Centre bans paraquat dichloride, a herbicide linked to thousands of self-harm, homicide and accidental deaths

In a landmark decision announced in February 2024, the Government of India officially banned the manufacture, sale, and use of paraquat dichloride, a highly toxic non-selective contact herbicide, under the Insecticides Act, 1968. This move places India among over 70 countries — including the European Union, China, Brazil, and the UK — that have prohibited paraquat due to its extreme acute toxicity and the absence of any known antidote. The decision was taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare based on recommendations from the Registration Committee (RC) under the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC), following years of scientific review, public health advocacy, and judicial scrutiny. Paraquat, widely used since the 1960s for weed control in crops like cotton, tea, rubber, and orchards, gained notoriety as a leading agent of intentional self-harm in rural India. Studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) have consistently shown that pesticide ingestion accounts for a significant proportion of suicide deaths in India — with paraquat being disproportionately lethal even in minute quantities (as low as 10-20 ml). Unlike other pesticides, paraquat causes irreversible pulmonary fibrosis, leading to a painful, prolonged death with no effective medical intervention. Its misuse in homicides and accidental exposure among farmworkers further compounded the public health crisis. The ban reflects a convergence of constitutional, legislative, and policy imperatives. Article 21 of the Constitution, guaranteeing the Right to Life, has been interpreted by the Supreme Court in multiple judgments (e.g., *Common Cause v. Union of India*, 2018) to include the right to health and a safe environment. The Directive Principles under Article 47 mandate the State to raise nutrition and public health standards. The Insecticides Act, 1968, empowers the Centre to regulate hazardous chemicals, while the Pesticides Management Bill, 2020 (pending), seeks to strengthen this framework. The ban also aligns with India's commitments under the Rotterdam Convention (prior informed consent for hazardous chemicals) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.9: reduce deaths from hazardous chemicals). Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Agriculture, CIBRC, ICMR, state agricultural departments, farmer producer organizations (FPOs), pesticide manufacturers (such as Syngenta, which previously produced paraquat under the brand Gramoxone), and civil society groups like the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India. The industry had resisted the ban, citing yield losses and lack of affordable alternatives, but the government has promoted integrated weed management (IWM) and safer herbicides like glufosinate-ammonium as substitutes. Economically, the ban may initially disrupt weed control in plantation and commercial crops, but long-term benefits include reduced healthcare burden, improved farmworker safety, and enhanced export compliance with international Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). Socially, it addresses a silent epidemic in agrarian distress zones like Vidarbha, Wayanad, and Bundelkhand, where easy access to paraquat fueled suicide clusters. Future implications include stricter enforcement at state levels, monitoring of illegal imports, promotion of bio-herbicides, and potential inclusion of other Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) like monocrotophos and phorate in phased bans. The decision also strengthens India's voice in global chemical governance forums like the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). For aspirants, this case exemplifies the interplay of public health, environmental regulation, agricultural policy, and constitutional morality — a quintessential governance challenge in modern India.