residues were also found in the latte greens recently brought to the same market, making them unfit for sale. -- RSS