HIGHLYHAZARDOUSPESTICIDES(HHPs)StateSituationReportJharkhand,India

Study by: Ranjan Alok

Kant Krishna

IPENToxics-FreeSDGsCampaign

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1. Introductiontothecountry

Indiaisthesecondlargestpopulatedcountryintheworld,withanestimatedpopulationof1.37billionpeople. It isoneof theoldestcivilizations in theworldandpossessesarichculturalheritage.ThecountryislocatedintheAsiancontinentandsituatedintheSouthAsiaregion.Indiaistheseventhlargestcountryintermsofthelandarea,withageographicalareacoverageof3.287millionsquarekm.Indiaisalsothemostpopulousdemocracy in the world. The country is subdivided into 28 states and 8 UnionTerritories.NewDelhiisthenationalcapitalofIndia.Thecountryisdiverseintermsofclimaticconditionsanddividedinto15agro-climaticzones.

Indiaisamegadiversecountry,withahabitatfor8.6%ofallmammalspecies,13.7%ofbird species, 7.9%of reptile species, 6%of amphibian species, 12.2%of fish species,and6.0%ofallfloweringplantspecies.FullyathirdofIndianplantspeciesareendemic.Indiaalsocontainsfouroftheworld's34biodiversityhotspots,orregionsthatdisplaysignificanthabitatlossinthepresenceofhighendemism.1

AboutJharkhand

Jharkhand is one of the prominent tribal states in eastern India. The state capital ofJharkhandisRanchi.ThestatewascarvedoutofthesouthernpartofBiharintheyear2000.Agricultureisthemajoroccupationformorethan70%ofthefamiliesinthestate,most ofwhomare small andmarginal farmers. The state is borderedbyBihar in thenorth,WestBengalintheeast,Odishainthesouth,ChhattisgarhinthewestandUttarPradesh in the northwest. The state has a total geographical area of 7.97 millionhectares and a total estimated population of 39million. For administrative purposes,the state is divided into 24 districts, which are grouped into 5 divisions; namely,Palamu,NorthChhotanagpur,SouthChhotanagpur,KolhanandSanthalPargana.

Jharkhand comes under the agro-climatic zone VII of India which is known as theEasternPlateauandHillregion.Thiscanbefurthersubdividedintothreeagro-climaticsubzonesinthestateviz.theCentralandNorthEasternPlateauzone,WesternPlateauandSouthEasternPlateau2.Averageannualrainfallvariesbetween1100to1400mmand most of the rain is in the monsoon period falling between late June to earlySeptember.

1.1 Generaloverviewofthecountryanditsagricultureactivities

Agriculture has always been the mainstay of the Indian economy. The history ofagriculture in India dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. Agriculture is the

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India

2 State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI), Jharkhand

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primary sourceof livelihood for about58%of India’spopulationalongwith its alliedsectors,andthelargestlivelihoodproviderinIndia.Anincreasingpopulationandmorefooddemandscalled foran immediateanddrasticactionto increaseyield.Theactioncame in the formof the “GreenRevolution.”Thegreen revolution in India refers to aperiod from 1965 to 1977when Indian agriculture practiceswere converted into anindustrialsystemdue to theadoptionofmodernmethodsandtechnologysuchas theuse of High Yield Variety (HYV) seeds, tractors, irrigation facilities, pesticides andfertilizers.

India's agricultural economy has undergone structural changes. Between 1970 and2011,theGDPshareofagriculturehasfallenfrom43%to16%.Thisisn'tbecauseofthereduced importance of agriculture or a consequence of agricultural policy, but ratherlargely because of the rapid economic growth in other non-agricultural sectors likeservicesandindustrialoutputbetween2000and2010.

AccordingtotheEconomicSurveyinAgricultureyear2019-20(asperFourthAdvanceEstimates), total foodgrainproduction in thecountry isestimatedata record296.65million tonnes. As per the survey, India’s agricultural and allied exports wereapproximatelyINR252crores(US$33.53million).Asstatedbythe2020-21EconomicSurvey(firstadvanceestimates),agriculturecontributes19.9%of theGrossDomesticProduct (GDP). Even though there has been an overall contraction of the economyduringtheCovid-19pandemic,theagriculturesectorhasshownagrowthof3.4%.3

AsperAgricultureCensus2015-16,theaveragesizeofoperationalholdingdeclinedto1.08 hectare in 2015-16 as compared to 1.15 hectare in 2010-11. The small andmarginalholdings (<2ha)nowconstitute86%,while the largeholdings (>10ha)aremerely0.57%of the total landholdings.Thishaspromptedexperts to suggest inputslike chemicalnutrients, insecticides andpesticides as a solution forbetter gains fromsmalllandparcels.Withmorethan51%ofthefarmedareabeingrainfedcultivation,theagriculturesectorhasbeenpushedtolookatdifferentsolutions.

Although theeconomic contributionof agriculture to India'sGDP is steadilydecliningwith thecountry'sbroad-basedeconomicgrowth,agriculturestillemploys the largestsectionofthepopulationanditplaysanimportantroleinthenationalsocio-economicculture.

Sustainable agriculture, in terms of food security, rural employment, andenvironmentallysustainabletechnologiessuchassoilconservation,sustainablenaturalresource management and biodiversity protection, are essential for holistic ruraldevelopment.Indianagricultureandalliedactivitieshavewitnessedagreenrevolution,awhiterevolution,ayellowrevolutionandabluerevolution;nowthoseparticipatinginagricultureactivitiesarealsoconsideringagroecology,withthepromotionofIntegratedPest Management (IPM) and Natural Pest Management (NPM). Additionally, the

3 PIB release on the Economic Survey (Ministry of Finance) published on 29th January, 2021

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government has initiated some programs like the Mission on Organic Farming,PramparagatKrishiVikasYojana,whichismakingamovetowardsnon-chemical-basedfarmingsystems.

AgriculturestatusandactivitiesinJharkhand

The state has a total cultivated area of 1.8 million ha, comprising 22% of thegeographicalarea.Thenetirrigatedareaisabout0.16millionha,whichisalmost9.3%ofthetotalcultivatedarea.Thecropintensityofthestateis126%,andthefarmingislargelyrain-fed in thisregion.Themajorcropsof thestatearemaize,rice,wheatandchickpea. Jharkhand has 1.4million ha area under rice cultivation, which aremainlyrain-fed shallow and upland areas. The areas under rice cultivation have beenincreasing over the past three decadeswith crop productivity and input demands ofseeds, fertilizersandpesticidesaswell.Thestateaverageproductivityofrice isabout1.2tonnes/ha.Toimprovecropproductivity,theagriculturedepartmentisintroducingdrought tolerant short duration varieties like Vandana, Anjali, Sadabahar, BirsaDhan109, and Birsa Dhan 110; hybrid paddy seeds and adoption of integrated weedmanagementpracticesareencouraged.Witharegularmarketpushofriceproductiondemandsofhighyielding/hybridvarietiesseeds,chemicalfertilizersandpesticideuseisalsoonrise.Pigeon-peaoccupiesabout85000haareawithanannualproductionof54000tons.Theaverageproductivityindifferentpartsofthestatefluctuatesbetween544 and1511kgperhectare. Traditionally, longduration varieties of pigeon-pea aregrownasrain-fedcropsonsloppylandandintercroppedwithmilletsandshortterms.

In the state of Jharkhand, the crop production and productivity are lower than thenationalaverageandfarlowerthantheagriculturallydevelopedstatesinthecountry.Overtheyears,thefarmers’incomehasnotbeenverysignificant,whichisattributedtofragmentationoflandholdings,lowlevelsorabsenceofirrigation,deteriorationofsoilhealth, and lackofpropermarketing channels.Therefore, oneof themainagendasofbothcentralandstategovernments is to increaseagricultureproductionandfarmers’incomes,andtoincreasethecontributionofagricultureintheeconomy.Many central and state government agricultural schemes are being implemented toincrease the production and productivity of crops and allied activities. The stategovernmenthasalsoinitiatedseveralmeasures,includingincreasingfarmproductivity,bringing remunerative prices to farmers by improving access tomarkets andmarketlinkage, shifting to sustainable agricultural practices, strengthening agriculturalextensions, and improving the implementation of risk management measures. Inaddition,farmersareincreasinglyusingHYVseeds,chemicalfertilizers,andpesticidestoenhancecropproduction.However, theuseof chemicalpesticides,bothduring the

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applicationofpesticidesbyfarmersandduringconsumptionbyconsumers,constitutesahealthhazard.

In Jharkhand, for organizing need-based training programs for implementation bydifferentproject linedepartments and the farming community, the governmenthas astate level autonomous Institute State AgricultureManagement & Extension TrainingInstitute(SAMETI).ItfunctionswiththetechnicalguidanceoftheNationalInstituteofAgriculturalExtensionManagement.

AccordingtotheSAMETI,themajorconstraintsofagricultureinJharkhandareasfollows:

• Runofflossandsoilerosionandlowlevelsofirrigation• Mono-cropping• Cultivationofwasteland• Lackoforganizedmarketingfacilities• Soilacidityandpoorsoilconditions• Increase in kharif area/area expansion-coverage of fallow land; increase in

pulses,oilseedandcoarsecerealsarea• Inadequateseed• Lowfarmmechanization• Lowcredit/insurance• Poorinfrastructureforpost-harvestandvalueaddition

InadditiontotheabovechallengeslistedbySAMETI,increaseduseofhighlyhazardouspesticides and their toxic risks on humans and the environment is also an emergingconcern. The field experiences also suggest that, over the past three decades, thefarmers’useofpesticideshasbeengettingmorecommontocontrolpestinfestationsintheir crops. The market push of quick acting pesticides is leading the use of highlyhazardous pesticides. There have been several experiences of pest resistance, but nosystematicstudyonitisavailableinJharkhandatpresent.

