The death of Rajesh Sahu, a student of the Dadhibaban Plus Two College at Batharla of Bargarh district in a private hospital at Bhubaneswar on Sunday after consuming a herbicide, Paraquate, has led to demands to ban the herbicide.
Earlier, Rajesh had been admitted to the VIMSAR.
The herbicide is used by farmers for agricultural purposes in western Odisha and its use is high in irrigated areas. Many people are consuming this herbicide and dying. It is lethal and no antidote is available unlike other pesticides or insecticides. Once consumed by a person, it affects kidney, lungs, leading to renal failure and lung fibrosis, pointed out VIMSAR Senior Medicine Specialist Dr Shankar Ramchandani .
VIMSAR Senior Resident Doctors on January 15 had urged the Health and Family Welfare Secretary to ban the sale of Paraquat. But so far no action has been initiated in the connection, alleged Dr Ramchandanani .
In a related development, Durlabha Sahu, the father of Rajesh in a petition to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged to ban Paraquate.
