Soil pollution ravages crop yield

Experts warn of food shortage, health risks if mitigation measures are not applied

LAHORE:

Soil contamination could lead to an increase in cancer and other fatal diseases besides serving a blow of billions of rupees through reduced crop yields to the agrarian provincial economy, an agricultural economy expert told The Express Tribune.

“More than 60% of total wheat and rice is grown in Punjab,” he pointed out from a recent case study determining loss of agricultural productivity in Pakistan. “The real GDP will decline by 3.7% of the base value due to the yield loss of wheat and rice under extreme scenarios of soil degradation.

This represents a loss of almost $19.5 billion to the Pakistan economy,” he added. Director General Department of Agriculture (Extension) Punjab Dr Anjum Ali Buttar said there are several causes of soil pollution in urban and rural areas. Cities face problems of garbage of homes and factories and chemical waste, while in rural areas sewerage water is used for irrigation.

“Sewage from homes is less dangerous than contaminated water from factories,” he revealed. He maintained that use of sewage water for irrigation after treatment increases land fertility.

However, if harmful and toxic chemicals are not removed from the water, it destroys the land, the expert warned. He also said that in order to maintain the fertility of agricultural lands around the world, they are kept vacant for a season but farmers in Pakistan are now cultivating crops multiple times a year on the same land, which reduces its productivity. He observed that there was a need to implement a programme to ensure healthy soil, food and people.

He added that various types of natural and artificial resources also cause ground pollution, including human and animal waste. Dr Buttar said farmers should not grow green leave vegetables with sewage, but the water should be used for flowering plants, trees and crops that are not used directly in human food.

Health practitioners strongly recommend that home and industrial waste should be transferred to the landfill sites by the staff of local bodies and disposed of by machines with safety measures in place. They maintain that the excessive use of toxic chemicals, pesticides and sprays cause skin cancer and respiratory diseases alongside damaging soil fertility.

These toxins also enter the food chain. An official of the Punjab Environment Departments stressed that in order to reduce soil pollution, people are being told to stop the use of unhealthy substances, utilise pesticides sparingly, recycle and reuse plastic and other items. “Farmers should maximise the use of organic fertilisers and minimize the use of chemicals,” he emphasised.

“Moreover, citizens should buy biodegradable items so that pollution is reduced from the environment.” Meanwhile, scientists have warned that millions of people could die by 2050 due to food shortages caused by land pollution. It is estimated that owing to the decline in land fertility, the country suffers a loss of 3% annually in national production.

According to data compiled by the International Water Management Institute, a loss of 2% of annual Gross domestic product (GDP) and 7% value of total agricultural production is caused by decline in land fertility in South Asia. Fertility has declined in an area of 140 million hectares, which is 43% of the cultivable land in South Asia. Report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) states the soil contains high levels of alluvium and sediments while it is 90% deficient in organic matter.

Agricultural economy expert Amir Hayat Bhandara says human activities are the main cause behind soil pollution in Pakistan. “Land pollution disrupts the earth’s productive capacity and hampers economic progress.” “In addition, the number of cities is increasing due to exponential population growth and deforestation is worsening the pollution overtime,” he explained.

He maintained that solid waste particularly plastic, industrial effluents and emissions, pesticides, chemical fertilisers, waterlogging and salinity, industrial and mine accidents, nuclear emissions, land overuse and other pollutants damage the earth’s surface.

“The face masks and plastic gloves used during the recent outbreak of coronavirus were thrown away without adopting proper measures adding to the already aggravated soil pollution,” Bhandara expressed remorse. He asked the government to undertake immediate action to reverse land degradation through effective policy as well as implementation measures.