Punjab Government has banned the sale of Glyphosate in the State...

Spokesman News Service, Chandigarh (24th Oct'18): Punjab Government has banned the sale of Glyphosate in the State. This herbicide is very widely used in the State to control wide variety of weeds in almost all the crops. This chemical has been observed to be group 2A Cancer causing material. Besides cancer, this chemical is also known for causing other health problems and has the potential to damage human DNA as per the opinion of experts from PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Glyphosate is sold in the country under various trade names such as Round-up, Excell, Glycel, Glider, Glydon, Sweep, Glyphogen etc. Punjab State Farmers Commission had also recommended the ban on the sale of this chemical in Punjab.

State Agriculture Secretary Mr. K.S. Pannu said that Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC), Govt. of India has recommended the use of this herbicide only for tea garden & non-cropped area and therefore, there is a dire need for strict compliance of the existing label claim of herbicide-Glyphosate as per the conditions of registration with CIB&RC under Insecticide Act, 1968.

There is no cultivation of tea plantation in the State of Punjab and on account of 200% crop intensity in the Punjab State, non cropped is too meagre. Even this small non-cropped area is also associated with the crop cultivation being the Ridges, Water Channels, Bunds and some area between the rows of crops, orchids and canal/drain banks. Therefore, even this area is part of cropped area for all practical purposes.

He further said that Punjab Government, after careful consideration has decided to issue that directions. All the Pesticide Manufacturers, Marketers and Dealers in the State shall not sell Glyphosate formulations/concentrations with immediate effect. The Licensing Authorities have been asked to take necessary steps for removal of entries for Glyphosate from the licenses issued by them.

In addition, all the State Pesticide Manufacturers, Marketers and Dealers have also been directed to stop the sale of Glyphosate formulations at all points and to return the entire stock to the concerned companies to reallocate the said stock to the needy states by them. Director Agriculture Punjab has been asked to take necessary action to implement these directions, said Mr. Pannu.