NGT Demands Answers from Central Government, CPCB on Arsenic in Rice

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has requested responses from the Union Agriculture and Environment Ministries and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) concerning the presence of arsenic in food, particularly rice. The case, initiated suo motu by a Coram led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member Dr. A Senthil Vel, is based on a Times Now article titled ‘Arsenic in Food: Should you wash rice before cooking it?’. The article highlighted the toxic nature of arsenic in soil and water, noting that proper washing of rice can help remove it.

The article highlights that arsenic, naturally present in water, soil, and rocks, enters the food chain at varying levels across different areas. Human activities such as using pesticides and herbicides, wood preservatives, phosphate fertilizers, industrial waste, mining, coal burning, and smelting have exacerbated arsenic pollution. Rice, grown in flooded fields, is particularly vulnerable to arsenic contamination due to its high water absorption.

The NGT noted that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), long-term arsenic exposure primarily affects the skin within five years and can lead to death in extreme cases. Recognizing this significant environmental and public health issue, the NGT sought responses from the CPCB and the Union Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, scheduling further hearings for September 2.

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