Assam: Guwahati authorities carry out operation to ensure safety of imported vegetables

Following a directive from the Gauhati High Court, a special operation was carried out in Guwahati's Jalukbari area on the night of March 27 to inspect the vegetables imported to the city. The operation involved the agricultural, food security, transport departments, and police who inspected the vegetables to ensure they are safe for consumption.

Samples were collected during the operation and sent to the State Public Health Laboratory to test for excessive amounts of fertilizers and chemicals applied on the vegetables. Appropriate actions will be taken by the concerned departments as per the court's directives if excessive amounts are found.

At least six teams, each comprising one representative from every concerned department, were deployed in several parts of the city for the sample collection of vegetables. The Gauhati High Court had directed the concerned departments to inspect the vegetables before they are imported to Guwahati in a set of guidelines issued on February 23 based on a petition filed by Advocate Seema Bhuyan.

The guidelines relate to the use of pesticides in vegetables and require various departments, including agriculture, forensics, and health, to take adequate measures for inspecting the vegetables that are imported to the city before they are sold to citizens. The departments were asked to submit a detailed report on this by March 3.

Advocate Seema Bhuyan filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the high court claiming that food products such as vegetables and crops in the state have excessive contamination of pesticides and heavy materials that are injurious to human health.