Lok Sabha Question No. 961 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-24
Subject: Ban on Import of Pesticides
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PARASURAMAN K.

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 961

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24 TH  JULY, 2018

## BAN ON IMPORT OF PESTICIDES

## 961.   SHRI K. PARASURAMAN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  import  of  pesticides  has  increased  recently  and  there  is imbalanced usage of imported pesticides across the country;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has constituted Central Insecticides Board to ban import or sale of pesticides so as to prevent the danger to public health and safety;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has recently banned import of any such kind of pesticides; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government to undertake periodical review on the environmental impact of pesticides in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a): As per the information received from the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, there  has  been  an  increase  in  the  import  of  pesticides  in  the  last  three  years.  No  specific information is  available  with  the  Central  Insecticide  Board  and  Registration  Committee (CIB&RC)
- (b) & (c): The  Central  Insecticide  Board  has  been  constituted  under  Section  4  of  the Insecticide Act, 1968 to advice the Central and State Governments on technical matter arising out of the administration of the Act and carry out other functions assigned to the board by or under the Act. The matter on which board may advice includes matters relating to: -
- (i) The risk to human beings or animals involved in the use of insecticides and the safety measures necessary to prevent such risk.
- (ii) The manufacture, sale, storage, transport and distribution of insecticides with a view to ensure safety to human beings or animals.
- (d) & (e): The Registration Committee, constituted under Section 5 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 registers pesticides after considering its efficacy and safety to human beings, animals and environment. Pesticides used as per approved label and leaflet claims are unlikely to cause any

harm. In additions, technical reviews are carried out from time to time to assess the safety of pesticides  for  their  continued  use.  The  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) had constituted an expert committee under the Chairmanship of Anupam Verma in July 2013, to review 66 pesticides that are banned, restricted, withdrawn in one or more  countries  but  continued  to  be  registered  in  India.  The  Expert  Committee,  inter  alia, recommended 13 pesticides to be completely banned, 27 pesticides to be  reviewed in 2018 after completion of certain technical studies and 6 pesticides to be phased out by 2020.  The Complete  list  is  at  Annexure  I.  Considering  the  recommendation  of  Expert  Committee  as accorded  by  the  Registration  Committee,  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  had invited  objections  and  suggestions  from  the  public/stakeholders  on  banning/phasing  out  of certain  pesticides.  The  details  are  at  Annexure  II.  In  response  to  which,  the  Ministry  has received various objections and suggestions. Keeping in view of which, a committee has been constituted to review the received objections and suggestions.

Annexure I RECOMMENDATION OF THE EXPERT COMMITTEE WITH RESPECT TO 66 PESTICIDES

|   S. No. | Category                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |   No. of Pesticides | Name of the Pesticides                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | I- to be continued                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                  18 | Aluminium phosphide, Bifenthrin, Carbosulfan, Chlorfenapyr, Chlorothalonil, Dazomet, Diflubenzuron, Ethofenprox, Fenpropathrin, Iprodione, Kasugamycin, Mepiquat chloride, Metaldehyde, Paraquat dichloride, Pretilachlor, Propargite, Propineb and Zinc phosphide                  |
|        2 | II- to be reviewed again in 2018, after completion of the recommended studies                                                                                                                                                                                    |                  27 | Acephate, Atrazine, Benfuracarb, Butachlor, Captan, Carbendazim, Carbofuran, Chlorpyriphos, Deltamethrin, Dicofol, Dimethoate, Dinocap, Diuron, 2,4-D, Malathion, Mancozeb, Methomyl, Monocrotophos, Oxyfluorfen, Pendimethalin, Quinalphos, Sulfosulfuron, Thiodicarb, Thiophanate |
|        3 | III- to be phased out by 2020  No new certificate of registration to manufacture shall be issued after December 2017  No person shall import, manufacture or formulate w.e.f. 1 st January 2019  The use shall be completely banned w.e.f.31 st December 2020 |                   6 | Alachlor, Dichlorvos, Phorate, Phosphamidon, Triazophos, Trichlorfon                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|        4 | IV- ban to be continued                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                   1 | Fenitrothion                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|        5 | V- it's use to be completely banned.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |                  13 | Benomyl, Carbaryl, DDT Diazinon, Fenarimol, Fenthion, Linuron, MEMC, Methyl Parathion, Sodium Cyanide, Thiometon, Tridemorph, Trifluralin                                                                                                                                           |
|        6 | VI- not reviewed as it is sub- judice                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |                   1 | Endosulfan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |

Annexure II NAMES OF THE PESTICIDES IN THE NOTIFICATION S.O.4212 (E)

|   S.No. | Name             |
|---------|------------------|
|       1 | Benomyl          |
|       2 | Carbaryl         |
|       3 | Diazinon         |
|       4 | Fenarimol        |
|       5 | Fenthion         |
|       6 | Linuron          |
|       7 | MEMC             |
|       8 | Methyl Parathion |
|       9 | Sodium Cyanide   |
|      10 | Thiometon        |
|      11 | Tridemorph       |
|      12 | Trifluralin      |
|      13 | Alachlor         |
|      14 | Dichlorvos       |
|      15 | Phorate,         |
|      16 | Phosphamidon     |
|      17 | Triazophos       |
|      18 | Trichlorfon      |

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