The Centre told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that it has decided to allow the continued use of 51 out of the 67 pesticides that have been banned world over, based on the recommendations of an expert panel.

In an important victory for public health and the environment, the European Court of Justice ruled today that safety tests conducted by the chemical industry and used by regulators to assess the dangers of pesticides must be disclosed. It argued that such research falls under “information on emissions into the environment”, as defined under the Aarhus Convention and the EU law implementing this Convention.

A look at the powerful pesticide industry, its effect on the developing world and how small farmers are fighting back.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Among the 260 pesticides in use in India, 56 are carcinogenic and banned in other countries. Of them, 20 clearly harm children causing leukaemia or blood cancer, yet it escapes from the Indian government list of banned pesticides. Statistics indicate that about 50,000 children in Kerala alone are affected by various cancers now, yet the state cannot totally ban pesticides as it falls under the ambit of Central list of the Indian constitution.

As the US focuses on more stringent safety tests for chemicals, India needs to replicate a similar model to curb indiscriminate use of pesticides

 

Majority of chemicals used in household products, food and food packaging are hardly ever tested for safety Credit: Chronos Tachyon / Flicker

 

For the first time in its history, the US would be able to regulate chemicals in almost every product it uses. When President Obama signed The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, the Congress finally made some progress towards fixing “one of the worst environmental laws”. Under the new law, the Environmental Protection Agency will have more oversight and stronger tools to monitor cancer-causing chemicals and other chemicals causing health problems in children and adults.

The Times of India - Mazhar Ali, Chandrapur: Hundreds of birds have died after consuming poisonous grains from a paddy nursery in the fields around village Junona, around 8km from the city. Forest officials took notice of the incident on Wednesday and carried out inquest of the dead bodies of some birds. Local wildlife activists claimed that poisonous chemical sprayed on the paddy nursery led to the bird deaths.

 

"The birds are dying since last four days in fields and shrubs all around the village. I have seen hundreds of dead birds scattered in the bushes, on trees, in farms fences etc. After the matter was reported to the forest officials, the forest guard of Chandrapur range carried out an inquest on Wednesday on the dead bodies of 21 birds we had gathered at one place," said Kishor Petkule, volunteer of local wing of Eco-Pro organization.

Review of pesticide usage in India, including of chemicals which have been banned
elsewhere in the world – reg.

 

Namaste! We congratulate the government for setting up the Anupam Verma Committee to
review the continued use in India of 66 pesticides that have been banned elsewhere in the
world, and the Anupam Verma Committee itself for giving its report that recommended a ban
on 13 of those pesticides and a phasing out by 2020 of 6 of the pesticides reviewed. We also
appreciate some of the general recommendations that the Committee came up with and hope
that the Government will immediately implement them. However, we would like to point out
that none of this really goes anywhere close to the serious and comprehensive overhaul that
the pesticides regulatory regime needs in India, for the sake of our farm livelihoods and
biosafety. We present these matters in greater detail below.