In various parts of mainland China, the harm caused by drones spraying pesticides on forests and farmlands has left people speechless and frustrated. On April 25th, in the Lushan Xihai Scenic Area of Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, drones sprayed pesticides, leaving tourists with nowhere to hide. Up to this day, the affected tourists have yet to receive a satisfactory resolution.
According to the report by the “Xinjing Daily” on April 26th, Jiangxi Lushan Xihai State-owned Tourism Development Co., Ltd. issued a situation report stating that due to the lush vegetation on the islands in the scenic area and the frequent occurrence of pests and diseases in the forests, improper operation by a third-party company in pest control led to discomfort among individual tourists. The company mentioned that the affected tourists underwent medical examinations at the hospital, without requiring hospitalization or medication.
However, the affected tourists expressed dissatisfaction with the situation. One of them, using the alias Xiao Yan, recounted the incident. On April 25th, she was visiting the park with her child when, around 5 p.m., drones began spraying pesticides on a large scale. She recalled, “There were a lot of people at that time, probably less than a hundred. The island staff said they were spraying pesticides and told us to leave quickly, but we couldn’t run away in time.”
“They said it was for killing insects, who would have known! The pesticide was highly concentrated, very irritating. Once inhaled, I began coughing, and my mouth tasted bitter,” Xiao Yan stated. Many tourists had brought their children out to play, and parents hurriedly ran with their children while covering their noses. “The air was filled with pesticides, with no place to hide.”
Xiao Yan mentioned that she still has symptoms of coughing up to now. “We have all returned home and will never go again. It’s infuriating.”
Moreover, what angered Xiao Yan even more was that Jiangxi Lushan Xihai State-owned Tourism Development Co., Ltd. has not provided any explanation or compensation to them to this day.
Xiao Yan still cannot understand why the spraying couldn’t have been scheduled when there were no tourists in the evening. “You should wait until after 6 o’clock to spray the pesticides. It’s ridiculous.”
Since March of this year, due to the authorities’ widespread promotion of drones for “integrated pest control,” incidents of drones spraying pesticides without prior notice have occurred in various parts of mainland China, leading to damages to rapeseed flowers, crops, vegetables, and more. According to a report by China National Radio, in Daye City, Hubei Province, where 270,000 mu of rapeseed has entered the initial flowering stage, the local agricultural department has deployed over 280 plant protection drones, accompanied by 30 professional pilots.
Furthermore, in areas such as Nanchuan District in Chongqing, Malong District and Anning City in Yunnan, Ziyun County and Jinping County in Guizhou, Ningyuan County and Chenxi County in Hunan, Tongzhou District in Jiangsu, large-scale promotion of drones for “integrated pest control” in agriculture has been carried out. Officials claim that this measure will “reduce pesticide usage by 30%” and describe it as an important initiative for promoting “rural revitalization.”
However, this official measure has resulted in significant losses for a large number of beekeepers, leading to bee poisoning and a significant decrease in honey production this year. In addition, some vegetables and grains painstakingly grown by farmers were rendered useless after being sprayed with pesticides, along with damage to many other crops. In some areas, there have even been incidents of passersby fainting due to spraying, sparking anger among the mainland Chinese people.
According to a reporter from The Epoch Times, a retired soldier in Wuhan, Hubei has organized a team in his hometown dedicated to combating drones. He told the reporter that they can take down more than a dozen drones in a day, receiving support from many people online.