Lok Sabha Question No. 297 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-19
Subject: Use of Banned Pesticides
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RENUKA BUTTA, RAMESWAR TELI, JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.297

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH  JULY, 2016

## USE OF BANNED PESTICIDES

297. SHRIMATI BUTTA RENUKA: SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  some  pesticides  which  have  been  banned globally are still used in production/ cultivation of crops, fruits and vegetables which have an adverse impact on human health, livestocks and soil, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted any study in this regard, if so, the outcome thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is considering to ban/phase out some of the popular and widely  used  generic  pesticides  in  the  next  three  years,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  received  any  representation  from  the  Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India in this regard, if so, the response of the Government thereto; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  educate  the  farmers  for  judicious  use  of pesticides and fertilizers and promote biofertilizers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

- (a) to (d): The Government registers pesticides after a detailed evaluation of efficacy of the  product  and  safety  to  human,  animal  and  environmental  health.  Technical  reviews  are carried  out  from  time  to  time  to  assess  the  safety  of  pesticides.  An  expert  committee  was constituted  under  Dr.  Anupam  Verma,  Former  Professor,  Indian  Agriculture  Research Institute  (IARI),  to  carry  out  technical  review  of  66  pesticides  that  are  banned,  restricted, withdrawn  in  one  or  more  countries  but  continued  to  be  registered  in  India.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  banned,  27  pesticides  to  be reviewed in 2018 after completion of certain technical studies and 6 pesticides to be phased out by 2020.  The Committee further recommended continuation of ban on 1 pesticide and did  not  offer  any  assessment  of  a  pesticide  which  is  currently  sub  judice.  The  Verma Committte recommended continued use of 18 pesticides.  The Complete list is at Annexure I.

Further, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing a program for 'Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National Level' (MPRNL) under which samples of agriculture commodities are collected and analyzed for the presence of pesticide residues. In  the  previous  year  ,  2.9  %  of  all  samples  of  commodities  contained  pesticide  residues above  the  Maximum  Residues  Limits  (MRLs)  fixed  by  the  Food  Safety  and  Standards Authority of India.  No residues of banned pesticides have been detected in commodities monitored under this program.

(e): Central  Integrated  Pest  Management  Centres  (CIPMCs)  under  the  Department  of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare conduct Farmers Field Schools to sensitize farmers regarding safe and judicious use of pesticides, use of bio-pesticides etc. A 'Grow Safe Food' campaign has also been initiated carrying the message of safe and judicious use of  pesticides  to  farmers  and  other  stakeholders.    Package  of  practices  for  control  of pests  and  diseases  in  79  crops  have  been  revised  to  include  techniques  to  reduce dependence  on  chemical  pesticides  and  encourage  use  of  bio-pesticides  and  other alternative  plant  protection  measures.  Under  Soil  Health  Management  Scheme,  financial assistance  is  provided  to  States  for  imparting  training  and  demonstration  to  farmers  on balanced use of fertilizers.

Further,  the  Government  is  encouraging  establishment  of  Bio-fertilizer  units  by providing financial assistance to State Government upto a maximum limit of Rs 160.00 Lakh per unit. Financial assistance is also provided to farmers/Individual/Private agencies @ 25% of total financial outlay or Rs. 40 lakh, whichever is less under Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

## 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 methyl, Thiram, Zineb, Ziram |
|       3 | III- to be phased out by 2020                                                 |                   6 | Alachlor, Dichlorvos, Phorate, Phosphamidon, Triazophos, Trichlorfon                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|       4 | IV- ban to be continued                                                       |                   1 | Fenitrothion                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|       5 | V- to be 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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |

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