New Delhi: The deaths of farmers in Maharashtra, Odisha and now in Tamil Nadu allegedly due to pesticide poisoning have yet again brought into focus the regulatory regime for agro-chemicals. Pesticides and agro-chemicals are governed by the Insecticides Act, 1968, and Insecticides Rules, 1971, which regulate import, registration, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and use of insecticides (pesticides).

பெரம்பலூர் மாவட்டத்தில் பருத்தி வயலுக்குப் பூச்சிக்கொல்லி மருந்து அடித்த மூன்று விவசாயிகள் இறந்திருக்கிறார்கள் இருபதுக்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதித்திருக்கும் சம்பவம் தமிழகத்தையே உலுக்கியிருக்கிறது.

Chennai: Acording to the members, around 200-300 persons have been hospitalised in the past two months after exposure to deadly pesticides. Six deaths have occurred in three districts of Tamil Nadu. “After instances of deaths and large scale hospitalisations due to pesticide exposure in Vidarbha and later in Telangana, the menace is now surfacing in TN,” points K Balakrishnan of Swaraj Abhiyan.

A 31-year-old farmer from Ariyalur district allegedly died last month due to exposure to pesticides. There have been five such deaths in the last two months in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts and activists and farmers are demanding a ban on pesticides by the Central government.

New Delhi: An independent fact-finding team, which probed the recent pesticide poisoning in Tamil Nadu's Perambalur and Ariyalur districts, today accused the state government of inaction in preventing deaths and sufferings of farmers and farm workers.

Chennai: At least five farm workers have died in two months because of exposure to pesticides in the cotton fields of Perambalur and Ariyalur, investigations by advocacy groups have revealed.
Following reports of farm workers dying or being hospitalised due to pesticide exposure and poisoning, an eight-member team from various organisations that work with farmers visited five villages in both districts and met bereaved families, officials and doctors.

Chennai, December 7^th 2017: A fact finding team that investigated the recent spate of pesticide poisonings in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts of Tamil Nadu slammed the state government for its inaction so far despite hundreds of farmers and farm workers being affected. It is estimated that at least 200 to 300 persons have been hospitalised in the past two months after exposure to deadly pesticides, and at least six deaths have occurred, in 3 districts of Tamil Nadu. Reports from other districts are emerging now. However, no ex-gratia relief to the affected, nor concrete preventive measures have been put in place by the government. “This situation is highly preventable and no pesticide poisonings should have occurred at all, if the government had ensured that bannable pesticides were stopped from being sold and used, and if ecological alternatives were taught to farmers for crop protection”, said the team members who presented their findings to the media today.