The Slow Poisoning of India
Slow Poisoning in India is a 26-minute documentary directed by Ramesh Menon and produced by the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi. It addresses the dangers of overuse of pesticides in agriculture. India is one of the largest users of pesticides in Asia, as well as one of the largest producers. These toxins enter the food chain and our breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The film presents an interesting case study from Kerala, where villagers in the Kasaragod district paid a heavy price for years of exposure to pesticide spraying. It talks about the health effects in other parts of India, and how the magic of the green revolution in Punjab is fading as the land and water become polluted.
But some farmers are reverting to better practices, a last ray of hope. “Many farmers are now switching from chemical to organic farming as they believe it is the only way to avoid a storm of debt due to the high cost of pesticides. Farmers like Warangal’s Tokia Modu are waging a silent biological war against pests , and is winning.
