Centre to update agro-chemicals list after Yavatmal pesticide poisoning

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The farmers’ deaths in the state have prompted the Centre to revisit its list of banned agrochemicals. A decision will be taken after it receives the final report by the state government.
A report by the committee formed under the home department secretary has recommended that two pesticides, ‘Polo and Police’, be banned. The move has been stayed for the time being after the recommendations were contested by the agriculture department.
“The fault here is not of the pesticide.They are effective if used on the right crop and prescribed conditions. The issue is about violations, lack of awareness, lapses and uncontrolled spraying,” said a senior official. Officials said the farm hands may have mixed chemicals to make a much lethal combination.
A central team, comprising experts from the Faridabad-based directorate of plant protection, quarantine and storage, has visited the affected districts. “It’s not yet clear whether the farmers have used banned pesticides or a concoction of permissible ones which might have turned hazardous”, said an official of the agriculture ministry, which updates the list of pesticides and insecticides for manufacture, import and use on the advice of an expert committee. The team will also check whether the farmers had adhered to certain dos and don’ts.
The ministry will discuss the issue on Wednesday, taking inputs from the directorate of plant protection which is responsible for quality control of pesticides to ensure the agro-chemicals are efficient without being hazardous. On the recommendation of an expert committee, the ministry had early this year included 18 pesticides on the list whose use can be banned in a phased manner. Manufacturing, import and use of 12 of the identified pesticides will be banned from January 1, 2018. The use of the remaining six will be discontinued from December 31, 2020. Most of these pesticides are highly toxic to honey bees and birds, and they all contaminate water bodies and underground water.