“Even mother’s milk is no longer safe. The vegetables and fruits we eat are contaminated on account of use of too many pesticides, which will finish our coming generations,’’ said Justice V.K. Jain, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, while inaugurating a seminar: “Environmental Contamination and Social Response”, held here today by Kheti Virasat Mission to discuss the multi-dimensional problem of environmental deterioration.

Speaking on the occasion, Jain said the alarming decay in environment is a matter of great worry and authorities must take appropriate steps to tackle it. “The problem of environmental degradation is alarming; it is silent killer. We are being sentenced to death. The clock is ticking fast and pesticides of all types will finish our coming generations.”

Even as experts expressed grave concern over the hazards of increased use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers in Punjab, alarming trends like a phenomenally high 18 per cent share in nationwide use of pesticides and 12 per cent share in use of chemical fertilisers on just 1.5 per cent area of Punjab were identified as the biggest challenges. Concerns over burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, industry and thermal plants and indiscriminate disposal of pollutant-laden industrial waste in rivers, canals and other fresh water sources were expressed by panelists who termed the situation as extremely serious.

Dr G.S. Kalkat, chairman, Punjab Farmers’ Commission, apprised the gathering with the catastrophic dimensions of pollutants which have wreaked havoc upon the natural resources of Punjab, its rivers and soil health. He said 70 per cent of total pesticides in the country are used in Punjab and some 15 lakh hectares of land is under chemical fetilisers.

Dr Ernest Albert, Environmental Expert, National Geographic Channel, lamented that the issue of biological deterioration in terms of extinction of thousands of animal species in our surroundings is something which speaks volumes of the gravity of the situation.

Dr Umendra Dutt asserted that the struggle for protecting environmental natural resources and our right to reclaim our agriculture heritage is another freedom movement.