Lok Sabha Question No. 149 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-06
Subject: Pesticide Poisoning
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: HARI BABU KAMBHAMPATI, DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 149

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  MARCH, 2018

## PESTICIDE POISONING

- *149.    DR. KAMBHAMPATI HARIBABU: SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of farmers who died due to use of pesticides in Maharashtra during the last three years and the current year, especially during September-October 2017, districtwise;
- (b) whether the Union Government has received any recommendations from the State Government of Maharashtra on the tragic death of 40 farmers and farm labourers in the State due to pesticide poisoning and if so, the details of such recommendations;
- (c) whether any organisation/agency/ mission has demanded Government intervention in  this  matter  so  that  officers  showing  negligence  in  such  deaths  may  be  identified  and taken to task;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken in this regard; and
- (e) the measures being taken by the Government to educate and train the farmers on handling of pesticides and toxic substances so as to contain such deaths in future?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè

(SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 149   DUE FOR REPLY ON 6 TH  MARCH, 2018.

- (a): As per the information received from the Maharashtra Government, the following casualties have been reported due to handling of pesticides:

|   S.No. | Year    |   Casualties |
|---------|---------|--------------|
|       1 | 2014-15 |           89 |
|       2 | 2015-16 |           47 |
|       3 | 2016-17 |           73 |
|       4 | 2017-18 |           63 |

The district wise details of casualties during the current year is at Annexure-I.

- (b):      The  State  Government  of  Maharashtra  has  requested  the  Union  Ministry  of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to issue guidelines to include the mandatory condition for pest control operators for spraying hazardous categories of pesticides on crop within the purview of the Insecticides Act, 1968 and to make it compulsory for the pest control operators to obtain the license.
- (c)  &  (d):        Yes,  the  National  Human  Rights  Commission  has  asked  the  State Government of Maharashtra to inform the Commission about the steps taken against the officers found guilty. As informed by the State Government, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been appointed to  probe pesticides poisoning cases and to  propose proactive  policies  and  strategies  to  prevent  such  incidence  in  future.  SIT  has  since submitted its report to the Government of Maharashtra.
- (e):          The  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers  Welfare  has established  35  Central  Integrated  Pest  Management  Centres  (CIPMCs)  across  the Country. These CIPMCs, inter alia, conduct Farmers Field Schools (FFSs) to sensitize farmers on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach, and safe and judicious use of chemical pesticides as a last resort as per approved labels and leaflets. In the last three years, a total of 1971 FFSs have been organized, sensitizing 59130 farmers.

In addition, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has established National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM) as an autonomous body.  The  National  Institute  of  Plant  Health  Management  is  mandated  to  promote environmentally sustainable Plant Health Management  practices in diverse and changing  agro-climatic  conditions,  Bio  security  &  Incursion  Management  through capacity building programmes for farmers and State Agriculture/Extension functionaries.

Furthermore, Regular advisories on pest management are being shared with the States for their timely dissemination to the farmers through their extension functionaries. The  State  Governments  through  various  forums  such  as  Zonal  Conferences  and National  Conference  are  requested  to  exhort  their  extension  functionaries  to  educate and  impart  training  to  farmers  on  efficacious  and  sustainable  pest  management strategies and approaches.

Annexure- I

Casualties reportedly due to pesticide poisoning of Farm labours/Farmers

| S.No.   | District    |   Casualties |
|---------|-------------|--------------|
| 1       | Dhule       |            1 |
| 2       | Nandurbar   |            1 |
| 3       | Jalgaon     |            2 |
| 4       | Ahemadnagar |            1 |
| 5       | Solapur     |            2 |
| 6       | Nanded      |            4 |
| 7       | Amravati    |            2 |
| 8       | Buldana     |            2 |
| 9       | Akola       |            9 |
| 10      | Yavatmal    |           21 |
| 11      | Nagpur      |            7 |
| 12      | Wardha      |            1 |
| 13      | Bhandara    |            3 |
| 14      | Chandrapur  |            4 |
| 15      | Gadchiroli  |            3 |
|         | Total       |           63 |

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