Rice swarming caterpillar, Spodoptera Mauritia Boisd. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) hasemerged as a regular pest in eastern India, including in the states of Odisha andJharkhand4.

1.2 Maincropsproducedinthecountry

India ishometoagooddiversityofcropsandfarmproducts,whichmaybeclassifiedinto–

Cereals– Rice,wheat,maize,millets

4 Emerging insect pests in Indian agriculture, Mandeep Rathee and Pradeep Dalal

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Pulses&legumes- Pigeon-peas, lentils, chickpeas, gram, green gram, blackgram,soybeans,cowpeas,greenpeas,etc.

Tubers&bulbs- Potatoes,onion,yams

Horticulturecrops– Fruits including papaya, lemon, mango, guava, lichi andvegetables

Cashcrops– Sugarcane,cotton,rubber,coffee,tea,jute,oilseeds

As per the FAO world agriculture statistics, India is the world's largest producer ofmanyfreshfruits likebanana,mango,guavaandpapaya;vegetables likechickpeaandokra;majorspiceslikedrychilipepperdryandginger;fibrouscropssuchasjute;andstaplessuchasmilletsandcastoroilseed.Indiaisthesecondlargestproducerofwheatandrice,theworld'smajorfoodstaples,aswellascashewnuts5.Thelistoftopproduceshare among agriculture commodities from the FAOworld agriculture statisticswithproductionintheyear2019isgivenhere-

AsTopProducer As2ndTopProducer As3rdTopProducerCommodity Production

(inTons)Commodity Production

(inTons)Commodity Production

(inTons)Banana 30460000 Wheat 103596230 Coconut 14682000Chickpeas 9937990 Paddy 177645000 Potatoes 50190000Castor oilseed

Cashew nutwithcell

743000 Lentils 1227820

Dry chilisandpepper

1743000 Cauliflowerandbroccoli

9083000 Sesame 689310

Coir 581641 GreenPeas 5562000 Ginger 1788000 Eggplants 12680000Jute 1709460 Goatmeat 553380Mangoes,mangosteenandguavas

25631000 Cabbages andotherbrassicas

9127000

Millets 10235830 Garlic 2910000Okra 6176000 Sugarcane 405416190Papaya 6050000 Onions 22819000Pigeonpeas 3315440 Tea 1390080Beeswax 25691

RiceisthestaplefoodcropofthemajorityofIndianpeople.IndiaisthesecondlargestproducerofriceintheworldafterChina.InstateslikeAssam,WestBengalandOdisha,threecropsofpaddyaregrowninayear.TheseareAus,AmanandBoro.Thetoprice

5 FAOSTAT 2019, Countries by Commodity Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#rankings/countries_by_commodity

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producingstatesofthecountryareWestBengal,Punjab,UttarPradesh,AndhraPradeshandBihar.NationalFoodSecurityMission,HybridRiceSeedProductionandRashtriyaKrishiVikasYojanaareafewgovernmentinitiativestosupportricecultivation.Alltheabove-mentioned programmes are looking into improved production with chemicalinputs ormarket-based inputs into the farm. This has led to disappearance ofmanytraditionalvarietiesandalsomadethestaplecroponethatreceivesthehighestamountofpesticides.

MajorCropsinJharkhand

The major crops grown in Jharkhand are paddy, wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds andhorticulture crops. For the small andmarginal farmers located inperi-urban areas ofJharkhand, vegetable cultivation is one of the major cash crops. Their livelihood ismainlydependentuponvegetablecultivation.AgricultureinJharkhandismonsoon-basedandmostofthefarmingactivityisrain-fedinnature,andlargelydependsontheavailablesoilmoistureduringthepostmonsoonperiod.Thestatehaslowirrigationcoverage,andonly13%ofthetotalcultivatedareaisunderirrigation,comparedtothenationalirrigationcoverageof49%6.Therehasbeenacontinuousincreaseintheproductivityofcropsatthenationallevel,as well as at the state level in Jharkhand over the period of 2014-15 to 2019-20 asshownintablebelow,withuseofhighyieldingseedvarietiesandimprovedpackageofcrop practices including line sowing, balanced used of soil nutrients, and timelyagricultureoperations.

Yieldofcereals,pulsesandoilseedsovertheperiodinKg/hectare:

Crops Year2014-15 Year2019-20*India Jharkhand India Jharkhand

Cereals 2331 2134 2756 2257Pulses 728 1004 817 1034Oilseeds 1075 664 1236 766

Source: Directorate of Economics & Statistics, * 4th Advance estimate

1.3 Nationalpesticideregistrationandcontrolpolicyframework

Unregulated and indiscriminate use of pesticides became a concern in India in 1958whenthegovernmentofIndiaappointedaCommissionofEnquiry.ThepurposeofthisCommission was to enquire and suggest, inter-alia, remedial measures following anumberofdeathsinKerelaandMadras(TamilNadu).Thedeathsoccurredbecauseofthe consumption of imported wheat contaminated by the pesticide parathion, whichwasaccidentallyshippedtogetherwithfoodgrains.

6 Land Use Statistics 2016-17, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Govt. of India

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Thewholequestionofpesticideuseandlegislationwasstudiedin1964-67byanExpertCommitteeoftheIndianCouncilofAgriculturalResearchheadedbyProf.M.S.Thacker.BasedontherecommendationsoftheExpertCommittee,acomprehensiveInsecticidesActwaspassedin1968toregulatetheimport,manufacture,sale,transport,distributionanduseofinsecticides,withaviewtopreventriskstohumanbeingsandanimalsandforothermattersconnectedtherewith.TheenforcementoftheActwastransferredtothe Ministry of Agriculture in the year 1970 by the Ministry of Health and FamilyPlanning.TheDepartmentofAgricultureofthisMinistrytookimmediatestepstoframetheRules and constituted theCentral InsecticidesBoard andRegistrationCommittee.The provisions of the Insecticides Act were brought into force with effect from 1stAugust,1971.7In the Act and the Rules framed thereunder, there is compulsory registration of thepesticidesat thecentral level.License for theirmanufacture, formulationandsalearedealt with at the state level. According to CIBRC, with the enforcement of theInsecticidesActinthecountry,pesticidesofveryhighqualityaremadeavailabletothefarmersandgeneralpublicforhouseholduse(forprotectingtheagriculturalcropsfromthe ravagesofpests andhumans fromdiseasesandnuisance causedbypublichealthpests), and the health hazards involved in their use have beenminimised to a greatextent.FortheeffectiveenforcementoftheInsecticidesAct,thetwobodieshavebeenconstituted at the central level viz.the Central Insecticides BoardandRegistrationCommittee(CIBRC).6

The organizational chart of the CIBRC as per the website of the Directorate of PlantProtection,Quarantine&Storage8isasfollows-

7 http://ppqs.gov.in/divisions/central-insecticides-board-registration-committee/about-cibrc 8 http://ppqs.gov.in/about-us/organization-chart-cibrc

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The Insecticides Act, 1968 infers power to the Central Insecticides Board to advise thecentralaswellasstategovernmentsonthe issuesrelatedtoriskofpesticides tohumanbeings andappropriate safetymeasures to prevent such risks,whereas theRegistrationCommittee registers the pesticides. The registration process is laid under the Act andunder Insecticides Rules, 1971. According to these provisions, any person desiring toimportormanufactureany insecticidemayapply to theRegistrationCommittee for theregistration of such insecticide and there shall be a separate application for each suchinsecticide.

Onreceiptofanapplicationfortheregistrationofaninsecticide,theCommitteemay,aftersuch inquiry as it deems fit and after satisfying itself that the insecticide to which theapplicationrelatesconformstotheclaimsmadebytheimporterorbythemanufacturer,as the case may be, as regards [on such conditions as may be specified by it] and onpayment of such fee as may be prescribed, the insecticide, allot a registration numbertheretoand issuea certificate of registration in token thereofwithinaperiodof twelvemonthsfromthedateofreceiptoftheapplication.

TheRegistrationCommitteemay,ifnecessary,directinspectionofthe'testingfacility'forestablishingtheauthenticityofthedata.

AspertheAct,thestategovernmentmay,afterconsultationwiththeBoardandsubjecttotheconditionofpreviouspublicationbynotificationintheOfficialGazette,makerulesforthepurposeofgivingeffecttotheprovisionsinthisActandnotinconsistentwiththerules,ifanymadebythecentralgovernment9.

9 Insecticides Act, 1968 Article 37.1

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1.4 Authoritiesresponsiblefortheregistrationofpesticides,rolesofdifferentMinistriesinthecountry

The Registration Committee, under the Central Insecticides Board and RegistrationCommittee (CIBRC), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, is the body thatreceivesandprocesstheregistrationofpesticides.

ThePesticidesUnitoftheDirectoratecompilesdatareceivedduringZonalConferencesfor Kharif and Rabi Seasons every year from the Department of Chemicals &PetrochemicalsandDirectorateGeneralofStatistics&CommercialIntelligence,Kolkata.Kharif crops are the crops like rice, maize, etc. sown just before the onset of rainyseason, and Rabi crops are crops likewheat, potato, etc. that are sown at the end ofrainyseasonorbeginningofthewinterseason.

