ADILABAD: After Covid positive people entered hospitals in old Adilabad district for treatment from neighbouring Maharashtra, it is now the turn of banned glyphosate and spurious BT-3 cotton seeds to infiltrate into the district from the neighbouring state with onset of rainy season and impending Kharif sowings.
In fact, BT-3 cotton seeds are banned as they require huge investments by way of fertilisers and pesticides. Yet they are being supplied to a large number of small and marginal farmers in the border districts of Maharashtra. Gullible farmers are becoming a victim of these spurious seed sellers, though Telangana police and agriculture officials are trying to curb their sales.
Recently, Jainoor police arrested two persons illegally transporting 40 litres of banned anti-weed glyphosate to Adilabad from Maharashtra. The two, Mesram Santhos and Akram Deshmukh, had bought these products from a fertilizer and pesticide shop at Jivithi in Maharashtra.
On Monday, Gadiguda police seized spurious cotton seeds worth Rs 60,000 and arrested another two persons.
Utnoor DSP Uday Reddy said they have intensified vehicle checking and are inspecting shops selling fertilisers and seeds on a regular basis to control the sale of spurious cotton seeds and pesticides.
However, sellers store these illegal seeds and pesticides in godowns and houses in secluded places. They sell them to gullible farmers with the onset of rains in Kharif season.
Rythu Swarajya Vedika district president Sangepu Borranna said already spurious cotton seeds and glyphosate have reached the interior villages in bordering mandals of old Adilabad district, including Gadiguda, Narnoor, Indravelli, Kerameri, Utnoor, Lingapur, Sirpur (U), Wankidi and Asifabad, apart from bordering mandals in Kagaznagar division and Mancherial district.
