NEW DELHI: Deaths of farmers and farm labourers caused via pesticide poisoning in Maharashtra might have grabbed public consideration outside the state handiest final year after the Yavatmal incidents but the danger has been around for long.
Casualty figures of Maharashtra, shared via the agriculture ministry within the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, display that pesticide poisoning has been a consistent killer with the state reporting as many as 272 deaths within the final 4 years.
As a long way as final year’s incidents are concerned, Yavatmal district had reported the maximum selection of 21 deaths but the rest 42 deaths right through 2017-18 had been reported from 14 other districts within the state.
Incidentally, the pesticide Monocrotophos, whose unapproved combination is reportedly blamed for majority of the deaths in Yavatmal, continues to determine within the record of 66 pesticides which might be being utilized in India despite its ban or limited use in other places on the planet.
The special investigation crew (SIT), formed to probe 2017’s pesticide poisoning deaths in Yavatmal, had found right through its investigation that the majority sufferers had used Monocrotophos both in its pure form or mixed with another pesticide. It had, therefore, beneficial its ban.
Though the Maharashtra government had complied with the ban in November prohibiting its sale and advertising and marketing for a limited length of 60 days, it is as much as the Centre to totally ban it beneath the Insecticides Act, 1968.
Farm activist Kavitha Kuruganti of the Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA), alternatively, believes that the state can still do it via postponing licence or via preventing issue of fresh licences or its renewal. “If states like Kerala and Punjab can find techniques to ban use of sure pesticides, Maharashtra too can do this. We have even an instance of Sikkim which, being a fully organic state, doesn’t permit use of any chemical pesticide”, she said.
Punjab has just lately taken this type of determination with recognize to 20 pesticides, together with Monocrotophos, and made up our minds not to issue any fresh licences.
Reacting to huge selection of deaths because of pesticide poisoning in Maharashtra over time, Kuruganti even spoke about its possible linkages with farm suicides within the state. “How do we all know that the farm suicides in Vidarbha and Marathwada don't seem to be related to neuro-toxic results of sure pesticides which would possibly result in suicidal tendency?” she requested.
The agriculture ministry, which shared the demise figures in response to a Parliament query, remained non-committal. It took safe haven in quoting the advice of knowledgeable committee, chaired via Anupam Verma, which reviewed 66 pesticides, together with Monocrotophos. The ministry, alternatively, admitted that these pesticides are banned, limited or withdrawn in one or more countries of the sector.
“The knowledgeable committee, inter alia, beneficial Monocrotophos to be reviewed in 2018 after final touch of sure technical research”, said the minister of state for agriculture Parshottam Rupala in his written response. He, alternatively, didn't give any timeline.
Responding to a query whether or not the federal government used to be bearing in mind ban on Monocrotophos, he said, “Pesticides used as in step with authorized labels and leaflets are unlikely to pose any harm”.
Casualty figures of Maharashtra, shared via the agriculture ministry within the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, display that pesticide poisoning has been a consistent killer with the state reporting as many as 272 deaths within the final 4 years.
As a long way as final year’s incidents are concerned, Yavatmal district had reported the maximum selection of 21 deaths but the rest 42 deaths right through 2017-18 had been reported from 14 other districts within the state.
Incidentally, the pesticide Monocrotophos, whose unapproved combination is reportedly blamed for majority of the deaths in Yavatmal, continues to determine within the record of 66 pesticides which might be being utilized in India despite its ban or limited use in other places on the planet.
The special investigation crew (SIT), formed to probe 2017’s pesticide poisoning deaths in Yavatmal, had found right through its investigation that the majority sufferers had used Monocrotophos both in its pure form or mixed with another pesticide. It had, therefore, beneficial its ban.
Though the Maharashtra government had complied with the ban in November prohibiting its sale and advertising and marketing for a limited length of 60 days, it is as much as the Centre to totally ban it beneath the Insecticides Act, 1968.
Farm activist Kavitha Kuruganti of the Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA), alternatively, believes that the state can still do it via postponing licence or via preventing issue of fresh licences or its renewal. “If states like Kerala and Punjab can find techniques to ban use of sure pesticides, Maharashtra too can do this. We have even an instance of Sikkim which, being a fully organic state, doesn’t permit use of any chemical pesticide”, she said.
Punjab has just lately taken this type of determination with recognize to 20 pesticides, together with Monocrotophos, and made up our minds not to issue any fresh licences.
Reacting to huge selection of deaths because of pesticide poisoning in Maharashtra over time, Kuruganti even spoke about its possible linkages with farm suicides within the state. “How do we all know that the farm suicides in Vidarbha and Marathwada don't seem to be related to neuro-toxic results of sure pesticides which would possibly result in suicidal tendency?” she requested.
The agriculture ministry, which shared the demise figures in response to a Parliament query, remained non-committal. It took safe haven in quoting the advice of knowledgeable committee, chaired via Anupam Verma, which reviewed 66 pesticides, together with Monocrotophos. The ministry, alternatively, admitted that these pesticides are banned, limited or withdrawn in one or more countries of the sector.
“The knowledgeable committee, inter alia, beneficial Monocrotophos to be reviewed in 2018 after final touch of sure technical research”, said the minister of state for agriculture Parshottam Rupala in his written response. He, alternatively, didn't give any timeline.
Responding to a query whether or not the federal government used to be bearing in mind ban on Monocrotophos, he said, “Pesticides used as in step with authorized labels and leaflets are unlikely to pose any harm”.
Pesticide poisoning claimed 272 lives of farmers in Maharashtra in 4 years
![Pesticide poisoning claimed 272 lives of farmers in Maharashtra in 4 years]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
March 07, 2018
Rating:
