News: A Thiruvananthapuram court recently sentenced a 24-year-old woman to death for poisoning her boyfriend in 2022 with the herbicide paraquat.
About Paraquat
- Paraquat, also known as paraquat dichloride or methyl viologen, is one of the world’s most-used herbicides.
- It a highly toxic chemical which is mainly used to control weeds and dry out crops like cotton before harvest.
- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that “even a small accidental sip can be fatal” to humans.
- The WHO classifies paraquat as a Category 2 chemical, indicating it is moderately hazardous and irritating.
- It is banned in over 70 countries, including China and the European Union, due to its high toxicity. Despite this, it remains widely used in the US and India.
- Paraquat is still not officially listed under the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure of the Rotterdam Convention.
Treatments for paraquat poisoning
- There is no alternative treatment for people who have consumed this herbicide.
- The consumers who has consumed it has complained of kidney, liver and lung problems.
Restrictions that have been placed on the use of paraquat in India
- In India, the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC), under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, regulates its use.
- The Insecticides Act of 1968 governs the manufacture, sale, storage, transport, and distribution of insecticides, including herbicides like paraquat.
- A 2021 notification from the Agriculture Ministry limits paraquat use to specific crops such as wheat, rice, tea, coffee, potato, grapes, maize, rubber, and apple.
- It also permits its application in waterways like ponds and canals to manage weeds, including bulrush (Typha latifolia), waterthymes (Hydrilla), and the invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes).
