The Origin of Pesticides in Soft Drinks
Presence of pesticide contents in soft drinks has been sensational news recently. The
Delhi based Center for Science and Environment (CSE) reported pesticide residues in all
samples collected from different placed in Delhi. This shocking revelation had it’s impact
on the sales of the cold drinks over last few days. As a damage control effort, the Pepsi
and Coke companies issued advertisements in newspapers saying that their soft drink
products undergo stringent quality tests and they are very much safe.
The companies also approached the Supreme Court, which directed the Government of
India to get the samples tested to verify the veracity of CSE’s reports. Within few days,
the findings of Government were placed in Parliament. The Union Minister of Health
announced that they found pesticides below the standard limits, and hence they are safe.
The minister also announced to frame quality standards for drinking water and put in
place stringent quality control measures. With this, the media coverage of the issue has
almost come to an end. Slowly the issue is subsiding in the minds of people, just like
what happened after CSE reported pesticides in bottled water few months ago.
But, there are certain things still not clear from the CSE’s reports that appeared in
newspapers as well as the findings of the Government. Both the parties found pesticides
but failed to throw some light on the source of pesticides. Both of them did not give
sufficient importance to the fact that where from these pesticides entered the bottles.
Whole issue was centered on the companies not following the quality and safety
standards. Based on CSE’s findings of pesticides in bottled water and soft drinks, we can
conclude that the pesticides are not added in the manufacturing process. But, they come
with the raw water used for manufacturing these products. If so, where from the water
comes to them? It could be either ground water extracted in their premises or the surface
water from reservoirs supplied by municipalities or corporations. If we analyze these
things, we easily get to the root of the problem. It is, our water resources are getting
contaminated due to the indiscriminate use of fertilizers and pesticides in our farmlands,
particularly in the irrigated command areas.
Therefore, if one tests the water supplied by the local bodies, in villages, towns and cities,
there is every possibility that we find pesticides in them. Then, is it sufficient for the
Government to say that we set the standards now and be strict on the companies that
make the bottles? What about the millions of people that consume water every day from
these public supplies and local borewells. How can the Government assure those
standards, when most of the water testing laboratories in the country are not equipped
even to test the samples for pesticides? Today, most of the town and city water supplies
come from surface water sources, which are more susceptible to pesticide contamination.
The routine practice is to remove solid particles and disinfect with chlorine. How can
these suppliers comply with the set standards when they do not have technology and
skilled manpower to test water and remove pesticides from water ?
Therefore, setting the water quality standards should not be the last step by the
Government. It is, in fact, should be the first step. Pesticide identification, purification
and monitoring shall be introduced in all water supply systems. The Government should
equip the supply authorities and laboratories with men and machinery to translate the
standards into a reality. On the other side, the policies of Governments should discourage
excessive use of harmful and toxic pesticides in agriculture. If the companies are
accountable to public for lapses in quality, will the same rule not apply to the
Government, regional and local authorities, which are supplying drinking water to
millions of people in the country?