Booklets on Highly Hazardous Pesticides and Weedicides in India released
Press Release | PAN India | 6th December 2024

Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India, a non-profit, public interest, research organization released booklets on Highly Hazardsous Pesticides and Herbicides in India in a national symposium organized as part of observing the no Pesticide Use Week. The booklets, titled ‘Highly Hazardous Pesticides in India- An Overview’ and ‘Status Of Herbicides In India – An Overview Of Rising Visibility Of Adverse Effects’ outlines the use, statistics, adverse effects, regulatory and policy gaps on these deadly chemicals in India.
In the National Symposium organised on 5th December to Observe the No Pesticide Use Week and World Soil Day, Pesticide Action Network India released booklets developed to spread awareness on adverse effects of Highly Hazardsous Pesticides and Weedicides in India. The symposium was jointly organized by PAN India, Council for green revolution, an environmental organisation based in Hyderabad, and the premier institute Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) based in Hyderabad.
Pest control based on synthetic molecules currently uses thousands of chemicals across the globe. Highy Hazardsous Pesticides (HHPs), has been recognized as a group of agrochemicals which cause disproportionate harm to health and environment. They form a considerable proportion of the all pesticides still being used in the world, because they have a high acute toxicity as well chronic toxicity leading to cancers, reproductive and developmental health issues, neurological health effects, hormone related health effects, trans generational effects and death.
According to FAO, “Pesticides that are acknowledged to present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to health or environment according to internationally accepted classification systems such as WHO or GHS or their listing in relevant binding international agreements or conventions. In addition, pesticides that appear to cause severe or irreversible harm to health or the environment under conditions of use in a country may be considered to be and treated as highly hazardous”. Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) constitute a relatively small group of pesticides that, among all pesticides, have disproportionately negative impacts on human and environmental health, largely due to their high toxicity. HHPs have been linked to severe acute and chronic poisoning, particularly in Lower and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
The Fourth International Conference of Chemicals Management (ICCM4) recognised HHPs ‘as an issue of international concern’. HHPs have been recognised as a major public health concern by the World Health Organisation as they can cause either severe acute effects or chronic effects or both, and pose the highest risk for farmers, workers, women and children, as well as to environmental well being. The UN Environmental Assembly (UNEA6), held in February-March 2024 called for coordinated action to eliminate HHPs globally by adopting a resolution.
In India, the overall pesticide consumption, as on the available information in the country is more than 50,000 metric tonnes of active ingredients. The number of pesticides registered for use in India, as per Insecticides Act 1968 is 339, as on March 2024. The assessment shows that more than one third of the this pesticides qualify to be highly hazardous complying with the criteria identified by Pesticide Action Network.
The Booklet, Highly Hazardous Pesticides in India- An Overview presents a first step in the direction of analysing the synergistic effects of HHP use and ill effects among farming communities. 120 out of 318 registered pesticides as on10-10-2022, qualify to be Highly Hazardous. This includes insecticides, fungicides, herbcides/weedicides and plant growth regulators. The potential avenues for future research stem from analysing how these HHPs affect our health and ecosystem. This report is an effort to understand the statistics, and present-day regulations of HHPs in India, where it exposes gaps in national approved uses of pesticides and recommendations for HHPs. A major share of pesticides registered in India are HHPs and they are estimated to account for the largest share because of their high usage and demand. This pesticide use scenario eventually will lead to an unpropitious outcome. The fastest way to achieve higher living standards for the workers and farmers is only through producing healthy viable alternatives to these chemical pesticides and not through repeated use of potentially harmful chemicals.
Highlights from the Booklet
- One-third of the total pesticides registered in India belongs to the Highly
hazardous Pesticide class (120 out of 318 registered pesticides as on10-10-2022).
(In 2024, 339 pesticides are registered of which 118 are HHPs) - Eighty-one of these HHPs are severely banned and restricted in other countries.
68 HHPs among them are found to be banned in more than 10 countries - Seven HHPs currently registered in India are listed in International conventions
- HHPs constitute 42.17 % of the total volume of pesticides used in India. Of the
imported pesticides, 71.79 % volume is constituted by HHPs. The production data
set of 28 HHPs (from 41 pesticides) revealed that 97.20% of the total pesticide
production is of HHPs.
Considering devastating potential of herbicides, and lack of information available in public domain, a booklet exclusively on Herbicides was developed. Herbicides or weedicides used in India accounts for nearly 47 percent of the total pesticide use. Nearly thirty percent of the total registered pesticides (100 out of 339) in India are herbicides. Herbicide use in the country has increased tremendously over the past few years.
This booklet Status Of Herbicides In India – An Overview Of Rising Visibility Of Adverse Effects presents information on herbicides in India. It primarily focuses on use, toxicity, public health consequences and environmental effects of herbicides. Various non-chemical weed management strategies that can be adopted in lieu of the harm from herbicides and the need for preserving beneficial weeds are also underscored. As on 2022, 87 herbicides are registered in India as per the Insecticides Act of 1968 of which 20 are Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) and 9 are Deemed to be Registered Pesticides (DRPs). (As on 2024 March, 100 herbicides are registered for use in the country, and among 20 qualify to be Highly Hazardsous).
Highlights
- As on 2024, 100 herbicides are registered in India as
per the Insecticide Act of 1968. - Among them, 20 herbicides are considered HHP based
on the PAN international HHP list - 33 herbicides registered in India are banned in other
countries. Highest banned one is paraquat dichloride
(58 countries).
The overall herbicide use in India is distressing because they are inherently harmful to people and environment. The very purpose of this book is to highlight lacunae in regulation of herbicides in India and expose gaps in national approved uses of the pesticides and recommendation given by state agriculture authorities. Herbicide usage and lax regulation requires debate and discussions. Many Highly Hazardous Herbicides are being manufactured and dumped into markets. This would have undesirable impacts on soil health, farm productivity, food safety, agriculture trade, public health, as well as environmental well being in the country. Registration and approval of these herbicides are masking toxic hazards and misleading farming communities. Herbicides use must be prohibited for the betterment of society and the environment.
These booklets, has been the result of two years of research and documentation work conducted by PAN India as knowledge partner collaborating with Thanal Conservation Action and the Savitry Foundation.
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