Eco-Friendly (NEEM Pesticides)

Hi !!
have been out of action for quite sometime.
anyway, till i get down to writing something fresh, here's something from the past.

this was a letter to the editor published in the Development magazine "DOWN TO EARTH", in their June 30 issue of 2004.

this lo...n..gish letter was actually in response to a pretty short query to the editor of DTE by someone on the issue of chemical pesticides and wishing for an eco-friendly alternative.

here's it.//mg



published/DTE/ June-30,2004

Neem pesticides.

There was a letter in the April-15-2004 issue of “Down To Earth” where somebody was concerned about the use of chemical pesticides which are harmful, and wished if there were some eco friendly alternatives such as Neem pesticides or Neem distills.

I believe Neem insecticides/pesticides are already in practice. Only thing is that they are a little different in the sense that they do not kill the insects/pests directly and immediately but do so indirectly which leads to the removal of the pests. These are definitely much slower in contrast to the instant results offered by chemical or synthetic ones. However, the neem based ones are undoubtedly much safer for the people as compared to the regular ones.

I remember when we lived in Bombay, we used to get the pest control people over regularly and they used to spray the pesticide all over the house- in kitchen cupboards, bathrooms, book shelves, under the mattresses etc. etc. and the whole house used to smell for almost 2-3 days. When my son was born, we kept skipping the regular pesticide spray and told them no to do it for at least a year. Somehow, when those people turned up for their next regular visit, we told them there was a new born baby in the house so we will skip the schedule. We were surprised to hear that they had come up with some eco friendly stuff which would neither smell nor be dangerous for small children. It was a white powder and they made a thick paste out of it and stuck it in cupboards, under tables and chairs and beds, even under the refrigerator and other places in the house.

There was no smell and it was supposed to be safe. The effect was off course a bit delayed and slower as compared to the regular ones. Also I just came across a news item which says that Neem leaves may soon be used as fertilizers and pesticides . This would entail the use of some technology which has been developed at the centre for pollution control at pondicherri university. So just like the powder / paste neem pesticide, there can be a solution form which can be sprayed at various places infested with the menace of cockroaches and flies and the like, without having any harmful implications for the public.

Manisha Gupta