By Pushpranjan, EuAsiaNews,
Kathmandu : The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (German Technical Cooperation) or GTZ has expressed its interest to help Nepal to dispose obsolete pesticides stored across the country since three and a half decades.
Most of the pesticides are stored very close to Indo-Nepal border towns, which may cause serious health hazard.
GTZ officials have told Nepali environment ministry, that they are ready to take the no longer useful pesticides and dispose it safely in their country, if Nepal can collect all the pesticides at one point.
Nepal, a darling of the donors, has received most of these pesticides in the form of aid. Nepali environment ministry officials are looking for funds to collect the obsolete pesticides at one point.
More than 74 tonnes of different pesticides like DDT are being stored in over a dozen different places including Amlekhgunj ( 5 kms from India), Nepalgunj( another border town, close to India) and Khumaltar near Lalitpur Kathmandu.
The Amlekhgunj stockpile is currently housed in a warehouse that is adjacent to the playfield of a village school and is located within the densely populated area of the small town.
The largest stockpile in Amlekhgunj contains nearly 50 tons of pesticides including Endrin, Organomercury seed dressing, DDT dust, Lindane granules, BHC dust, Chlordane dust, 2,4-D wettable powder and other unidentified organochlorines.
The pesticides are posing a threat to human lives as they are stored near human settlements.
For safe disposal, the chemicals need to be incinerated at temperatures of 1,200-1,500 degrees Celsius equipped with special Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD). Such a set up is not available in Nepal.
GTZ is a private international enterprise founded in 1975 and owned by the German federal government specializing in technical cooperation for sustainable development with worldwide operation.