Ginger samples collected in Hassan have, shockingly, shown traces of the banned insecticide endosulfan, leaving the district administration with the task of finding the source. The Deputy Commissioner has asked the Horticulture and Agriculture departments to locate the source of the ginger, and file a police case.
Deputy Commissioner Umesh H. Kusugal told the media here on Thursday that a sample of ginger collected in the district was sent for lab tests. The tests found endosulfan in one of the samples. “The insecticide has been banned. It is surprising how the traces were found,” he said. B. Suma, Deputy Director of Horticulture Department, said three months ago, samples of ginger from the district were sent to the Indian Institute of Agriculture Research in Bengaluru for analysis. “We are yet to get the detailed lab reports. However, preliminary reports suggested traces of endosulfan. The sale and use of endosulfan has been banned for three years now. Certain chemicals remain as residues in soil for many years. This may be one such case. We are making efforts to find the source,” she said.
