10 years on, pesticide residue testing lab in Jalandhar a non-starter

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, November 28

To monitor pesticide residues in food items, the Agriculture Department had proposed to set up Punjab’s first ever Pesticide Residue Testing Laboratory (PRTL) at Jalandhar in 2008. But even after 14 years, only the building stands. Neither there is any staff nor any equipment has been procured.

The construction work for the PRTL was entrusted to the Punjab Mandi Board in 2009, which was completed at the cost of Rs 2.84 crore.

The foundation stone for the opening of the laboratory and agriculture office was laid by the former Director, Agriculture, Mangal Singh Sandhu, on May 18, 2012. However, the laboratory area, which has eight spacious rooms, is currently being used for record-keeping by the Agriculture Department. Some rooms are also lying closed.

Now, after 10 years of the completion of building, a team from Mohali had visited the site a week ago to check every technical aspect related to the laboratory. A project report will now be prepared by the team that will be submitted to the higher authorities.

As per the information, the testing will be done on the first floor where complete isolation will be required, and the sampling will be done on the ground floor and staff will sit there.

Director of the State Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Gurvinder Singh said the process has already started and within a year, the laboratory would be ready. “A survey was recently held by a team and we are waiting for the project report. Process will start thereafter,” the director said.

Director of the Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association, Ashok Sethi, said they would welcome the setting up of pesticide testing laboratory, which was their demand for last 10 years. “The rice importers, specially based in the EU, the US and even Middle East countries, have fixed strict standards for pesticides and its minimum residue levels,” he said.

Pesticides in food biggest concern

• The presence of pesticides in the food is one of the biggest concerns these days
• Having a laboratory to check the amount of pesticide residues in food items is need of the hour, an official said
• Sources from the dept said there was some problem with funding, which is why there was no headway in the project for several years