ThePesticidesUnitmonitorsthedemandandavailabilityofpesticidesinStates/UnionTerritories for adoption of crop protection measures. The Unit coordinates with theStates/UTs, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Department of Chemicals &Petrochemicals and pesticide industries for assessing the demand of pesticides forensuringtheirtimelyavailability.WithcoordinationoftheStatisticsUnit,italsocollectsandcompilesvariousdataondemandandconsumptionofpesticides,andalsoabouttheselling and distribution points of pesticides in the country, etc.Major demand of thepesticidesinthecountry,forcontrolofdiseases,insectpestsandweeds,aremetfromthecountry’sproduction.

Pesticides are regulated in India through the Insecticides Act, 1968 and InsecticidesRules, 1971. The experience in administering this Act over the last five decades hasexposed certain gaps which spurred the need to propose a new law. The PesticideManagement Bill (PMB) has been in discussion since 2008. The Draft PesticideManagementBill2017wasreleasedbytheUnionMinistryofAgricultureandFarmersWelfare (MoFAW) forstakeholdercommentsonFebruary19,201810. Subsequently,anewPesticideManagementBillwascreatedandwasapprovedbytheUnionCabinetonFebruary12,2020.

1.5 International chemical conventions and agreements related to pesticides(Stockholm,Montreal Protocol, Rotterdam, SAICM),whether or not the countryhas ratified (or participates) and the name of the focal point or DesignatedNationalAuthority(DNA)foreach

Indiaispartytomostoftheinternationalchemicalconventionsandagreementsrelatedto pesticides; has ratified and participates in them. The status of these importantagreements,withthedesignatednationalauthorities,areasfollows-

10 https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/pesticide-management-bill-2020-must-address-important-concerns-69303#:~:text=The%20Draft%20Pesticide%20Management%20Bill,Cabinet%20on%20February%2012%2C%202020.

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Convention &Agreements

Ratificationstatus

DesignatedNodalAuthority

Strategic Approach toInternational ChemicalsManagement(SAICM)

Party to SAICMsinceinception

Hazardous Substances ManagementDivisionMinistryofEnvironment,Forest&ClimateChange

Stockholm Conventionon Persistent OrganicPollutants

Ratified in2006

Ministry of Environment, Forest &ClimateChange

MontrealProtocol Signatory since1992

Ministry of Environment, Forest &ClimateChange

RotterdamConvention Acceded to theconvention in2006

Department of Chemicals andPetrochemicals is the DesignatedNational Authority (DNA) for industrialchemicalsandDepartmentofAgriculture,Co-operation & Farmers Welfare is theDNA for pesticides to perform thenationalfunctions.

2. Statusofpesticideuseinthecountry

Thereare293pesticidesregisteredinIndia,andit isreportedthat104pesticidesarestill being produced/used in the country despite being prohibited in two or morenationsaround theworld11. In India, insecticides, fungicides, andherbicidesareused.Insecticides account for themajority of the total. In India, the present pattern of theusagesofpesticideisinsecticides>herbicides>fungicides+bactericides>other-pesticides,whereas the global pesticide use pattern isherbicides>fungicides+bactericides>insecticides>other-pesticides12. Currently, India istheworld's fourth largest producer of pesticides. The Indian pesticides industrywasworth Rs 214 billion (approx. US $ 288Million) in 2019, according to Research andMarkets.ThemarketisexpectedtoreachRs.316billion(approx.US$425Million)by2024,withacompoundannualgrowthrateof8.1%13.

Thecountrysawasteadyriseof15%inpesticideconsumptionsince2016until2018-19,buttherewasasmalldipintheyear2019-20.Sincethen,therehasagainbeenanincrease in usage14. The country is using more than 70,000 MT of pesticide, thoughwithinthecountrythereiswidedisparityinpesticideusage.

11 Insecticides / Pesticides Registered under section 9(3) of the Insecticides Act, 1968 for use in the Country :(As on 01.03.2021), GoI 2021 12 FAO 2018, https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/RP 13 Stakeholders Dialogue on Current Challegnes and Way Forward for Pesticides Management, TAAS, SPS, IPS & ESI retrieved p1&2 from http://www.taas.in/documents/pub-activity-43.pdf 14 Consumption of Chemical Pesticides in various states/UTs during 2016-17 to 2020-21 http://ppqs.gov.in/statistical-database

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PesticideusesinJharkhand

In Jharkhand, pesticide use has picked up in the last three decades. As per ourobservation the use of pesticides is mostly common in selected pockets where thefarmersarefollowingcommercialcroppinginperi-urbanlocations,whileconsumptionislessintheremotevillageswherefarmersarestillfollowingsubsistencefarming.

Afocusgroupdiscussion(FGD)wasconductedwithfarmersin8villagesin3districtsofJharkhandtounderstandtheuseofpesticides.TheFGDwasconductedinBengabadandGandeyblocksofGiridihdistrict,DevipurblockofDeoghardistrictandSadarblockofEastSinghbhumdistricts,andcoveredatotal131farmers,outofwhich46wereusingpesticides.Interviewswerealsoconductedwiththreeseedinputdealerstounderstandthepesticidesincirculation.Thefollowinginformationwasgathered–

• Noneof theparticipantshad ideaaboutanytrainingonpesticideuse inanyofthesevillagesbyanyagency.

• 80%ofthefarmersusingpesticidesbuypesticideonthelocalpesticideseller’srecommendation. Only 8% are following advisory services provided by theKrishiVigyanKendra (KVK) andother agencies.KVK is an integral part of theNational Agricultural Research System (NARS) and aims at assessment oflocation-specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises,through technology assessment, refinement and demonstrations. KVKs havebeenfunctioningasKnowledgeandResourceCentresofagriculturaltechnologysupporting initiativesof thepublic, privateandvoluntary sector for improvingtheagriculturaleconomyofthedistrictandarelinkingtheNARSwithextensionsystemandfarmers15.

• 76% of the farmers cover only their face with a towel or cloth sheets whilesprayingpesticidesinthefield.Only15%oftherespondentsareusinggoggles,andhandglovesalongwiththefacecover.

• Due to an absence of information, understanding about pesticides is very low.EventhemicronutrientsfoliarsprayslikeBoron20werereportedbythefarmersasapesticide.

• Cypermethrin 25% EC is recommended for cotton, okra and brinjal only.However, it was revealed during the discussion that in two of the instances,Cypermethrin25%ECwasusedby the farmers forpaddycrop(which isnotarecommendedcrop)inBhojpurvillageofDevipurblockinDeoghardistrictandBeyangbilvillageinJamshedpurblockofEastSinghbhumdistrict.Cypermethrin10%hasbeenusedinallkindsofvegetablesinBishwanathivillageofDevipur,

15 https://kvk.icar.gov.in/aboutkvk.aspx

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Deoghar as broad spectrum; whereas the use is recommended for cotton,cabbage, okra, brinjal, wheat and sunflower only. Use of Imidacloprid is notrecommended for chili crop but it has been reported in Pandnatanr village ofGandeyblockofGiridihdistrictby the farmers.Likewise,Fenvalerate20%hasbeen used on cabbage in Beyangbil village in Jamshedpur block of EastSinghbhum district in absence of information and knowledge. This isrecommendedforcauliflower,cotton,brinjalandokraonly.

• Open grazing is a common practice in these areas and the farmers reportedhealth effects like itching eyes, loss of appetite and diarrhoea among animalsnearthefarmsthatappliedpesticides.

Thelistofparticularpesticideswithchemicalingredientsandcropuseasperthefocusgroupdiscussionwithfarmersisasfollows–

List of chemicalpesticidesusedby the farmersparticipating in the focus groupdiscussion-

Pesticidetype Chemicalnamewritten onbottle/package

Activeingredients Type of crop thepesticides are used onbyfarmers

Herbicide GrassKill Butachlor50%E.C. PaddyHerbicide Rajor, Wrecker

Plus,HobbitPretilachlor50%E.C Paddy,maize

Insecticide SuperKillerSuperCyprin

Cypermethrin25%EC Paddy,okra,brinjal

Insecticide PerfectProthrinGoogly, CurrentPlus

Profenophos 40% +Cypermethrin4%E.C.

Recommended forcotton; used in paddy,okra,brinjal

Insecticide SuperCyper Cypermehtrin10%E.C. All types of crops at thetime of fruiting(Recommended forbrinjal, cabbage, cotton,okra,sunflower,wheat)

Insecticide ChloroUltra Chlorpyriphos20%EC Paddy, cabbage, onion,beans

Insecticide Yorker Chlorpyriphos50%ECCypermethrin5%EC

Cowpeas, brinjal,tomato,chili

Insecticide Admire Imidacloprid70%WG Chili,paddyInsecticide JimmyDeluxe Diafenthiuron50%WP ChiliInsecticide Actara Thiamethoxam 25%

WGPaddy,brinjal,potato,

Insecticide Fame Flubendiamide39.35% Brinjal

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The active ingredients in market pesticides identified in interaction with the inputdealers included the following chemicals - Metaxyl, Mancozeb, Pretilachlor,Carbendazim,Carfentrazone-Ethyl,Paraquatdichloride,Noniphenolethlyene,Cocamineethaxolate, Butachlor, Atrazine, Profenophos, Cypermethrin, Thiamothoxam,Diafenthiuron,Flocinamid,Lambda-cyhalothrin,Imidacloprid,Oxyfluorfen,Quinalphos,Chlorpyrifos, Dimethly benzene, Fenvalerate, Azoxystorbin, Propineb, Tebuconazole,Flubendiamide, Azoxystobin, Cartap hydrochlirde, Pyriproxyfen, Fenpropathrin,Fenvalerate,DeltamethrinandTriazophos.

