Hyderabad: By March 2024, more than one-third of the 339 pesticides registered in India qualify as hazardous pesticides (HHPs). Moreover, 20 of the 100 herbicides registered in the country also fall into this highly toxic category, said Narasimha Reddydonthi, an environmentalist.
“Furthermore, 81 HHPs registered in India are banned or unapproved in several other countries due to their extreme toxicity and adverse effects. These chemicals, many of which predate the Pesticides Act of 1968 and are fully protected Lack of testing is linked to reduced crop yields, soil erosion, and significant pollution of air, water and soil,” he said during a symposium commemorating ‘No Pesticide Week’. Held to celebrate. Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
Organized jointly by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India, Council for Green Revolution, and Center for Economic and Social Studies, the event highlighted the urgent need for strict regulation and eventual ban on these toxic substances.
In his keynote address, Donathy described the “chemicalization” of Indian agriculture as a grim reality. He likened the spraying of seasonal pesticides in rural areas to building a gas chamber, paralleling the Bhopal gas tragedy. “Pesticide use is one of the least understood and least addressed problems,” he added, stressing its devastating impact on rural families.
AD Dilip Kumar, CEO of PAN India, emphasized that while HHPs dominate both imports and exports in India, residues of these chemicals are frequently found in foodstuffs. He added, “This has not only raised serious food safety and health concerns domestically, but also led to rejection of Indian agricultural exports in global markets, increasing the economic burden on farmers. ”
The symposium highlighted the serious health risks posed by HHPs. “Acute exposure can cause burns, dizziness, sweating, convulsions, and even death, while long-term exposure is associated with cancer, nerve damage, birth defects, infertility, liver and kidney damage, and endocrine From disruption, generational toxicity, accumulation and persistence in the environment,” Donathy added.
Environmentalist Prashotham Reddy called on the medical community to join campaigners in advocating a ban on HHPs. “Through this, we demand a ban on HHPs and herbicides in India to protect public health, biodiversity and environment,” he added.