Karnataka   

Sale of banned pesticide rampant

DAVANGERE: Aluminium phosphate is being sold under different brand names unabatedly in Davangere for quite some time now.

In the wake of a series of farmers’ suicides, the Government had banned 25 of 189 pesticides in the country. Most farmers in the district had committed suicide by consuming pesticides such as aluminium phosphate and methyl parathion (met acid). Aluminium phosphate and other such pesticides are used to destroy store-grain pests. However, these pesticides were also used by pest-control operators and organisations such as the State Warehousing Corporation, Central Warehousing Corporation, Karnataka Seed Corporation and the National Seed Corporation. A Government Order issued eight months ago, banned the sale of such pesticides to farmers.

Despite the order and notices from the Department of Agriculture, many dealers are still selling these dangerous chemicals to farmers, according to the Joint Director of Agriculture, Shivamurthappa. He told The Hindu here on Monday that he had also received complaints from people including a member of the zilla panchayat that aluminium phosphate was being sold by some pesticide dealers in the district. He said he had instructed the assistant directors and inspectors of the department to inspect shops selling the pesticide.

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