Apart from the above-mentioned pesticides applications, there have been studyreferencesofotherpesticidesusagesinJharkhand16.Recently,Glyphosatehasalsobeenreportedforpre-weedcontrolinJharkhandunderastudyconductedbyPANIndia.17

2.1 Thelistofnationallyregisteredpesticides

As of March, 2021 there are 29318 insecticides/pesticides registered in India undersection9(3)oftheInsecticidesAct,1968foruseinthecountry.

Sl.No. NameofthePesticide Sl.No. NameofthePesticide1 2,4-DAminesalt 34 BetaCyfluthrin2 2,4-DichlorophenoxyAceticAcid 35 Bifenazate3 Abamectin 36 Bifenthrin4 Acephate 37 BispyribacSodium5 Acetamiprid 38 Bitertanol

16 Hill, J., Singh, S., Ranjan, P., Nishant (2018). Misuse of chemical pesticides in Jharkhand: What should be done? Ranchi: Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development (SPWD), Eastern Region Office 17 State of Glyphosate use in India, Dileep Kumar, April 2020

m/mSCInsecticide SumiTaz 50% SP Cartap

HydrochlorideBrinjal

Insecticide Sumiprempt Pyriproxyfen 5% EC +Fenpropathrin15%EC

Brinjal

Insecticide Nagfam Fenvalerate20%EC Cabbage, cauliflower,okra

Insecticide Shark Deltamethrin1%+triazophos35%EC

Paddy,chili,vegetables

Fungicide Antracol Propineba.i.70%WP Vegetables,paddyFungicide Folicur Tebuconazole 250EC

(25.9%w/w)Chili

Fungicide Pluton Azoxystobin11.5%Mancozeb30%WP

Tomato

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6 Afidopyropen 39 Boscalid7 Allethrin 40 Brodifacoum8 Alphacypermethrin 41 Bromadiolone9 AlphanaphthylAceticAcid 42 Buprimate(FI-WRT)10 AluminiumPhosphide 43 Buprofezin11 Ametroctradin 44 Butachlor12 Ametryn 45 Captan13 Amisulbrom(FI-WRT) 46 Carbendazim14 Ampelomycesquisqualis 47 Carbofuran15 Anilophos 48 Carbosulfan16 Atrazine 49 Carboxin17 Aureofungin 50 CarfentrazoneEthyl18 Azadirachtin(NeemProducts) 51 Carpropamid19 Azimsulfuron 52 CartapHydrochloride20 Azoxystrobin 53 Chlorantraniliprole21 Bacillussphaericus 54 Chlorfenopyr22 Bacillussubtillus 55 Chlorfluazuron23 Bacillusthuringiensisvar.

galleriae56 Chlorimuronethyl

24 Bacillusthuringiensisvar.israelensis

57 ChlormequatChloride(CCC)

25 Bacillusthuringiensisvar.kurstaki 58 Chlorothalonil26 BariumCarbonate 59 Chlorpropham(TI),TIM27 Beauveriabassiana 60 Chlorpyriphos28 Benalaxyl(TIM) 61 ChlorpyriphosMethyl29 BenalaxylM 62 Chromafenozide30 Bendiocarb 63 Cinmethylene31 Benfuracarb 64 Clethodim(FI-WRT)

32 BensulfuronMethyl 65 Clodinafop-propargyl

33 BentazoneTI 66 Clomazone

Sl.No. NameofthePesticide Sl.No. NameofthePesticide67 Clothianidin(FI-WRT) 108 Ethiprole68 CopperHydroxide 109 Ethofenprox(Etofenprox)69 CopperOxychloride 110 Ethoxysulfuron70 CopperSulphate 111 EthyleneDichlorideand

CarbonTetrachloridemixture71 Coumachlor 112 Etoxazole(FI)72 Coumatetralyl 113 Famoxadone73 CuprousOxide 114 Fenamidone74 Cyantraniliprole 115 Fenazaquin75 Cyazofamid 116 Fenitrothion76 Cyenopyrafen(FI-WRT) 117 Fenobucarb(BPMC)77 Cyflufenamide(FI-WRT) 118 Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl

15

78 Cyflumetofen 119 Fenpropathrin79 Cyfluthrin 120 Fenpyroximate80 Cyhalofop-butyl 121 Fenvalerate81 Cymoxanil 122 Fipronil82 Cypermethrin 123 Flocoumafen(FI-WRT)83 Cyphenothrin 124 Flonicamid84 Cyproconazole(TI) 125 Fluazifop-p-butyl85 Dazomet 126 Flubendiamide86 Deltamethrin(Decamethrin) 127 Flucetosulfuron87 Diafenthiuron 128 Fluchloralin88 DichloroDiphenylTrichloroethane 129 Fluensulfone47%TC(MUP)

(FI)89 Dichloropropeneand

Dichloropropanemixture

130 Flufenacet

90 Diclofop-Methyl 131 Flufenoxuron91 Diclosulam 132 Flufenzine92 Dicofol 133 Flumioxazin93 Difenoconazole 134 Fluopicolide94 Diflubenzuron 135 Fluopyramandits

metabolite95 Dimethoate 136 Flupyradifurone96 Dimethomorph 137 Flusilazole(TI)97 Dinocap 138 Fluthiacetmethyl(TIM)98 Dinotefuron 139 Fluvalinate99 Dithianon 140 Fluxapyroxad100 Diuron 141 Fomesafen101 Dodine 142 Forchlorfenuron102 D-transAllethrin 143 Fosetyl-Al103 Edifenphos 144 GibberellicAcid104 EmamectinBenzoate 145 Gossyplure(PB-RopeL)105 Epoxyconazole 146 GlufosinateAmmonium106 Ethephon 147 Glyphosate107 Ethion Sl.No. NameofthePesticide Sl.No. NameofthePesticide148 Haloxyfop-R-methyl{Haloxyfop-R-

methyl10.55%.ECformulationundercategory(FI)}

180 Metaldehyde

149 Helosulfuronmethyl 181 MetamifopTI150 Hexaconazole 182 Metamitron(TIM)151 Hexazinone 183 Metarhiziumanisopliae152 Hexythiazox 184 Methabenzthiazuron153 HydrogenCyanamide 185 Methomyl154 Imazamox 186 Methoxyfenazide(FI-WRT)155 Imazethapyr 187 MethylBromide156 Imidacloprid 188 MethylChlorophenoxyAcetic

Acid(MCPA)

16

157 Imiprothrin 189 1-MethylCyclopropene3.3%V.P(1-MCP)(FI-WRT)

158 Indaziflam{combinationformulationIndaziflam+Glyphosateammoniumundercategory(FI)}

190 Metiram

159 Indoxacarb 191 Metofluthrin160 Iprobenfos(Kitazin) 192 Metolachlor161 Iprodione 193 Metrafenone162 Iprovalicarb 194 Metribuzin163 Isoprothiolane 195 MetsulfuronMethyl164 Isoproturon 196 Milbemectin165 Kasugamycin 197 Monocrotophos

(Monocrotophosisbannedforuseonvegetables.

166 KresoximMethyl 198 Myclobutanil167 Lambdacyhalothrin 199 Novaluron168 LimeSulphur 200 Nuclearpolyhyderosisvirus

ofHelicoverpaarmigera169 Lufenuron 201 Nuclearpolyhyderosisvirus

ofSpodopteralitura170 MagnesiumPhosphidePlates 202 Oxadiargyl171 Malathion 203 Oxadiazon172 Mancozeb 204 Oxathiapipron173 Mandipropamid 205 Orthosulfamuron174 MepiquateChloride 206 Oxycarboxin175 Meptyldiinocop 207 Oxydemeton-Methyl176 MesosulfuronMethyl

(combinationformulationMesosulfuronMethyl+IodosulfuronMethylSodium)

208 Oxyfluorfen

177 Metaflumizone 209 Paclobutrazol178 Metalaxyl 210 Paraquatdichloride179 Metalaxyl-M 211 PenconazoleSl.No. NameofthePesticide Sl.No. NameofthePesticide212 Pencycuron 250 S-bioallethrin213 Pendimethalin 251 Sodiumacifluorfen

(CombinationformulationClodinafop-propargyl+Sodiumacifluorfen)

214 Penflufen* 252 Sodiumparanitrophinolate215 Penoxsulam 216 Permethrin 253 Spinetoram217 Phenthoate 254 Spinosad218 Phosalone 255 Spiromesifen219 Picoxystrobin’TIM 256 Spirotetramat220 Pinoxaden 257 Streptomycin+Tetracycline221 Prallethrin 258 Sulfentrazone(TIM)

17

222 Pretilachlor 259 Sulfosulfuron223 Primiphos-methyl 260 Sulfoxaflor224 ProchlorazTI 261 sulphur225 Profenophos 270 Thiodicarb226 ProhexadioneCalcium 271 Thiomethoxam227 Propamocarbhydrochloride

technical66%w/wmin272 Thiophanate-Methyl

228 Propanil 273 Thiram229 Propaquizafop 274 Tolfenpyrad(TIM)230 Propergite 278 Triadimefon231 Propetamphos 279 Triafamone(combination

formulationTriafamone20%w/w+Ethoxysulfuron10%WG%w/wSCFI)

