By News Desk: In a major food safety operation, the Balochistan Food Authority (BFA) destroyed vegetables cultivated on nearly 33 acres of farmland after discovering they were being irrigated with toxic sewage water along New Sabzal Road, officials said on Thursday.
Using tractors, BFA teams razed ready-to-harvest and standing crops, including cabbage, mint, coriander, beetroot, and lettuce, during the second consecutive day of a special crackdown against the illegal practice of sewage-water irrigation.
The operation, supervised by the BFA Director of Operations, also dismantled the illegal irrigation system by cutting off several sewage water supply points connected to nearby drains, preventing growers from resuming the unlawful cultivation.
Director General of the Balochistan Food Authority Habibullah Khan warned that vegetables grown with contaminated sewage water may appear fresh but can carry harmful bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and other toxic substances that pose serious health risks and may cause life-threatening diseases.
He said protecting consumers by ensuring the availability of safe, hygienic, and high-quality food remains the authority’s top priority, adding that no compromise would be made on public health.
The DG said the crackdown is being conducted on the instructions of the Provincial Food Minister and Chairman of the Balochistan Food Authority and will continue until the illegal cultivation of vegetables using sewage water is completely eradicated across the province.
He warned that strict legal action would be taken against individuals involved in practices that endanger public health.
Habibullah Khan urged farmers to irrigate crops only with clean and safe water and appealed to the public to report any cases of vegetables being grown with sewage water so authorities could take prompt action.
The ongoing campaign was launched after repeated warnings, official notices, the Food Authority’s ban, and directives issued under the Balochistan High Court’s decision failed to stop the illegal cultivation of vegetables with contaminated wastewater.
