Banning of Insecticides Order, 2020

The erstwhile Ministry of Agriculture,  Department of Agriculture and Cooperation constituted an Expert Committee on 8th July, 2013 to examine the continued use of or otherwise of neo-nicotinoid insecticides registered in India.

The mandate of the Committee, on 19th August, 2013, was further expanded to review Sixty Six insecticides which are banned or restricted or withdrawn in other countries but continue to be registered for domestic use in India which, after detailed examination submitted its report to the Central Government on the 9th December, 2015. 

This Expert Committee had recommended the continued the use of the twenty-seven insecticides as specified in the schedule and the same were to be reviewed after completion of the recommended studies, this was considered by Registration Committee and submitted recommendations to the Government. The Department had issued order dated 14th October 2016, conveying the approval for implementation of the recommendations of the Registration Committee. 

The Central Government, after consultation with the Registration Committee and duly considering their report with regards to status of submission of recommended studies, data and safety concerns, is satisfied that the use of twenty seven insecticides as specified in the schedule to a notification likely to involve risk to human being and animals as to render it expedient or necessary to take immediate action.

A Draft Order, which the Central Government proposed to make, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section 2 of Section 27 read with section 28 and sub-section (1) of section 36 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 was published on May 14, 2020.  

The pesticides in question were as:  

Acephate 

Atrazine 

Benfuracarb 

Butachlor 

Captan 

Carbendazim 

Carbofuran 

Chlorpyrifos 

2,4-D 

Deltamethrin 

Dicofol 

Dimethoate 

Dinocap 

Diuron 

Malathion 

Mancozeb 

Methomyl 

Monocrotophos 

Oxyfluorfen 

Pendimethalin 

Quinalphos 

Sulfosulfuron 

Thiodicarb 

Thiophanate methyl 

Thiram 

Zineb 

Ziram 

Ex ADG PP Dr. T.P. Rajendran will be heading the Expert Committee (EC) constituted with 4 members and a member Secretary by the DoAC&FW. The EC is expected to look into the objections/suggestions/comments received by various stakeholders. A total of 1644 objections are believed to have been received. Once this is done, the final decision on the draft gazette is likely to be finalised along with its own recommendations, if any. 

Testing times for the Indian Farmer on the future use of some of the popular pesticides used in crop protection across the country.