232 Propiconazole 281 Triasulfuron233 Propineb 282 Trichodermaharzianum234 Propoxur 283 Trichodermaviride235 Pseudomonasfluorescens 284 Tricyclazole236 Pymetrozin(FI),TIM 285 Trifloxistrobin237 Pyraclostrobin 286 Triflumezopyrim(TIM)238 Pyrazosulfuronethyl 287 Triflumizole(FI-WRT)239 Pyrethrin(pyrethrum) 288 Trifluralin{Theregistration,

import,manufacture,formulation,transport,sellandit’sallusesexceptuseinwheatshallprohibitedandcompletelybannedvideS.O.3951(E)dated8thAugust2018}

243 Pyriproxyfen(TI) 289 Validamycin244 Pyrithiobacsodium 290 Verticilliumlecanii245 Pyroxasulfon(FI-WRT) 291 ZincPhosphide246 Quinalphos 292 Zineb247 Quizalofopethyl 293 Ziram248 Quizalofop-P-tefuryl 249 Saflufenacil

2.2 TheListofHHPsamongstlistofnationallyregisteredpesticides

AsperthePANInternationalListofHighlyHazardousPesticides(HHPs),2019,globally,there are a total of 28 pesticides listed under extremely hazardous (Class Ia) and 49pesticides listed under Class Ib, according to theWorld Health Organization (WHO)-recommendedclassificationofhazardouspesticides.ThisHHP, listcomparedwiththeabovementionednationallyregisteredpesticideslistofIndia(2019),infersthatthe109pesticidesregisteredinIndiaarehighlyhazardous.Thisisaround37%ofthenationallyregistered list of pesticides. However, only 3 of the pesticides (Brodifacoum,Bromadiolone and Flocoumafen) are listed among Class 1a, and Beta-cyflutrhin,Cyfluthrin, Carbofuran, Coumatetralyl, Edifenphos, Methomyl, Monocrotophos,

18

Oxcydemeton-methyl, Propetamphos and Zinc phosphide are listed underWHOClassIb,19togetherconstitutingonly4.4%ofthenationallyregisteredlist.

CommonHHPsinJharkhand

Fromthe focusgroupdiscussionsand interactionwith inputdealers, the following20pesticides(6.8%oftotalpesticidesinthenationalregistrationlist)fallwithinthePANInternationalListpublishedinMarch,2019ofHighlyHazardousPesticides-Mancozeb,Carbendazim, Paraquat dichloride, Butachlor, Atrazine, Profenofos, Cypermethrin,Diafenthiuron, Lambda-cychalothrin, Imidacloroprid, Oxyfluorfen, Quinalphos,Chlorpyrifos, Fenvalerate, Propineb, Flubendiamide, Fenpropathrin, Deltamethrin andTriazophos.Glyphosate is anotherHHPwhich is reported inuse inmany locations inJharkhand,accordingtovariousreports.2.2.1Activeingredients20

Insecticides: Insecticides are classed chemically as carbamates (Carbaryl),organochlorines (Endosulfan), organophosphorus (Monocrotophos), pyrethroids(Permethrin), neonicotinoids (Imidacloprid), various pesticides such as spinosyns(Spinosad),benzolureas(Diflubenzuron),andantibiotics(Abamectin).

Fungicides:Fungicidesarecategorisedasaliphaticnitrogenfungicides(Dodine),amidefungicides (Carpropamid), aromatic fungicides (Chlorothalonil), dicarboximidefungicides(Famoxadone),dinitrophenolfungicides(Dinocap),andothers.

Herbicides:Herbicidesincludeanilideherbicides(Flufenacet),phenoxyaceticherbicides(2, 4-D), quaternary ammonium herbicides (Paraquat), chlorotriazine herbicides(Atrazine),sulfonylureaherbicides(Chlorimuron),andothers.

Rodenticides: Rodenticides are classed as inorganic rodenticides (Zinc Phosphide,Aluminium Phosphide) or organic coumarin rodenticides (Bromadiolone,Coumatetralyl)

2.2.2CropsusingHHPs

Farmersuseamajoramountofpesticidesoncerealcrops,utilizingaround38%ofthetotal consumption, followed by use in cash crops, vegetables, pules, oilseeds, fibre,fruits,plantationandotherusage.

19 https://pan-international.org/wp-content/uploads/PAN_HHP_List.pdf 20 Classification of Pesticides: A Review, Article in International Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy, September, 2018 by Meghna M Akashe, Ashwin V Nikam & Uaday V. Pawade. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327536516_CLASSIFICATION_OF_PESTICIDES_A_REVIEW

19

2.3GeneraldataonthevolumeofuseofHHPsforagriculture

Duringtheperiodof2016-17to2020-21,thefifteenmostconsumedpesticidesfromnationalaswellasimportedsourceswereasfollows-

Top 15 pesticides in terms of consumption in India21Pesticide UseinMTMancozeb 13613.464Chlorpyriphos 5131.679Glyphosate 3139.816Carbendazim 2880.247Phorate 2691.798Malathion 2660.974Quinalphos 2613.81Butachlor 2284.568Cypermethrin 2147.956Pretilachlor 2056.5072,4-DAmineSalt 2003.177Fipronil 1982.444Profenophos 1935.399Fenvalerate 1834.426Monocrotophos 1821.226

PhoratehasbeenbannedbythegovernmentofIndiawitheffectfromMarch,2020andis not reported in use now. Seven other top consumed pesticides in the list above -Butachlor,Carbendazim,Chlorpyriphos,Malathion,Mancozeb,Monocrotphos,and2,4-D

21 Consumption of Chemical Pesticides – (sections indigenous & imported), during 2016-17 to 2020-21, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, Dept of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare

Cereal38%

Vegetable11%

Pulse10%

Oilseed10%

Fruit4%

Plantation1%

Cash Crop14%

Fibre9%

Other3%

Consumption of chemical pesticides 2020-21

20

- are among the list of 27 pesticides likely to be banned with an intent and draftnotification by the government in May, 2020, as these are harmful to humans andanimals22.

Out of the list above, 10 of the pesticides - Mancozeb, Chorpyrifos, Glyphosate,Carbedazim, Quinalphos, Butachlor, Cypermethrin, Pretilachlor, Profenofos, andFenvalerate-arecommonlyfoundinthestudyareainJharkhand.

ConsumptionofchemicalpesticidesinthestateofJharkhand

In India the consumption trend of chemical pesticides fluctuated over the period of2016-17 to 2020-21. This consumption data includes extreme, high, moderate andslightly toxic pesticides together. Jharkhand has been a “natural” state, with leastchemicalpesticideinfluence,butovertherecentperiodtherehasbeenasteadygrowthinconsumptionofchemicalpesticides,anditalmostdoubledinduringtheperiod2016-17to2020-21from0.92%to1.87%23.

22 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/move-to-ban-27-pesticides-hailed/article31644063.ece 23 Consumption of Chemical Pesticides in various states/UTs during 2016-17 to 2020-21 http://ppqs.gov.in/statistical-database

58634

63406

59670

61702

62193

541

619

646

681

1161

55000 56000 57000 58000 59000 60000 61000 62000 63000 64000 65000

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

Consumption of Chemical Pesticides in MT Tech Grade

India Jharkhand

21

State share of pesticide consumption to national consumption. Source: http://ppqs.gov.in/statistical-database

ConsumptionofChemicalPesticidesinvariousstates/UTsduring2016-17to2020-21

Unit:QuantityinMTTechnicalGrade

Year 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

India 58634 63406 59670 61702 62193

Jharkhand 541 619 646 681 1161

% Consumption- state share

0.92 0.98 1.08 1.10 1.87

Source: http://ppqs.gov.in/statistical-database

Areaunderpesticideapplication

Thepercentageareaunderpesticideuseofthetotalcultivationareaofthecountryhasdecreased24overtimewithpromotionoforganicfarming,integratedpestmanagementpractices and safe food demands, but there is an increase in the overall pesticideconsumption.ThisimpliesthatthepesticideapplicationratehasincreasedatmanyofthefarminglocationslikeJharkhand,wheretheapplicationofpesticideswasverylow.

24 Area under Cultivation and under Use of Chemical & Bio-pesticides during 2016-17 to 2020-21 http://ppqs.gov.in/statistical-database

0.92 0.981.08 1.10

1.87

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

1.60

1.80

2.00

2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

% of Pesticide Consumption in Jharkhand in % of National Consumption

22

Areaundercultivationandpesticideuse(Areain’000Ha)Ye

ar

Area

und

er C

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atio

n

Area

und

er C

hem

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Pe

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ide

Area

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estic

ides

Area

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oth

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icid

es

Tota

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icid

es

Area

Not

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ides

% S

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of A

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2016-17 120798 71645 7267 25125 104037 28621 59.3 2017-18 132011 82189 7738 10268 100195 36052 62.3 2018-19 141555 81120 7119 10572 98812 45628 57.3 2019-20 198552 108035 14636 45213 167884 52874 54.4 2020-21 188595 111289 14014 22046 147349 41246 59.0

Area under cultivation and pesticide use in India 2016-17 to 2020-2125

There is an increase in users of chemicals aswell as bio-pesticides; this implies thatthereissomeimprovementinthefarmerspracticingbio-pesticidesonly.Likewise,theincrease in the areas of chemical pesticides may be attributed to fallow cultivationpromotions and increasing use of pesticides in multiple agriculture and weedmanagement.

