Centre tells HC, it will continue use of 51 pesticides, banned world over

The Ministry of Agriculture submitted before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal that the decision to continue the use of the 51 pesticides was taken based on the recommendations of the expert panel. The government said that of the 51, use of 27 pesticides shall be reviewed in 2018. 

The Centre also said that though the panel had recommended phasing out of six pesticides out of the 51 by the year 2020, any final decision would be taken after going  through the objections and suggestions invited from general public and other stakeholders. 

Objections and suggestions have also been invited regarding the recommended complete ban of 13 other pesticides, the ministry told the bench. The government, however, has accepted the panel’s recommendation to ban use of one pesticide, fenitrothion, in agriculture. 

In view of the submissions made by the government, the petitioner who had sought immediate ban of some the pesticides withdrew his PIL to file a fresh one challenging setting up of the panel and for constituting a fresh one. The Centre, in its report placed before the court, has said that ban on Endosulfan would continue as it was ordered by the Supreme Court. 

Regarding use of DDT, the ministry has said that it was being used by health departments in limited quantities for vector (mosquito) control programmes and any final decision to ban it would be taken after receiving comments of Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ & S). 

The petitioner, K V Biju had alleged ‘conflict of interest’ against the expert committee for having representatives from the pesticide industry who, it claimed, had vested commercial interest. It had contended that the panel had ‘heavily relied’ upon the inputs of these members from the pesticide industry.