ToxicsWatch Alliance
To
Shri Sharad
Pawar
Union Minister
Ministry of
Agriculture
Government of
India
New Delhi
Date: July 20, 2013
Subject- Failure of Central Insecticide Board in Bihar
insecticide tragedy & phase
out of organophosphate-containing insecticides
Sir,
I wish to draw your
attention towards the insecticide that was responsible for the Mid Day Meal tragedy
on July 16, 2013 at the Dharma Sati Primary School Mashrak, Chapra in Saran
district, Bihar and the failure of the failure of Central Insecticide Board.
I submit that this issue
is directly related to widespread availability insecticides and absence of method
to deal with obsolete insecticides and their containers which are contaminated
with insecticides has remained off the radar so far.
I submit that under Insecticides
Act, 1968, Union Ministry of Agriculture is supposed to regulate the import, manufacture, sale, transport,
distribution and use of insecticides with a view to prevent risks to human
beings and animals and for other matters connected therewith since 1971.
I submit that Central
Insecticides Board, established under Section 4 of the Insecticides Act is supposed
to advise the Central Government and State Governments on technical matters
arising out of the administration of this Act and to carry out the other
functions assigned to the Board by or under this Act on issues like “the risk
to human being or animals involved in the use of insecticides and the safety
measures necessary to prevent such risk”
and “the manufacture, sale, storage, transport and distribution of insecticides
with a view to ensure safety to human beings or animals.” In pursuance of this
mandate it is the responsibility of Dr Jagdish Prasad, Director General of Health Services, Union Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare who is ex-officio Chairman of the Central Insecticide
Board to intervene and guide the State Government.
I submit that the Central Insecticide Board appears guilty
of dereliction of duty because although the insecticide tragedy took place on
July 16, he has failed to act in compliance of his responsibility.
I submit that there is
a crying need for Agriculture Ministry and Pollution Control Boards to ensure
inventorization, proper disposal of obsolete pesticides and contaminated
containers.
I submit that Organophosphorous,
a chemical used as an insecticide has been identified and found to be
responsible for deaths and diseases of school children.
Organophosphate-containing insecticides parathion, monocrotophos, malathion, methyl
parathion, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dichlorvos, phosmet, fenitrothion,
tetrachlorvinphos, azamethiphos, and azinphos methyl.
I submit that according
to International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), WHO which works to
establish the scientific basis for the sound management of chemicals, the
ingestion of 120 mg monocrotophos can be fatal. (Reference: IPCS, 1993).
I submit that HILCRON
commonly known as monocrotophos has been detected in the probe by the Bihar
Government’s agency. This is manufactured Hindustan Insecticides Limited, which
is sunder Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. Other manufacturers of
monocrotophos include Hindustan Ciba Geigy Ltd, Bharat Pulverizing Mills Ltd.,
Lupin, National Organic Chemical Industries Ltd, Sudarshan and United
Phosphorus. Their stringent regulation merits your urgent attention.
I submit that monocrotophos
is used for control of a broad spectrum of pests including sucking, chewing and
boring insects and spider mites on cotton, paddy, sugarcane, vegetables, ground
nut, soya bean, tea, coffee etc.
As per WHO classification
based on oral toxicity, monocrotophos is highly hazardous. WHO recommends that
for the health and welfare of workers and the general population, the handling
and application of monocrotophos should be entrusted only to competently
supervised and well-trained applicators, who must follow adequate safety
measures and use the chemical according to good application practices. It is
clear that these recommendations have not been internalized by regulatory
agencies in India.
I submit that all waste
and contaminated material associated with this chemical should be considered
hazardous waste, according to FAO Guidelines on Prevention of Accumulation of
Obsolete Pesticide Stocks and The Pesticide Storage and Stock Control Manual.
I submit that your agencies
too should be involved in the probe to identify the name of the Organophosphate
insecticide involved and its manufacturer. The responsibility and liability of
this manufacturer must be fixed. The probe must recommend take back policy so
that these manufacturers have an Extended Producers Responsibility with regard
to its residual insecticides and their containers.
I submit that most home
uses of organophosphorus insecticides have been phased out in countries like
USA. The US Environmental Protection Agency lists the organophosphate parathion
as a possible human carcinogen. The World Health Organization, Pesticide Action
Network (PAN) and several environmental organisations have sought a general and
global ban on it. Its use is banned or restricted in 23 countries and its
import is illegal in a total of 50 countries. Its use was banned in the U.S. in
2000 and it has not been used since 2003. The usage of such insecticides
continues to be used because of the political patronage enjoyed by the
manufacturers of these insecticides.
I submit that your ministry
should initiate efforts to recall Organophosphorus pesticides, which is
responsible for about 200,000 deaths annually. Organophosphorus pesticides
cause poisoning by inhibiting release of enzymes.
I submit that Central
Insecticides Board & Registration Committee, Union Ministry of Agriculture
has dealt with issues related to pesticide poisoning in a very non-serious
manner so far. It has done nothing beyond asking the States to “provide
pesticide poisoning data (cases and deaths due to pesticides) as this is an
important aspect related to human health.”
I submit that consumption
of chemical pesticides in Bihar is matter of serious concern because the state
has the potential to be a leader in natural organic farming. As per information
available with Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee projected
demand of chemical pesticides for the year 2010-11 was 1084 MT in Bihar. This
included 530 MT and 554 MT Kharif and Rabi crops respectively. The consumption
of chemicals pesticides was 828 MT for the year 2009-10 inclusive of 374 MT for
Kahrif and 454 Rabi crops. Consumption of pesticides in Bihar was 850 MT during
2004-05.
I submit that there are
5525 sale points for distribution of pesticides in Bihar as on August 1,
2010. These distributors should be made
to take back the contaminated containers and the residual insecticides.
I submit that lessons
from the insecticides tragedy in Bihar should not be forgotten. It creates a
compelling logic for proper management of pre-existing insecticides, their
containers and to initiate steps to phase out organophosphates.
In view of the above
facts and the recent insecticide tragedy, I wish to seek your urgent intervention
to get to the bottom of the insecticide tragedy to take the issue of the tragedy
to its logical end.
Thanking You
Yours
faithfully
Gopal
Krishna
ToxicsWatch
Alliance (TWA)
Mb:
09818089660, 08227816731
E-mail:gopalkrishna1715@gmail.com
Web:
www.toxicswatch.org
Cc
Dr Jagdish
Prasad, Chairman Central
Insecticides Board, Union Ministry of Agriculture
Shri Narendra
Singh, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Bihar
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