25 Source: Area under Cultivation and under Use of Chemical & Bio-Pesticides during 2016-17 to 2020-21 http://ppqs.gov.in/statistical-database

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

Area under Chemical Pesticide Area under Bio Pesticides Area under Both chemical & Biopesticides

Area under pesticides types of application in India

2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

23

0.16

0.53 0.58

1.03 1.05

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

Jharkhand share of Bio-Pesticides Consumption in India in %

State share of Consumption of Biol Pesticides in national consumption.

Consumptionofbio-pesticides

ConsumptionofBio-PesticidesinMTTechGrade 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21Jharkhand 11 38 41 91 91India 7190 7174 7203 8847 8645National and state consumption of bio-pesticides 2016-17 to 2020-2126

ThestateshareofJharkhandinnationalbio-pesticideconsumptioninMThasincreasedalmostseventimesduringtheperiod2016-17to2020-21.

Awiderangeofvariationshavebeennotedbetweentheapproveduseofpesticidesandrecommendeduseofpesticidesaswellasactualuseinthefield.Additionally, farmersarenotfollowingtherecommendedwaitingperiod(therecommendedperiodbetweenlast application and harvest), leaving the produce unsafe for consumption due topesticideresidues.Monocrotophos,forexample,despitebeingbannedforuseonfoodcrops,isstillwidelyusedbyfarmersonvegetablesaswellasonitsmainpermittedusefor cotton, as demonstrated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare’s“Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National Level” scheme. This scheme frequentlyidentifiedMonocrotophosatabovethemaximumresiduelimitinsamplesofvegetablesfrom markets and at the farm gate. Prophenofos 40% + Cypermethrin 4% EC isrecommended for cotton bollworm complex, but frequently used on vegetables for along period. Farmers are using Butachlor within amonth, against the recommended

26 Consumption of Bio-Pesticides Formulations in Various States/UTs during 2016-17 to 2020-21 http://ppqs.gov.in/statistical-database

24

periodof90to120days.TherearealsoexamplesofusingChlorpyriphos01.50%DPonmanyvegetablesinadditiontotherecommendeduseofpaddy.

VariousstudiesonpesticideuseinJharkhandonindicatethatthefarmersdonothavegoodaccesstotheparticularuseofpesticides,norinformationabouttheirapplicationmethodsandsafetyprotocolstofollow.TheCIBRClistofapprovedusesarenotstrictlyfollowed by extension agencies at the national and state level. There have beenexamplesofuseofinsecticidesapprovedforuseoncotton.Mostofthefarmersrelyonthe input dealer recommendations for pesticides use in their field. Though thegovernment has introduced a Diploma in Agriculture Extension Services for InputDealers(DAESI)toimprovethequalityofadvisoryservicesbytheinputdealers,mostoftheinputdealersneedorientationontheprescribedandrestricteduseofpesticides.

2.4GeneraldataonthevolumeofuseofHHPsfornon-agriculture(householdandpublichealth)purposes

Somecommonusesofpesticidesfornon-agriculturepurposes(primarilyforhouseholdandpublichealthpurposes)includeuseofBifenthrin2.5%ECandChlorpyrifos50%ECfortermites,duringpre-andpost-constructionandalsoinplywood,veneerandwood.Broadifacoum 0.005%, Bromadiolone 0.005%, Coumatetralyl 0.75%, Flocoumafen0.005%,andZincPhosphide80%powderisusedforratcontrol.Deltamethrin02.50%WP, Bifenthrin 10% WP, Chlorpyriphos Methly 40% EC, DDT 50% WP, andDeltamethrin are used for mosquito control. Alphacypermethrin is used forimpregnated bed nets formosquito control for public health. Allethrin is a commonpesticide used in themanufacture ofmosquito coils. Themethod of use, dosage anddilutionareguidedandcontrolledbytheappropriateauthority.

2.5ListofHHPsbannedinothercountriesbutinuseinthecountry

Thestudyfoundonlyonehighlyhazardouspesticide,Triazophos,usedinJharkhandbutbannedinIndia.Triazophoswasonlyrecently(December2020)completelybannedinIndia,andwasfoundinuseinsomelocations.

66HHPsbanned inother countriesbut inuse in Indiawereputunder reviewby theAnupamVarma committee.On recommendationsof the committee andCIBRC, use ofAluminium phosphide, Bifenthrin, Carbosulfan, Chorfenapyr, Chloratholonil, Dazomet,Diflubenzuron, Ethofenprox, Fenpropathrin, Iprodione, Kasugamycin, Mepiquatchloride,Predilachlor,Propargite,Metaldehyde,Paraquatdichloride,Propineb,andZincphosphide has been recommended to continuewith further review suggestions. DDThasbeenrestricted topublichealthpurposesonly.FeintrothionandEndosulfanwerealsobannedwithacompletephaseout.Intheyear2018,thegovernmentnotifiedabanon 18 pesticides: Alachlor, Dichlorvos, Phorate, Phospamidon, Triazophos, TrichlofonBenomyl, Carbaryl, Diazinon, Fenarimol, Fenthion, Linuron, Methyl Ethyl Mercury

25

Chloride, Methyl Parathion, Sodium cyanide, Thiometon, Tridermorph, andTriffulralin27.

A further ban was notified in the year 2020 on 27 pesticides, including Acephate,Atrazine, Befuracarb, Butachlor, Captan, Carbendazim, Carbofuran, Chlorpyriphos,Delamethrin, Dicofol, Dimethoate, Dinocap, Diuron, 2,4-D, Malathion, Methomyl,Monocrotophos, Oxyflurofen, Pendimethalin, Quinalphos, Sufosufluron, Thiodicarb,Thiophanatemethyl,Thiram,Zineb,andZiram28.

Aftergettingobjections fromthe industryagainstproposedbans, thegovernmenthasappointedanexpertcommitteetoreviewtheseobjectionsandsubmittheirreportforfinaldecisionbythegovernment.

HHPsinuseinJharkhand

Therearea totalof20HHPs inuse in Jharkhandasper thePAN InternationalListofHighlyHazardous Pesticides published inMarch, 2019,which is 6.8%of the nationalregistrationlistofpesticides.Thefocusgroupdiscussionanddirectstudyconfirmsuseof 17 (5.78%) HHPs. These HHPs are: Paraquat dichloride, Propineb, Triazophos,Atrazine, Butachlor, Carbendazim, Chlorpyrifos, Deltamethrin, Fenpropathrin,Flubendiamide, Fenvalerate, Diaefenthiuron, Lambda-cyhalothrin, Imidaclorpid,Mancozeb,Oxyfluorfen,QuinalphosandGlyphosate,whicharestillcommonlyfoundinuseinJharkhand.ThisisnotanexhaustivelistastheremaybemoreHHPsusedintheotheragriculture-intensiveareasofJharkhandotherthanthestudyarea.

2.6 Human health, environmental impacts or human rights issues related withHHPsinthenation

Pesticides are used to kill the pests and insects that attack crops and harm them.Differentkindsofpesticideshavebeenusedforcropprotectionforcenturies.Pesticidesbenefit the crops; however, they also impose a serious negative impact on theenvironmentandhumanhealth.Excessiveuseofpesticidesmayleadtothedestructionof biodiversity. Many birds, aquatic organisms and animals are under the threat ofharmfulpesticides for their survival.Pesticidesarea concern for the sustainabilityofenvironmentandglobalstability29.

SomeofthecommonpesticidesinJharkhandlikePropineb,Butachlor,Fenopropathrin,Mancozeb, and Oxyfluorfen are likely to be carcinogenic, as per US EPA (USEnvironmental Protection Agency) & IARC (International Agency for Research on

27 https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2018/aug/15/centre-bans-18-pesticides-activists-say-not-enough-to-deal-with-toxic-deaths-1858004.html 28 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/move-to-ban-27-pesticides-hailed/article31644063.ece 29 Effects of Pesticides on Environment, In Book Plant Soil and Mcrobes Volume 1: Implications in crop science, Edition 2016, Publisher: Springer International, Editors Khalid Rehman Hakeem et al

26

Cancer)classificationsinPANpesticideslist,2019.Thesepesticidesmayimpacthumanhealthseverely.

Pesticides can persist in the environment for decades, posing a threat to the entireecologicalsystemonwhichfoodproductiondepends.Theyreducebiodiversity,destroybeneficial insectpopulations,andreducethenutritionalvalueoffood.Theireffectsonnon-targetorganismsarehugelyunderestimated.

Environmentalimpacts–

Impactsonnon-targetorganisms–eg:earthworms,naturalpredatorscontrollingpestpopulationlevels,pollinators,etc.Lossofbiodiversity–

A diverse environment sustains many types of lifeforms, all of which areinterdependent. Thesemay range frommicrobes to insects such as ants, beetles andwasps; to birds; to large animals such as the elephant; and predators such as foxes,wolves,wilddogs, lions,tigersandbears.Suchasystemhastheabilitytomaintainitsbalance so that no one species becomes dominant. Sometimes, pest may also bebeneficialtobiologicalsystemsbyconsumingandcontrollingotherpests.

In some cases, a pesticidemay eliminate a species essential to the functioning of theentirecommunity,oritmaypromotethedominanceofanundesiredspecies,oritmaysimplydecreasethenumberandvarietyofspeciespresentinthecommunity.Thismaydisrupt the dynamics of the food webs in the community by breaking the existingdietarylinkagesbetweenspecies30.

