The Centre has issued a draft notification proposing a nationwide ban on paraquat dichloride, one of the world’s most toxic herbicides, citing serious health risks and widespread misuse. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has prohibited its import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and use under the Insecticides Act, 1968. Stakeholders have 30 days from July 13 to submit objections before the notification is finalised.
The move follows recommendations from a government-appointed expert panel and comes after years of concerns raised by doctors, toxicologists and agricultural experts. More than 70 countries, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and China, have already banned or restricted paraquat.
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Paraquat has no specific antidote and even small quantities can prove fatal. It causes irreversible lung damage and can also severely affect the kidneys, liver, skin and eyes. Poisoning often occurs through accidental ingestion, inhalation of spray or skin exposure.
Although officially approved for use on nine crops, paraquat has reportedly been misused in several states to dry standing crops before harvest, raising concerns over pesticide residues entering the food chain.
Once the final notification is issued, all registrations for paraquat products will be cancelled, and manufacturers will have three months to surrender licences. The ban could also trigger a review of other controversial pesticides still permitted in India.
