Banned abroad, yet toxic herbicide sprayed on Punjab maize & moong
Despite being banned in many countries, paraquat dichloride remains widely used in India, especially for crop drying and weed control. Medical experts and committees have called for its ban due to severe health risks. However, India continues its use under stricter guidelines, with concerns over inadequate safety measures, highlighting the need for policy reforms and safer alternatives.
Bathinda: Despite being banned, restricted, or withdrawn in many countries, highly toxic herbicide paraquat dichloride contrinues to be in wide Indian use for weeding, grass control, and pre-harvest crop drying (in Punjab especially). Its severe health risks and lack of an antidote make doctors amplify the call for a ban on this chemical.Deployed commonly to dry crops like moong and maize, it is damaging to the humans, animals, and environment. Against medical advice of the Anupam Verma Committee to review paraquat among 66 foreign-banned or restricted pesticides, India allowed its continued use under stricter guidelines. A 2015 review by the Registration Committee under the Insecticides Act, 1968, recommended cautious use, better packaging, and training for medical personnel to manage poisoning cases. In response to a question that MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy had raised in Parliament, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had stated that the govt had assigned a subcommittee to review paraquat’s toxicity and safety, while training farmers through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and other agencies to promote judicious use of herbicide, safer handling, and alternative bio-pesticides. The minister said: “The label and leaflet carry the details of doses, crops, and precaution.” Since concerns persist, critics argue that inadequate protective equipment and safety training in rural areas have exposed farmers and farm workers to severe risks.
The continued reliance on paraquat, despite its recognised toxicity and bans elsewhere, underscores the need for policy reform and support for safer alternatives. The Centre has defended its regulatory framework under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and Insecticides Rules, 1971, which ensures pesticide approval only after rigorous safety evaluations of chemistry, bio-efficacy, toxicity, packaging and processing. Yet, experts question the efficacy of safeguards and call for accelerated efforts to phase out paraquat and transition to less harmful options.
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Source : Times Of India
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