Some of the commonly used pesticides in Jharkhand like Chlorpyrifos, Deltamethrin,Fenopropathrin, Fenvalerate, Diafenthiuron, Lambda-cyhalothrin, Imidaclorpid, andQuinalphosare,accordingtothePANpesticideclassification2019,highlytoxictobees.Thismayhave,inthelongterm,adverseeffectsonbeepopulations.Additionally,lossofcrop diversity and local flora may occur as bee pollination may become seriouslynegativelyaffectedduetotheeffectofthesepesticides.

Impactonsoilmicroflora–

Thedegradedpesticidesinteractwiththesoilandwithitsnativemicroorganisms,thusaltering its microbial diversity, biochemical reactions and enzymatic activity. Anyalterationinthemicrobialdiversityandsoilbiomasseventuallyleadstodisturbanceinsoil ecosystem and loss of soil fertility. Pesticide application may also inhibit or killcertaingroupsofmicroorganismsandoutnumberothergroupsbyreleasingthemfrom

30 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ishwar-Yadav/publication/313445102_Pesticides_Classification_and_Its_Impact_on_Human_and_Environment/links/589b09a04585158bf6fb8080/Pesticides-Classification-and-Its-Impact-on-Human-and-Environment.pdf

27

the competition. Theymay also adversely affect the soils’ vital biochemical reactions,includingnitrogenfixation,nitrification,andammonificationbyactivating/deactivatingspecific soilmicroorganisms and/ or enzymes. Pesticides have also been reported toinfluence mineralization of soil organic matter, which is a key soil property thatdeterminesthesoilqualityandproductivity.31

Impactonwaterquality–

The excessive use of pesticides is also affecting water quality through chemicalcontamination.Increaseduseofherbicidesfoundinalltheirrigated/commandareasisa cause of major concern. These areas are one of the major users of pre- and post-emergenceherbicides(Glyphosate,Pendimethalin,etc).32

CommonlyusedpesticidesinJharkhand(likeChlorpyrifosandFlubendiamide)havehightoxiceffectsontheaquaticlifeandmayaffectfishcultureinthepondswithinthecatchmentareaofthefarmfieldsusingthesepesticides.

Impactsonhumanhealth–

Pregnantwomenexposedtopesticidesareathigherriskofmiscarriageandpre-termdelivery, and their babies may be born with birth defects. Studies show cocktails ofpesticides in umbilical cords and first faeces of new-borns. Both parents can transferexposure to pesticides to the child. Fathers exposed to pesticides in the period threemonths prior to conception can supposedly pose a risk to the foetus,whilematernalexposure is most dangerous from one month before conception through the firsttrimester of pregnancy. Additionally, pesticides can pass through breast milk to thebreastfeedingchild.

Generalsymptomsofpesticidepoisoning33

MildPoisoning ModeratePoisoning ModeratePoisoningAnyofthefollowing: Any of the mild

symptoms, plus any ofthefollowing:

Any of the mild symptoms,plusanyofthefollowing:

Irritation of the nose,throat,eyes,orskin

Vomiting Inabilitytobreathe

Headache Excessivesalivation Extra phlegm or mucous intheairways

Dizziness Coughing SmallorpinpointpupilsLossofappetite Feelingof constriction in Chemicalburnsontheskin

31 Pesticides: Environmental Impacts and Management Strategies by HK Gill & Harish Garg, DOI 10.5772/57399 32 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2984095/ 33 Pesticides Classification and its Impact on Human Health and Environment by Ishwar Chandra Yadav & Ningombam Linthoingambi Devi, (pp 140-158). Edition: Vol 6, Toxicology, Chapter 7 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313445102_Pesticides_Classification_and_Its_Impact_on_Human_and_Environment

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throatandchestThirst Abdominalcramps IncreasedrateofbreathingNausea Blurringofvision LossofreflexesDiarrhea Rapidpulse Uncontrollable muscular

twitchingSweating Excessiveperspiration UnconsciousnessWeaknessorfatigue Profoundweakness DeathRestlessness Trembling Nervousness Muscularincoordination Changesinmood Mentalconfusion Insomnia

Commonchronicdiseasesofpesticidesareasfollows-

• Cancer: childhood and adult brain cancer, renal cell cancer, lymphocyticleukemia,prostatecancer

• Neuro-degenerativediseasesincludingParkinson’sdisease,Alzheimer’sdisease

• Cardio-vasculardiseaseincludingarterydisease

• Diabetes(Type2Diabetes)

• Reproductivedisorders

• Birthdefects

• Hormonalimbalancesincludinginfertilityandbreastpain

• Respiratorydiseases(asthma,chronicobstructivepulmonarydiseases(COPD).

Systematicdataonharmsassociatedwithpesticidepoisoningattheglobal,nationalandstate level are very limited. Death due to poisoning is reported under the category“injury,poisoningandcertainotherexternalities,”whichalsoincludesconditionsotherthanthepoisoningfromhighlyhazardouspesticides.

There have been some occasional examples of pesticides’ impact on humanhealth inIndia,asfollows34-

Year Place Source Effect

1984 Bhopal,MadhyaPradesh

ReleaseofMethylIsocyanategasusedintheproductionofCarbamatepesticides

Thousands of prematuredeaths, as well as births ofphysically and mentallydisabledchildren

1977-87 Kasaragod,Kerala

AerialsprayingofEndosulfanincashewplantation

Poisoning of villagers,includingchildren

34 https://www.hhrjournal.org/2021/12/human-rights-perspective-on-pesticide-exposure-and-poisoning-in-children-a-case-study-of-india/#_edn30

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2005 Magrawavillage,Gujarat

Food contamination withEthion (a pesticide) at asocialgathering

15peoplepoisoned,manyofwhomdied

2013 DharamasatiGandamanvillage,Bihar

Foodpreparedincookingoilkept inside a can ofMonocrotophos (aninsecticide)inagovernment-runprimaryschool.

Poisoning and death of 23children

Source:PANAsiaPacific,Globalgovernanceofhazardouspesticidestoprotectchildrenbeyond2020 (2017); A. Dewan, B. Patel, R Pal, et al. “Mass ethion poisoning with high mortality.”ClinicalToxicology46/1(2009)pp85-88

2.7TheprecautionaryprincipleandnationalprovisionstophaseoutHHPs,banpesticides,andcancelorrestrictthealready-registeredpesticides

Pesticides are regulated in Indiaunder the InsecticidesAct, 1968, and the InsecticideRules,1971.TheCentralInsecticideBoardandRegistrationCommittee(CIBRC)advisesthe Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare on pesticide safety35. Its mandateincludesreviewingmattersrelatingto–

(a)therisktohumanbeingsoranimalsinvolvedintheuseofinsecticidesandthesafetymeasuresnecessarytopreventsuchrisk,and

(b)themanufacture,sale,storage,transportanddistributionofinsecticideswithaviewtoensuringsafetyforhumanbeingsoranimals.

CIBRC also advises the government on other pesticides such as herbicides andfungicides.TheRegistrationCommitteeoftheCIBRCisresponsiblefordecidingwhichindividualpesticidecompoundscanberegisteredforproductionandsale,domesticallyand forexport.The InsecticidesActdoesnotprovide for regular reviewof registeredpesticides, suggesting that registration is currently permanent. Other expertcommittees occasionally reassess specific registered pesticides if a problem arises,recommendingrestrictionsorbans.

TheFoodSafetyandStandardsAuthorityofIndia(FSSAI)istheresponsibleauthorityinIndiaforrecommendingtolerancelimitsofvariouspesticidesinfoodcommodities.

The State Agriculture Universities, State Agriculture departments and other crop-specific institutions like the National Horticultural Board, Species Board of India andotherinstitutionsalsomakerecommendationsforagriculturepractices,whichincludesuseofpesticides specific to localneedsbasedon the local specific researchon crops,diseasesandinsects.

35 http://ppqs.gov.in/central-insecticides-board

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Labelling pesticides has been introduced to indicate the toxicity of pesticides, withfollowingspecifications:

ToxicitylabelsusedonpesticidesusedinIndia

Some of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like Hexachlorbenzene (HCB) andMirexwereneverregisteredinIndiaaspesticides.TheStateDepartmentsofAgriculturegrantlicensesforproductionofpesticidesundercentral regulations. The Insecticide Inspectors are responsible for enforcement of theInsecticideAct, includingimplementationofpesticidebansandensuringthatthenon-registeredproductsarenotused.Thestateauthoritiesarealsoresponsiblefortrainingusersofpesticidesthroughextensionprograms.2.8Companies/associationsrepresentingthepesticideindustryinthecountryThePesticidesManufacturers&FormulatorsAssociation of India (PMFAI) representsthe over 250 India-based pesticide manufacturers, formulators, and traders. PMFAImember companies manufacture, formulate, sell and distribute almost all the cropprotectionproductsthathavepotentialinIndia36.CropCareFederationof India(CCFI) isoneof theoldestand foremostassociationsofthe agrochemical companies In India, with a member base of over 50 leadingcompanies. These companies comprise "Basic Technical Producers" and also majorformulators,thusrepresentingthecompletegamutoftheagrochemicalbusiness.37

36 https://www.pmfaiindia.org/ 37 https://cropcarefed.in/

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Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI) liaiseswith central and state governments,associated government and non-government departments, academic institutions, andfarmerassociations,etc.38

3.NationalendeavorstophasingoutHHPs

3.1Projects/programsandcampaignstophaseoutHHPs

Thegovernmentof Indiahas imposedbansonmanyHHPs inrecentyears,which isapositive sign towards HPPs phase out in India. The government has also adoptedIntegratedPestManagementundertheschemeStrengthening&ModernizationofPestManagement Approach in India (SMPMA) since 1985, which was rolled out in 1994.Under the program, IPM packages have been developed for 87 crops39. This needsfurther active encouragement and engagement of all the stakeholders towardscontrolling adverse effects of pesticides by taking the information and activities fromlaboratories to farm fields. Under theNational Institute of PlantHealthManagement,the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the government of India isorganizing various programs for different stakeholders, including youth, on organicfarmingandbalanceduseoffertilizerandpesticides.Presently,mostofthecoursesaremeant for agriculture graduates and needs to further include Farmer ProducerCompaniesandfield-basedagricultureworkersforamassiveoutreach.Thegovernmenthas also promoted Organic Farming Associations at national and state levels and aParticipatory Guarantee System for organic certification; however, the organicmovementispickingupataslowrateandneedsactivepromotionbyallconcerned.

