ToxicsWatch Alliance
To
Shri Radha Mohan
Singh
Union Minister of
Agriculture
Government of
India
New Delhi
Date: September 21,
2016
Subject- Failure
of Central Insecticide Board in Bihar
insecticide tragedy & phase out
of organophosphate-containing insecticides like Monocrotophos
Sir,
With reference to Monocrotophos,
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 Central Insecticide Board, I
submit that instead of recommending ban on this toxic chemical Dr. Anupam Verma
headed expert committee has unwisely allowed its continued use by stating that
its status is “to
be reviewed again in 2018, after completion of the recommended studies”.
This came to light from the reply of
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the Lok Sabha on
July 19, 2016 while he was informing the Parliament about expert committee’s
findings.
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 include parathion, monocrotophos, malathion,
methyl parathion, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dichlorvos, phosmet, fenitrothion,
tetrachlorvinphos, azamethiphos, and azinphos methyl.
Besides Monocrotophos,
26 other pesticides which are to be reviewed for banning in 2018 include Acephate,
Atrazine, Benfuracarb, Butachlor, Captan,
Carbendazim, Carbofuran, Chlorpyriphos, Deltamethrin, Dicofol,
Dimethoate, Dinocap, Diuron, 2,4-D,
Malathion, Mancozeb, Methomyl, Monocrotophos, Oxyfluorfen, Pendimethalin,
Quinalphos, Sulfosulfuron, Thiodicarb, Thiophanate methyl, Thiram, Zineb and
Ziram
I submit that there
is a need for a scientific mechanism to destroy the six pesticides namely Alachlor,
Dichlorvos, Phorate, Phosphamidon, Triazophos and Trichlorfon which are listed
for phase out by 2020. The CIB must be asked to announce its phase out plan so that
present and future generations are not affected by its adverse legacy.
I submit that the recommendation
for ban on 13 pesticides namely, Benomyl, Carbaryl, DDT, Diazinon, Fenarimol,
Fenthion, Linuron, MEMC, Methyl Parathion, Sodium Cyanide, Thiometon,
Tridemorph and Trifluralin is step in the right direction but the government
should announce the ban without any further delay. This too requires a scientific
mechanism for destruction to ensure that no one suffers from its continued
existence in form or the other.
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.
In
a related development, on August, 29, 2016, Vijay Anand Tiwari, Additional District
Judge II of Saran (Chhapra) court in a 49 page long verdict sentenced Mina Devi,
Gandaman primary school principal to 10 and 7 years imprisonment in connection
with the 2013 midday meal tragedy, in which 23 children had died after eating
soyabean vegetable. The court
makes mention of Monocrotophos, the pesticide in question and underlines that the food that
caused the death of 23 students was contaminated with this pesticide. The
verdict is available at
Although
Gandaman primary school principal has been sentenced to 10 years jail term
under IPC sections of 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and seven
years under section 308 (criminal negligence) and fined her with Rs 2.5 lakh
under Section 304 and Rs 1.25 under Section 308, the fact remains the manufacturers,
sellers and regulators of pesticide have remained out of the scanner so far. The
poisonous pesticide in question was kept at home for spraying on sugar cane crops.
The institutional responsibility for availability of such a toxic substance
lies with the regulator. In such cases manufacturers and sellers should also be
held accountable.
I submit that
there are at least 5525 sale points for distribution of pesticides in Bihar. 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. This 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 by banning organophosphate-containing
insecticides like Monocrotophos to protect public health of the present and
future generations.
Thanking You
Yours faithfully
Dr Gopal Krishna
Director
ToxicsWatch
Alliance (TWA)
Mb: 09818089660,
08227816731
E-mail: 1715krishna@gmail.com
Web:
www.toxicswatch.org
Cc
Shri Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia, Union
Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Shri Ramvichar Rai,
Minister of Agriculture, Government of Bihar
Chairman, Central Insecticides Board, Union Ministry of Agriculture
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