Lok Sabha Question No. 127 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-08
Subject: Use of Banned Pesticides
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: HARISH DWIVEDI, B.N. CHANDRAPPA

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 127

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 8 TH  DECEMBER, 2015

## USE OF BANNED PESTICIDES

*127.    SHRI HARISH CHANDRA ALIAS HARISH DWIVEDI: SHRI B.N. CHANDRAPPA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that many hazardous pesticides like chlorpyrifos, phorate, monocrotophos and neonicotinoid which are banned or restricted in the countries of origin are still being imported for being used in the agriculture sector adversely affecting the human health, soil, livestock and environment;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  reasons  therefor  and  the  corrective  action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the number of samples having pesticides and harmful chemicals above the permitted Maximum Residue Level (MRL) in fruits, vegetables, meat and spices is on the rise; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government for judicious and proper use of pesticides including 'Grow Safe Food' campaign and promoting the use of bio-fertilizers in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè (SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)

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

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  127 DUE FOR REPLY ON 8 TH  DECEMBER, 2015.

(a) & (b): The  Registration  Committee  constituted  under  the  provisions  of  the Insecticides Act, 1968 registers pesticides only after establishing their safety to human, animal and environmental health. Technical reviews are carried out from time to time and continued use of pesticides is permitted only if found safe. There are 66 pesticides which are banned / restricted in other countries of the world including USA and Europe but are permitted for use in India ( Annexure - I ). The reasons for permitting use of any pesticide in  any  country  depends  upon  prevalence  of  pests,  diseases  and  weeds situation in  its agro-climatic  conditions; prevalence of vector borne diseases and their control  strategies;  geography  and  other  ecological  factors  and  ecosystem  of  the country;  socioeconomic  conditions  and  availability  of  alternatives.    A  Committee  of Experts under the Chairmanship of Dr. Anupam Verma has been constituted to review these  66  pesticides  including  chlorpyriphos,  phorate  and  monocrotophos  for  their continued use in the country.  The report of the committee is awaited.  Apart from this, the  committee  had  also  been  given  the  mandate  to  review  neonicotinoids.    The committee  has  submitted  a  Report  with  respect  to  neonicotinoid  class  of  pesticides. The Committee has inter alia recommended that use of neonicotinoids may be allowed with instructions to not spray during flowering stage of the crop; inclusion of appropriate residue/toxicology  parameters  in  registration  requirement,  and  further  studies  on  bioefficacy and toxicity.

(c) & (d): Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has started a central sector scheme, 'Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National level' under which samples of food commodities    are collected and    analysed for the presence of pesticide residues.

-2-

The year wise details of samples analysed are at Annexure II . The percentage samples of spices above MRL have decreased in the last years, whereas, for the same period, the  percentage  samples  of  vegetables  above  MRL  have  remained  stagnant.  No samples of Meat have been found above MRL in the last three years. The percentage samples of fruits above MRL have increased from 1.2% in 2012-13 to 1.8% in 2014-15.

The  Central  Government  conducts  Farmers  Field  Schools  and  other  Human Resource  Development  programmes  through  Central  Integrated  Pest  Management Centres  in  States  and  UTs  to  sensitize  various  stakeholders  regarding  safe  and judicious  use  of  pesticides,  etc.  A  'Grow  Safe  Food'  campaign  has  been  initiated  to carry  the  message  of  safe  and  judicious  use  of  pesticides  to  farmers  and  other stakeholders. A simple message on the five essential principles of judicious pesticide use viz., application of pesticides on the right crop, against pests for which the pesticide has been approved, at the right time, in approved doses, and as per approved method of  application-is  sought  to  be  conveyed  through  hoardings,  banners  etc.  in  regional languages  in  Gram  panchayats  and  rural  areas.  In  addition, annual  reports of 'Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National level' are shared with States to help them to  take  focussed  action  against  pesticides  misuse.  Under  Mission  for  Integrated Development  of  Horticulture (MIDH), the Central Government  provides  financial subsidies for use of liquid bio-fertilizers such as Rhizobium/Azospirillum etc.

