The Centre’s decision to ban 27 commonly-used pesticides in all three main categories, namely insecticides, fungicides and weedicides, is a move in the right direction The decision of the Centre to ban 27 commonly-used pesticides in all three main categories, viz. insecticides, fungicides and weedicides, in India has led to consternation among various stakeholders, particularly a certain section of the industry. To understand the issue and its implications, let us put a few facts in order. The manufacturing, import, sale, distribution and use of pesticides are regulated under the Insecticides Act (1968) with a view to prevent risk to human beings or animals and for matters connected therewith. The Registration Committee (RC) — set up under the Act — registers every pesticide...
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Category: Stewardship & Anti-counterfeiting
Why irresponsible registration of pesticide companies must be reined in
The Parliamentary standing committee on agriculture in its 2015-16 report—Impact of chemical fertilisers and pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country—has expressed serious concern over unscientific, excessive use of pesticides. The Parliamentary standing committee on agriculture in its 2015-16 report—Impact of chemical fertilisers and pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country—has expressed serious concern over unscientific, excessive use of pesticides. It laments that associated problems have not been properly addressed by central and state governments. Even as the committee exhorts the Centre for ‘a comprehensive action plan for ensuring environment sustainable manufacturing, import, sale and use of pesticides’, review of the Insecticides Act (IA),1968 and setting up of Pesticides Development and Regulation Authority (PDRA), it has...
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Pesticide woes – urgent need to rein in “Me-Too”
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture in its report for the year 2015-16 entitled “Impact of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country” has expressed serious concern over un-scientific and excessive use of pesticides. It laments that associated problems have not been addressed properly by the Government of India [GOI] and State Governments. Even as the committee exhorts GOI for ‘a comprehensive action plan for ensuring environment sustainable manufacturing, import, sale and use of pesticides’, review of the Insecticides Act [IA] [1968] and setting up of Pesticides Development and Regulation Authority [PDRA], it has skirted an innocuous section 9(4) in IA which lies at the root of the mentioned problems. The Registration Committee [RC] –...
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Toxic food – sign of deeper malaise in pesticide sector
Crop protection products [CPP] or pesticides as these are commonly known – are meant to protect plants from pests and disease so that they are healthy and in turn, help farmers in garnering higher yield and better crop quality. But, imagine what would happen if pesticides themselves start posing risk to humans, animals, birds, water, air, land etc? This is precisely what has happened during the last more than a decade ago or so. In 2003, a joint parliamentary committee [JPC] had taken a serious view of presence of pesticides in drinking water, beverages and soft drinks much in excess of global standards. The JPC had then made far reaching recommendations that included inter alia formulation of standards for individual...
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