Lok Sabha Question No. 1524 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-29
Subject: Excessive Use of Pesticides on Crops
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Sudheer Gupta

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1524

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH  JULY, 2025

## EXCESSIVE USE OF PESTICIDES ON CROPS

1524.  SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether cases of fatal diseases like cancer is on the rise in the country due to excessive use of pesticides on crops;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof and steps taken by the Government to prevent the same;
- (c)    whether  the  Government  has  launched/proposes  to  an  awareness  programme  for  the farmers about harmful effects of excessive use of pesticides on crops in the country;
- (d)   if so, the details thereof and work done in this regard; and
- (e)  whether the Government is also considering to educate the farmers about alternate methods in  place  of  use  of  harmful  pesticides  like  organic  farming,  mix  farming  etc.,  to  increase  their produce and at the same time stay away from harmful pesticides and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a) to (e): Pesticides are allowed for use in the country only after ensuring the efficacy and safety of  the  pesticides  to  prevent  risk  to  human  beings  or  animals  or  environment  and  for  matters connected  therewith.  Based  on  the  studies  and  field  trials  conducted  at  State  Agriculture Universities/ICAR institutes, Registration Committee  (RC)  constituted under  section 5 of Insecticides Act, 1968, approves 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  and  environment.  However,  no  specific  report  has been received in this Ministry on rise of cases of fatal diseases like cancer in the country due to excessive use of pesticides on crops.

Further, the Government of India promotes the strategy of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which  envisages  pest  management  through  cultural,  mechanical  and  biological  methods  to prevent the excessive use and improper handling practices of chemical pesticides and only need based judicious use of chemical pesticides is suggested as last resort. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers  Welfare  through  its  Central  Integrated  Pest  Management  Centers  (CIPMCs),  Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and State Agriculture Departments conduct various training programs to create  awareness  among  farmers  about  use  of  alternate  methods  like  Bio-pesticide,  Biostimulants, Organic farming, Mix farming in place of use of harmful pesticides to increase their production. Also, simplified guidelines have been formulated by the RC for the registration of biopesticides, along with permission for commercialization during the provisional registration period of two years. The state-wise details of training programmes conducted by CIPMCs is enclosed as Annexure-I .

Annexure-I Awareness campaigns on Safe & Judicious Use of pesticides  conducted by CIPMCs

## during 2024-25

| State               | Name of CIPMC   | 2024-25       | 2024-25      |
|---------------------|-----------------|---------------|--------------|
|                     |                 | No. campaigns | Participants |
| Haryana             | Faridabad       | 19            | 666          |
| Himachal Pradesh    | Solan           | 3             | 55           |
| J&K                 | Jammu           | 6             | 231          |
|                     | Srinagar        | 4             | 164          |
| Punjab              | Jalandhar       | 52            | 1134         |
| Uttar Pradesh       | Lucknow         | 60            | 1976         |
|                     | Gorakhpur       | 20            | 1340         |
|                     | Agra            | 25            | 600          |
| Uttarakhand         | Dehradun        | 17            | 455          |
| West Bengal         | Kolkata         | 19            | 425          |
| Odisha              | Bhubaneswar     | 15            | 576          |
| Bihar               | Patna           | 16            | 365          |
| Jharkhand           | Ranchi          | 48            | 817          |
| Andaman and Nicobar | Portblair       | 2             | 41           |
| Assam               | Guwahati        | 41            | 1173         |
| Arunachal Pradesh   | Itanagar        | 39            | 353          |
| Meghalaya           | Shillong        | 8             | 231          |
| Manipur             | Imphal          | 8             | 289          |
| Mizoram             | Aizwal          | 14            | 419          |
| Nagaland            | Dimapur         | 9             | 317          |
| Tripura             | Agartala        | 7             | 170          |
| Karnataka           | Bengaluru       | 24            | 1093         |
| Telangana           | Hyderabad       | 35            | 842          |
| Andhra Pradesh      | Vijayawada      | 11            | 493          |
| Kerala              | Ernakulam       | 20            | 594          |
| Tamil Nadu          | Trichy          | 64            | 2017         |
| Maharashtra         | Nagpur          | 22            | 787          |
|                     | Nasik           | 11            | 519          |
| Madhya Pradesh      | Indore          | 5             | 160          |
|                     | Morena          | 15            | 857          |
| Gujarat             | Vadodara        | 3             | 143          |
| Goa                 | Madgaon         | 1             | 48           |
| Chhattisgarh        | Raipur          | 15            | 613          |
| Rajasthan           | Sriganganagar   | 18            | 299          |
|                     | Jaipur          | 38            | 761          |
|                     | Churu           | 4             | 178          |
|                     | Barmer          | 1             | 35           |
| TOTAL               | TOTAL           | 720           | 21271        |

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