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The Telangana government has imposed a 60-day ban on the sale, use, manufacture, stocking, and distribution of the chemical herbicide paraquat and its derivatives, amid rising concerns over health risks and safety of farmers.
Medical bodies and politicians had previously flagged the dangers of poisoning from paraquat, either by accident or on purpose, including suicide attempts.
The order issued by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation on March 31 said, “The sale, stock, distribution, manufacturing and use of Paraquat and its derivatives/formulations is hereby banned in the State of Telangana for a period of sixty days, with immediate effect.”
Indian Medical Association (IMA) Telangana had held a meeting earlier in March calling for a ‘paraquat-free India’. The doctors said it had become difficult to treat farmers who had consumed paraquat either accidentally or on purpose.
Earlier on March 30, the Telangana Assembly had adopted a resolution urging the Union government to completely ban the use and sale of paraquat.
Telangana Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao, who moved the resolution, said that paraquat was killing many farmers, and was already banned in several countries.
Temporary bans on paraquat were previously imposed in states like Kerala and Odisha.
Paraquat (N, N2-dimethyl-4,42-bipyridinium dichloride) is used widely by Indian farmers to remove weeds. It is a highly toxic compound that can cause serious health effects and can even kill people. Poisoning can happen not just by consuming the herbicide, but also by inhaling or from absorption through the skin. Studies have shown that paraquat exposure could also cause birth defects or learning and developmental disorders.
The Telangana government has imposed a temporary ban by invoking Section 27 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 (Prohibition of sale, etc., of insecticides for reasons of public safety).