Cattle deaths not due to Bt Cotton, claims Ministry of Environme

New Delhi, Aug 16 (UNI) The Government today denied reports that cattle were dying after grazing on Bt cotton fields.

''The Ministry of Environment and Forest had so far not received any scientific report attributing sheep mortality to grazing on Bt cotton fields per se,'' Minister of State for Environment and Forests Namo Narain Meena told the Rajya Sabha today.

He said it was informed by the Andhra Pradesh Government that Bt cotton samples analysed by four laboratories indicated the presence of high content of Nitrates, Nitrites, residues hydro-cyanide(HCN) and organophosphates which may be common constituents of soil or fertiliser or pesticides used in cotton cultivation.

The question was put up by a Member from Andhra Pradesh Syed Azeez Pasha.

A large number of cattle had died in the past few months after grazing on Bt cotton crop in various parts of Warangal district of the state. The affected districts were Warangal, Khammam and Adilabad.

Following these deaths, the Animal Husbandary department of the state had issued a circular to veterinary hospitals asking them to send relevant material for analysis.

The area under Bt cotton had increased substantially in the districts this year, with large tracts under the crop were available for use as fodder after harvesting ended in December-January.

UNI