Here we will discuss the ill-effects or harm of the use of pesticides in agriculture and horticulture. The Govt. has from time to time tried to address this issue in form of Bills. This issue is currently in discussion as a new bill on pesticide management has been introduced in 2017.

Harms of Pesticide

• If we consume agricultural produces, where pesticide has been used, dangerous poisons enter our body directly and give birth incurable diseases and untreatable cancer.
• According to agricultural scientists, a person costumes okra or eggplant continuously for five years in his meal, he is sure to become a patient of asthma.
• It is worth noting that cotton cultivators tend to use pesticide on a very high scale in order to save cotton from insects. This results in the farmers falling prey to ill effects of the poisonous chemical used in the pesticide.
• At present Indian farmers use a number of such chemical which are banned in many countries of the world eg. DDT, BHC, Aldrin, Closden, Adron, Methyl Parathion, Toxaphene, Heptachlor etc.
• According to a report of CSE many farmers in Maharashtra die because of Monochrome Seis, Oxydemeton-methyl, Acephate and Profenophos.
• Monochroto Seis, Phorate, Triaphos and Phosphemadon has been banned in 60, 37, 40 and 49 countries respectively.
• In 2008 the Govt. of India brought Pesticide Management Bill in order to check the menace of use of dangerous pesticides in agriculture. But this Bill has not so far been passed.
• In the 2008 Bill pesticide has been defined in a new way.
• The Bill had also set criteria regarding control low quality, spurious or harmful pesticides.
• It provided that a pesticide cannot be registered until its effects on agricultural produces is not studied and explained under Food Security and Standard Act 2006.
• It also laid down guidelines regarding the procedure of granting license to pesticide producers, distributors and retail sellers.

Why a new Bill?

• The Bill of 2008 was silent on use of pesticides harmed in other countries.
• The Bill provided for two-year temporary registration in respect of pesticides newly introduced abroad. Experts opine that this provision may result in great health hazard for farmers.
• The 2008 Bill laysdown tough punishment against violations of its provisions. But these provisions are suspected to be used against farmers and not the producers and businessmen.
• The Bill did not give emphasis on indigenous R&D for developing local pesticides.
• In the above background Central Govt. has tabled a new bill, namely, Pesticide Management Bill, 2017 for public deliberation.
• The new Bill in roughly same as the old Bill of 2008 bit it aims to extend the sphere of deliberation yet further so as to include in its purview other such aspects also as production scale and plant protection chemicals.

Collection of PRS Bills >> PRS Bills