Pesticides and Good Agriculture Practices

Pesticides Regulations

Pesticides regulations are governed in India under following Acts/Rules:
1. The Insecticides Act, 1968 and Rules, 1971
2. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
3. Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989
4. Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
5. Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
6. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
7. The Factories Act, 1948
8. Bureau of Indian Standards Act

The Committee has been informed that pesticides Consumption in some of the major countries, is as follows:

From the above it is noted that in India pesticide consumption is far less vis-a-vis other Countries. However, we have the problem of pesticide residue in food products, which mainly percolate from fruit and agriculture crops wherein pesticides are used to kill pests. Giving reasons for more pesticide residue in food products in India vis-a-vis other countries, representative of CSE during her evidence before the Committee stated that other countries were using degradable pesticides. Pesticides used by them are not persistent. However in India due to more use of persistent pesticide, their residues remain in food products.

Due to problem of persistence of pesticide residues in food and agricultural products, as
also lack of awareness on the part of farmers with regard to judicious use of pesticides, the Committee called for detailed information from the Ministry of Agriculture, Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee, which are the Government agencies entrusted with the task of registration, regulation and usage of pesticides in the country. Their representatives were also called before the Committee to tender their oral evidence on the subject.

As per a note furnished to the Committee by the Ministry of Agriculture pesticides mainly enter into food products due to following reasons:

• Indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides
  
• Non-observance of prescribed waiting periods
  
• Use of sub-standard pesticides
  
• Wrong advice and supply of pesticides to the farmers by pesticide dealers
  
• Continuance of DDT and other uses of pesticides in Public Health Programmes
  
• Effluents from pesticides manufacturing units
  
• Wrong disposal of left over pesticides and cleaning of plant protection equipments
  
• Pre-marketing pesticides
  
• Treatment of fruits and vegetables