Farm activist urges Centre to ban toxic pesticides

NAGPUR: The special task force constituted to tackle the agrarian crisis in Maharashtra has urged the Centre to accept the state government's proposal to ban some toxic insecticides.

The demand comes in the wake of several cases of farmers' deaths in Vidarbha region due to pesticide poisoning last year.
Farm activist and chief of the Maharashtra government's task force, Kishor Tiwari, in a statement issued today, said the state has sent a proposal to the Centre to ban the poisonous pesticides.


He claimed that last year more than 60 farmers died in the state due to inhalation of poisonous pesticides while spraying the chemicals.
The Union government should immediately accept the state's proposal to ban such pesticides, said Tiwari, the chairman of the Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission.

Most of these pesticides have been banned in other countries because of their impact on people's health and ecology, he said.
The Supreme Court had earlier sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking a ban on all pesticides that have been prohibited by other countries.

The petition alleged that at least 93 pesticides used in India have been banned by other countries and an additional six more are used in India that have been either withdrawn or restricted by other nations.