Centre Imposes Immediate Nationwide Ban on Paraquat

Hyderabad: The Centre on Tuesday announced its decision to impose a nationwide ban on paraquat dichloride, the herbicide on which Telangana had earlier imposed a temporary three-month ban.

More than 200 deaths, most suicides in Telangana in the past few years, were attributed to paraquat dichloride poisoning, for which there is no antidote. The Telangana Legislative Assembly had also passed a unanimous resolution in the past urging the Centre to ban the herbicide. Telangana had banned this chemical on April 3, but that ban was for three months as states do not have the power to fully ban agrochemicals, a power that rests with the Centre.

In its gazette notification on July 13, the Union agriculture ministry said the final notification banning the agricultural chemical will be issued after a 30-day window during which those who oppose the ban, can file their objections with the ministry.

The ministry said the decision to ban paraquat dichloride followed the report it received on the agrichemical from an expert committee constituted following which the issue was placed before the registration committee that functions as per provisions of the Insecticides Act 1968, which recommended a ban on the herbicide.

The ministry said the registration committee took into cognizance of a ban on this herbicide in more than 70 countries, and identified several areas of concern if its sale and use is continued to be allowed. These include documented adverse health effects, a continued history of poisoning incidents with high fatalities, and the absence of a specific antidote. The ban, the Centre said, was due to the fact that if use of paraquat dichloride was allowed, it will involve risk to human and animal lives, and necessary immediate action was required to prevent any such incidents.

It said the ban will include complete prohibition of paraquat dichloride in India, including an immediate ban on its manufacture, import, transport, distribution, sale, and use.