Nationwide ban soon on herbicide Paraquat Dichloride over toxicity concerns, health risks

The Central government is preparing to impose a nationwide ban on Paraquat Dichloride, a widely used non-selective contact herbicide, citing documented risks...

What Happened

The Central government is preparing to impose a nationwide ban on Paraquat Dichloride, a widely used non-selective contact herbicide, citing documented risks of fatal poisoning, kidney failure, pulmonary fibrosis, and links to Parkinson's disease.
Experts and public health bodies have submitted evidence linking chronic and acute paraquat exposure to irreversible neurological and respiratory damage.
The proposed ban could significantly disrupt India's agrochemical market, which is valued at approximately USD 11.2 billion (FY2025), as paraquat is one of the most widely used herbicides in Indian agriculture, especially in rice, wheat, and tea cultivation.
State-level precedents already exist: Telangana had previously imposed a 60-day emergency ban under Section 27 of the Insecticides Act, 1968.
The ban is expected to be notified through the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

Static Topic Bridges

Insecticides Act, 1968

The Insecticides Act, 1968 is the principal legislation governing the import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution, and use of pesticides (termed "insecticides" in the Act) in India. It covers herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and all agro-chemicals under the broad definition of "insecticide."

Section 9: Mandates compulsory registration of every insecticide with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) before it can be manufactured, imported, or sold in India. The registration process involves scientific evaluation of safety, efficacy, and environmental impact.
Section 27: Empowers the Central Government or any State Government to prohibit, by notification in the Official Gazette, the sale, distribution, or use of any insecticide for a specified area and period (not exceeding 60 days) if it poses a risk to human beings or animals. This is an emergency power — a temporary ban mechanism.
Section 13: Deals with cancellation, suspension, or modification of a certificate of registration if the registered insecticide is found to be unsafe or ineffective.
Permanent nationwide bans require the Central Government to act through the CIBRC recommendation process and a formal gazette notification — a more rigorous process than Section 27 emergency powers.
The Act is administered by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQS) under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Connection to this news: The proposed nationwide ban on paraquat would follow the full CIBRC review and Central Government notification pathway under the Insecticides Act — a more permanent and comprehensive mechanism than the temporary Section 27 state-level bans already imposed by Telangana and others.

Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC)

The CIBRC is the apex technical body under the Insecticides Act, 1968 that advises the Central Government on all matters relating to pesticide regulation and is responsible for registering pesticides for use in India.

Constituted under Section 4 of the Insecticides Act.
Membership includes representatives from agriculture, health, environment, industry, and scientific bodies.
Registration is granted under three categories: provisional (18 months), regular (5 years, renewable), and export-only.
The CIBRC also reviews and can recommend cancellation of registration based on new scientific evidence — the pathway most relevant to the paraquat ban.
India currently has over 290 pesticide active ingredients registered with CIBRC.

Connection to this news: The proposed paraquat ban must pass through CIBRC's technical review process, which examines risk-benefit analysis, availability of safer alternatives, and implementation timelines before the Centre issues a formal prohibition.

Paraquat: History, Toxicology, and Global Ban Status

Paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride) is a fast-acting, non-selective contact herbicide that kills green plant tissue on contact. It was first commercialised in 1961 and became one of the most widely used herbicides globally.

Mechanism of toxicity: Paraquat generates free radicals (superoxide ions) in cells, causing oxidative damage. In the lungs, this leads to progressive and irreversible pulmonary fibrosis — the leading cause of death in paraquat poisoning. It also causes acute kidney failure, liver damage, and cardiac arrest.
Parkinson's Disease link: An NIH study found that workers with occupational paraquat exposure are 2.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than unexposed populations. The proposed mechanism involves mitochondrial damage in dopaminergic neurons.
Global ban status: Paraquat is banned in over 70 countries, including the entire European Union (banned 2007), China (2016/2017 phase-out), and Brazil (2020). It remains legal in the United States and several developing countries including India.
In India, paraquat has seen state-level restrictions (Telangana, Kerala) but no central ban to date.
It is primarily used in India for weed control in tea gardens, paddy fields, and orchards.

Connection to this news: India's proposed ban aligns with the global trend of phasing out paraquat in favour of less acutely toxic alternatives, while also responding to mounting domestic evidence of poisoning deaths and chronic disease burden among agricultural workers.

India's Pesticide Regulatory Framework vs EU's REACH

India's pesticide regulation operates through the Insecticides Act, 1968 — a pre-liberalisation, product-by-product registration model. The EU's framework, by contrast, operates under the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, 2006) — a precautionary, hazard-based system.

India's approach: Burden of proof lies with the regulator to demonstrate harm before a ban — a risk-benefit framework that allows continued use of chemicals like paraquat even with mounting evidence.
EU's REACH (Regulation EC No 1907/2006): Precautionary principle-based — manufacturers must prove safety before market access. Authorisation is required for Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). Paraquat was banned under EU Directive 2007/25/EC.
India does not have an equivalent to REACH; the 2020 draft Pesticides Management Bill (which would have replaced the 1968 Act with a more modern framework) lapsed in Parliament without being enacted.
The Pesticides Management Bill, 2020 proposed stricter labelling, higher penalties, faster registration, and a dedicated pesticide advisory committee — its non-enactment means the 1968 Act, with its limitations, continues to govern.

Connection to this news: The paraquat ban debate exposes the structural gap between India's 1968-era pesticide law and globally accepted precautionary standards. It renews pressure on Parliament to pass a modern Pesticides Management Act.

Key Facts & Data

Paraquat is banned in 70+ countries including the entire EU (2007), China (2017), and Brazil (2020).
NIH study: Occupational paraquat exposure increases Parkinson's disease risk by 2.5 times.
Paraquat's primary cause of death: irreversible pulmonary fibrosis (lung scarring).
India's agrochemical market: USD 11.2 billion (FY2025), growing at approximately 9% CAGR.
Regulatory basis for ban: Insecticides Act, 1968 — Section 27 (emergency, up to 60 days by state/centre) or CIBRC recommendation leading to permanent gazette notification.
CIBRC constituted under Section 4 of the Insecticides Act, 1968.
The Pesticides Management Bill, 2020 — a proposed modern replacement for the 1968 Act — lapsed without enactment.
Paraquat is used in India primarily in tea, paddy, and orchard weed management.
India has 290+ pesticide active ingredients registered with CIBRC.