NGOsinIndiaareplayingavitalroleinphasingoutHHPsandthenationalcampaignforeliminating Endosulfan is a clear example where environmental organizations havecontributed significantly. CSE, PAN India, Thanal andother civil society organizations(CSOs)havecontinuouslyraisedthe issuesofpesticidesmisuse forcorrectiveactions,whichhaveinturnbeentakenupatappropriateforumsandoftenredressed.

Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India is a national non-profit organization workingsince2013incollaborationwiththePesticideActionNetworkInternationalcommunity.The organization focuses on controlled use of chemical pesticides for life andenvironment safety and promotes ecological farming to reduce dependency on toxicchemicals40.Kheti Virasat Mission is a non-profit organization promoting organic and toxic-freefarming in Punjab. It promotes toxic-free farming through campaigns, study, andparticipatoryactionforParticipatoryGuaranteeSystem(PGS)promotion.

38 https://www.acfiindia.com/ 39 http://ppqs.gov.in/divisions/integrated-pest-management/ipm-glance 40 https://pan-india.org/

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CentreforScienceandEnvironmentpromotesresearch,masseducationandadvocacyonenvironment,water,foodandtoxins,renewableenergy,climatechangeandrelatedissues.ToxicsLink isanenvironmentalNGO,dedicatedtobringingtoxics-related informationintothepublicdomain;relatingbothtostrugglesandproblemsatthegrassrootslevelaswellasglobalinformationtothelocallevels.The Bharat Swabhiman campaign promotes natural, toxic-free farming across thecountrythroughitsnationwidecadrebase.In Jharkhand, Society for Promotion of Wasteland Development, ASA, BharatSwabhimancampaign,andSukharVirodhiAbhiyanarefewassociationsandcampaignstophaseoutHHPs.3.2MainchallengesintheprocessofcampaigningthephasingoutofHHPsThe majority of farmers in India are small and marginal farmers engaged inconventionalagriculturepractices.Adheringtothestandardsandguidelinesisdifficultfor them in the absence of proper education and knowledge of use. Most of thesefarmersarenotawareoftheparticularuseofpesticides,theirtoxicityandhealthrisks.Thecomparatively lowpriceofHHPs(incomparisontobio-products)andthe instantresults are big lures for farmers, most of whom are not very literate and unable tounderstandthehiddencostsandlong-termdevastatingeffectsofHHPs.Middlemenarehighlyinfluentialandpushsalesofthepesticides.Asmostofthefarmersrelyonlocalsellers for the pesticide recommendations, they need to be properly oriented andmonitored.Someofthechallengesare:

• Limited number of organizations and campaigns working on pesticidemanagementandphasingoutofHHPs

• Lackoffunding,incentivesandself-financingtopromoteecologicalfarmingand

naturalfarminputuse

• LimitedevidenceandlocaldatabaseonHHPuseanditshealthrisks.Thisalsobecomesmorechallengingwhenthenameofchemicalsisnotmentionedintheproductsandsometimesevencreatesariskofavailabilityofbannedproductsindisguise.

3.3RecommendationsandprojectideasthatsupportthenationalHHPsphaseoutAtthepolicylevel,thestategovernmentshouldmakepoliciesthatkeepagro-ecologicalapproachesasthekeyguidingprinciplesforitsagriculturepolicy.Itshouldundertake

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state-wide programmes to promote soil health and incentivize crop diversity. It canbuild upon some of the ongoing programmes like the soil health card, National FoodSecurity Mission, Pramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Agriculture TechnologyManagementAgency(ATMA).(ParampargatKrishiVikasYojnaispartoftheSoilHealthManagementschemeundertheNationalMissionofSustainableAgriculture.Itpromotesorganicfarmingthroughamixoftraditionalwisdomandimprovedfarmingpracticestoensure long term soil fertility build-up, resource conservation and climate smartagriculture. The scheme promotes the Participatory Guarantee System for organicfarming.)To establish and promote these principles, the state of Jharkhand should take thefollowingsteps:

1 Identifyandmapthepocketsinthestatewhichhavelowuseofpesticidesandotherchemicalinputs.

2 Createapoolofexpertstoidentifytheecologicallysuitableapproachinthese

regions.Asopposedtoexternalinput-intensivefarming,agro-ecologyrequiresadeepknowledgeonhowfoodsystems function. Itcombines localandscientificknowledge.Ratherthanafixedsetofpractices,agro-ecologyisneitheradefinedsystem of production nor a production technique. The set of practicesimplemented in a given location should be adapted to the environment andsocio-economiccontexts.

3 Createamediacampaignonthebenefitsofanagro-ecologicalapproach,andharponthebadimpactsofchemicalsonpollinators.

4 TheStateshouldpromoteagriculturaluniversitiestoundertakemoreresearchon agro-ecological practices, and their impacts. Research on production andproductivityofmixedfarmingsystemsneedstobeundertaken.

5 TheKrishiVigyanKendrashouldbeinvolvedinestablishingdemonstration

modelsandextensionactivities.

6 Usethefarmfieldschoolapproachtospreadthescaleofitsadoption.Thecurrentcrop-basedfarmfieldschoolapproachwillhavetobetweakedsoastocatertotheagro-ecologicalapproach.

7 Startastatelevelincentiveprogrammeforfarmerspracticingnaturalfarmingwith sufficient yield, and create a strong database of good productionwithoutuseofHHPs.

8 Improvetheaccesstomarket.Thegovernmentshouldpromoteacollectivizationapproach(SHG/farmergroup/FPO)toimproveaccessofthefarmerstobettermarkets.

9 Undertake proper monitoring of pesticide sales and use in the state by theregulatoryauthorities.

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Asfarasthecurrentsituationisconcerned,thestateshouldalsoenforce:PropercoordinationandbetterregulationofpesticidesThe farmers are not properly informed about the usage, precautions, and dosage ofpesticides.Theyaredependentupon the traders.The farmersareusing chemicalsoncropswhicharenotaspertheapprovedusage.ManufacturersandinputdealersmustprovidecompleteinformationtofarmersThoughthenameofchemicalsandall ingredientsareusuallydisplayedon label, theyshouldbegiveninHindiaswell,asit’scommonlyusedforcommunication,andamajorfractionofthepopulationinthestateisnotacquaintedwiththeEnglishlanguage.

RaiseawarenessamongthefarmingcommunityaboutthedangersofpesticidesInformationregardingthedangersandnegativehealtheffectsofpesticidesneedstobeprovidedtofarmers.Thiscanbedonethroughnewspaperarticles,viaTVandradio,andthroughotheradvertisingstrategies.Thegovernmenthasalargebudgetfornewspaperadvertisements,whichcanbeusedforthispurpose.AboardcanbeputupineveryGPandeveryBlockofficeshowingdangersofpesticides,theneedtouseprotectivemasksand clothing, and the need to follow the guidelines (approved use, dosages, waitingperiods). Provision of systems and standard operating procedures for acute medicalemergenciesshouldalsobemade.According to The Insecticides Rules 1971 article 3c, one function of the CentralInsecticides Board is to advise tolerance limits for insecticides, residues, and anestablishmentofminimumintervalsbetweentheapplicationofinsecticidesandharvestin respect of various commodities. Such information is not easily accessible to thefarmers, which was evident from the discussion held with farmers, and needs to bepopularizedwithhelpofextensionagenciesandFPOs.Developa‘CodeofConduct’forPesticideCompaniesAdvertisementsare,bydesign,suitedtothecommercial interestoftheadvertiserandaimed at influencing the buying behavior of farmers, who are often uneducated andunawareofthemarketingtactics.

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References:Pesticides Classification and its Impact on Human Health and Environment by Ishwar Chandra Yadav & Ningombam Linthoingambi Devi, (pp 140-158). Edition: Vol 6, Toxicology, Chapter 7 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313445102_Pesticides_Classification_and_Its_Impact_on_Human_and_Environment

Impactofpesticidesuseinagriculture:theirbenefitsandhazardsMd.WasimAktar,DwaipayanSenguptaandAsimChowdhuryonlinepublishedMarch,2009https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2984095/Statistical data website, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & StorageDepartmentofAgriculture,Cooperation&FarmersWelfare,MinistryofAgriculture&FarmersWelfare,Govt.ofIndiaHill,J.,Singh,S.,Ranjan,P.,Nishant(2018).MisuseofchemicalpesticidesinJharkhand:What should be done? Ranchi: Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development(SPWD),EasternRegionOfficeReport of the Expert Committee (Under the chairmanship of Dr. Anupam Varma),Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Department ofAgriculture,Cooperation&FarmersWelfare,2015https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India