## LIST  OF  PESTICIDES  WHICH  HAVE  BEEN  BANNED/SEVERLY  RESTRICTED  IN SOME  COUNTRIES  OF  THE  WORLD  BUT  ARE  BEING  USED  OR  RESTRICTED USE IN INDIA

|   S.No. | Name of the Pesticide          |
|---------|--------------------------------|
|       1 | Acephate                       |
|       2 | Alachlor                       |
|       3 | Aluminum Phosphide             |
|       4 | Atrazine                       |
|       5 | Benfuracarb                    |
|       6 | Benomyl                        |
|       7 | Bifenthrin                     |
|       8 | Butachlor                      |
|       9 | Captan                         |
|      10 | Carbaryl                       |
|      11 | Carbendazim                    |
|      12 | Carbofuran                     |
|      13 | Chlorfenapyr                   |
|      14 | Carbosulfan                    |
|      15 | Chlorothalonil                 |
|      16 | Chlorpyriphos                  |
|      17 | Dazomet                        |
|      18 | DDT                            |
|      19 | Deltamethrin                   |
|      20 | Diazinon                       |
|      21 | Dichlorovos                    |
|      22 | Dicofol                        |
|      23 | Diflubenzuron                  |
|      24 | Dimethoate                     |
|      25 | Dinocap                        |
|      26 | Diuron                         |
|      27 | Endosulfan                     |
|      28 | Ethofenprox                    |
|      29 | Fenpropathrin                  |
|      30 | Fenarimol                      |
|      31 | Fenitrothion                   |
|      32 | Fenthion                       |
|      33 | Iprodione                      |
|      34 | 2,4-D                          |
|      35 | Kasugamycin                    |
|      36 | Linuron                        |
|      37 | Methomyl                       |
|      38 | Methoxy Ethyl Mercury Chloride |

|   39 | Methyl Parathion    |
|------|---------------------|
|   40 | Malathion           |
|   41 | Mancozeb            |
|   42 | Mepiquat Chloride   |
|   43 | Metaldehyde         |
|   44 | Monocrotophos       |
|   45 | Oxyflurofen         |
|   46 | Paraquat Dichloride |
|   47 | Pendimethalin       |
|   48 | Phorate             |
|   49 | Phosphomidon        |
|   50 | Pretilachlor        |
|   51 | Propargite          |
|   52 | Propineb            |
|   53 | Quinalphos          |
|   54 | Sodium cyanide      |
|   55 | Sulfosulfurone      |
|   56 | Thiodecarb          |
|   57 | Thiometon           |
|   58 | Thiphanate Methyl   |
|   59 | Thiram              |
|   60 | Triazophos          |
|   61 | Trichlorofon        |
|   62 | Tridemorph          |
|   63 | Trifluralin         |
|   64 | Zinc Phosphide      |
|   65 | Zineb               |
|   66 | Ziram               |

## Fruits

| S.No.   | Year    |   Samples Analysed |   Samples above MRL |   Percentage of samples above MRL |
|---------|---------|--------------------|---------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 1.      | 2012-13 |               1862 |                  22 |                              1.2  |
| 2.      | 2013-14 |               2235 |                  36 |                              1.6  |
| 3.      | 2014-15 |               2239 |                  40 |                              1.8  |
|         | TOTAL   |               6336 |                  98 |                              1.54 |

## Vegetables

| S.No.   | Year    |   Samples Analysed |   Samples above MRL |   Percentage of samples above MRL |
|---------|---------|--------------------|---------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 1.      | 2012-13 |               7347 |                 212 |                               2.9 |
| 2.      | 2013-14 |               7591 |                 221 |                               2.9 |
| 3.      | 2014-15 |              10593 |                 306 |                               2.9 |
|         | TOTAL   |              25531 |                 739 |                               2.9 |

## Meat

| S.No.   | Year    |   Samples Analysed |   Samples above MRL | Percentage of samples above MRL   |
|---------|---------|--------------------|---------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 1.      | 2012-13 |                434 |                   0 |                                   |
| 2.      | 2013-14 |                435 |                   0 |                                   |
| 3.      | 2014-15 |                444 |                   0 |                                   |
|         | TOTAL   |               1313 |                   0 |                                   |

## Spices

| S.No.   | Year    |   Samples Analysed |   Samples above MRL |   Percentage of samples above MRL |
|---------|---------|--------------------|---------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 1.      | 2012-13 |                388 |                  94 |                             24.2  |
| 2.      | 2013-14 |               1160 |                 128 |                             11    |
| 3.      | 2014-15 |               1299 |                 107 |                              8.2  |
|         | TOTAL   |               2847 |                 329 |                             11.55 |

*****

## Year Wise Details of Sample Analysed