India must take stock of the pesticides under use and ensure that they are replaced by less hazardous products and better integrated pest management approaches. It must take a leaf out of the US’ book in checking harmful chemicals.

A team of scientists have found links between use of pesticides and the high prevalence of diabetes in India. They have suggested that view of the high occurrence of diabetes in India, the use of OP (organophosphate) pesticides should be reconsidered. The team - which had been conducting the research in rural areas of South India - suggests that if people are continuously exposed common OP pesticides like Malathion and Chlorpyrifos, they can get diabetes even when they do not have the other risk factors.

The Bihar Police was put under “tremendous pressure” to establish foul play in the deaths of 23 schoolchildren in the Gandaman primary school midday meal tragedy, but its investigations showed only “criminal negligence” on the part of the school principal, the officer in charge of the probe told The Indian Express.

HYDERABAD: Spinach, well known for its rich iron content, comes laced with insecticides in Hyderabad as found by a study published recently by researchers from the Department of Entomology at Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University.

The European Union (EU) has no further plans to lift the ban on import of curry leaves, banned in the year 2013, citing the commodity as 'most problematic one' due to pesticide residue found in the consignments from India repeatedly.

The Hindu, 10 Jan 2017

Asks Kerala government to release the entire compensation amount to over 5,000 victims. Describing the effects of Endosulfan as “devastating,” the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Kerala government to release the entire compensation to over 5,000 victims, mostly newborns, and their families in three months. A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar said the State of Kerala can initiate legal proceedings to recover the compensation money from pesticide companies responsible for the production and sale of the highly controversial but cheap agrochemical. The apex court said the State government can also approach the Central government.

The Supreme Court today ordered the Kerala government to pay Rs 500 crore within three months to over 5,000 people who lost family members or suffered deformities and other health complications from the use of endosulfan pesticides.

NEW DELHI: Acting on advice of an expert committee, the Centre will ban use of 18 pesticides in India as it involves risk to humans and animals. The Union agriculture ministry has issued a draft order, asking manufacturers, importers and state authorities to completely ban 12 of the identified pesticides from January 1, 2018 and remaining six from December 31, 2020.

The New York Times, 20 Dec 2016

Paraquat, one of many pesticides that can’t be used in Europe but is sold in the United States and elsewhere, has been linked to Parkinson’s disease in a growing body of research.