Kathmandu, Aug 29: Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ramnath Adhikari has formed a five-member committee to take stock the health problems facing the farmers in some wards of Gandaki rural municipality in Gorkha. 

Minister Adhikari formed a five-member task force under the coordination of Senior Crop Protection Officer Manoj Pokharel after it was reported in various media that the use of excessive pesticides in vegetable farming in some wards of Gandaki rural municipality for the past few days has caused serious problems to the health of farmers.

It was reported that 61 vegetable farmers of the rural municipality had cancer and 15 had kidney failure.  

The taskforce comprises Nepal Agricultural Research Council’s Scientist Dr Kashinath Chiluwal, Food Research Officer at the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, Rijan Karki, Crop Protection Officer at the Central Agriculture Laboratory Bibek Sunar and Crop Protection Officer at the Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center Madhav Bhatta. 

“A five-member task force has been formed as per the decision of the emergency meeting held in the presence of the Minister on 27 August 2024 to study the problems related to pesticides use seen in Gandaki rural municipality, Gorkha and submit a report”, reads the decision. 

The committee has been asked to submit a report of the study to be carried out by reaching the affected place.—