The Hindu : Front Page : Manufacture and sale of spurious pesticides rampant in State

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 06, 2007
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Manufacture and sale of spurious pesticides rampant in State

S. Rajendran

Centre urged to amend at least three relevant Acts

There is no check on such pesticides’ manufacture and sale
Volume of pesticide business in the State estimated at Rs. 200 crore

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Infested: A file photo of a coconut plantation that suffered from ‘Nusi roga’.

Bangalore: Leave alone the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers to ensure a higher level of agriculture production, a new development is the easy availability of spurious and adulterated pesticides and insecticides in the market.

A network of manufacturers and traders have come together to make such pesticides available in villages not only in Karnataka but across the country, according to a report of the State Government.

Alarmed by the development and the helplessness of the State which has no control over such trade, the Government has impressed upon the Union Government to immediately bring in certain amendments to at least three Central legislation — the Pesticides and Insecticides Act, the Fertiliser Control Order and the National Seed Act — in the light of a shocking development that apart from fertilizers nearly 75 per cent of pesticides and insecticides sold are adulterated and spurious.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Principal Secretary to the Government, Department of Agriculture, A. Ramaswamy, made a presentation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Bangalore on Friday on the extensive use of such pesticides and insecticides apart from fertilizers, and impressed upon him to bring in amendments to the relevant acts which should ensure that the perpetrators of such crimes did not go scot-free. At present, the State authorities can merely book such offenders who in turn are punished with a fine ranging between Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,000. The volume of the pesticide business in the State has been estimated at around Rs. 200 crore and in the country the business is stated to be over Rs. 5,000 crore.

Mr. Kumaraswamy told The Hindu that following the power-point presentation he also conveyed to the Prime Minister that using such adulterated pesticides had a serious effect on consumers and on plants.

“The Prime Minister assured me that steps would be taken to prevent such manufacture and sale by bringing in amendments to the relevant legislation.”

Mr. Ramaswamy said a large number of the pesticides and insecticides sold in villages did not even carry the name of the manufacturer, the contents of the pesticides and even the date of manufacture or the expiry date. In certain places, pesticides were sold in bulk and in loose containers (at discounted rates) and the farmers bought them with the belief that they could control pests and insects with them. “There is no check on such pesticides manufacture and sale.”

He said the racket had reached a new height in the State after the coconut plantations suffered “Nusi roga” (mite infection) five years ago when almost all farmers were compelled to purchase pesticides. Soon followed mite attack on arecanut plants all along the Malnad belt.

The Chief Minister has also requested the Prime Minister to enable the constitution of Special Court to try cases relating to offences committed under the Pesticides Act, the Seed Act and the Fertiliser Act. Further, the punishment for those held guilty of the charges framed against them should be conviction and the offences should not be compoundable with fines.

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