Lok Sabha Question No. 696 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-07
Subject: Harmful effects of Chemical Pesticides
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Vishnu Dutt Sharma

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 696

ANSWERED ON 7 th  FEBRUARY, 2023

## HARMFUL EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL PESTICIDES

696.  SHRI VISHNU DATT SHARMA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:-

- (a)  Whether the Government is cognisant of the harmful effects of chemical pesticides vis-a-vis bio-pesticides; (b)  If  so,  whether  the  Government  is  making  efforts  to  promote  and  deploy  biopesticides  on  large  scale  like  one  developed  by  'Institute  of  pesticides  formulation technology' based on entomo-pathogenic fungus verticillium lecanii ; (c) If so, the details thereof;
- (d) If not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री

( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR )

- (a)  to  (d):  The  Registration  Committee  (RC)  constituted  under  section  (5)  of  the Insecticides Act, 1968 registers the pesticides  including biopesticides, for use in the country after evaluation of their safety and efficacy. RC while registering the pesticides provides the details of doses, crops, precautionary measures, antidotes etc on Label and Leaflets. The registered pesticides if used as per Label and Leaflets do not pose any harm to human beings, animals, living organisms, other than pests.

The Government of India has taken various steps to promote the use of bio pesticides. Simplified guidelines have been formulated by RC for the registration of bio pesticides. For bio-pesticides provisional registration is being granted under Section 9(3B) of the Insecticides  Act,  1968  alongwith  the  permission  for  commercialization  during  the provisional registration period of two years. Thereafter, extension is also granted thrice on yearly basis, to generate requisite data to be submitted for permanent registration under section 9(3). Besides this, if the strain of a bio-pesticide is already registered for use  in  the  country,  no  data  generation  is  required  by  the  subsequent  registrants, except for confirmation of molecular identity of the strain from ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (ICAR-NBAIM), Maunath Bhanjan (UP) and quality verification of the product from Central Insecticide Laboratory (CIL). Integrated  Pest  Management  (IPM)  division  of  Directorate  of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, through its 36 Central IPM Centers (CIPMCs) across 28 states and  2  UTs  conduct  various  training  programmers  such  as  Farmers  Field  Schools, two/five days HRD  programmers,  Kisan  Goshthis, IPM  Exhibitions  and  Seed Treatment Campaigns where awareness is created amongst farmers, NGOs/Pesticide dealers/State agriculture  functionaries  on  use  of  bio  pesticides,  bio control agents and botanical formulations as an alternative to chemical pesticides for pest  management,  safe  and  judicious  use  of  chemical  pesticides,  usage,  dose  and label claim instructions as approved by RC.

Registration Committee has registered Entomo-pathogenic fungus Verticillium lecanii which  is  approved  for  the  management  of  insect  pest  on  various  crops.  Presently, CIPMC's  are  successfully producing  many  biopesticides such  as Metarhizium , Beauveri a, Pseudomonas , Bacillus , Trichoderma spp., Isaria fumosorosea ; biocontrol agents  such  as Trichogramma spp., Chilonus  blackburni ,  Reduviid  bug, Rhynocoris marginatus , Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi , Cryptolaemus montrouzeri , Goniozus nephantidis , Sycanus collaris , Psuedomallada astur and releasing the same in fields for management of various pests and pathogens.

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