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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3221
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20/03/2026
BAN ON MONOCROTOPHOS
3221. SHRI K.R. SURESH REDDY:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE be pleased to state:-
(a) whether Government has implemented a complete ban on monocrotophos following the one
year transition period;
(b) the details of the number of incidents of monocrotophos poisoning and the number of deaths,
that have been recorded in the past five years, year-wise;
(c) the measures taken by Government to prohibit stockpiling or manufacturing of monocrotophos
and its variants and the consequences for the violations of the ban; and
(d) whether Government plans to ban formulations other than monocrotophos 36 percent SL as
well, if so, the timelines for enforcement and if not, the reasons for such an oversight?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
(SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a): The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), vide gazette notification no.
S.O. 4294(E) dated 03.10.2023 has decided as under in respect of Monocrotophos 36% SL
formulation:
(i) the use of Monocrotophos, 36% SL formulation is to be discontinued and no new certificate of
registration for its manufacture, shall be issued after publication of this order;
(ii) with an objective of providing alternatives of this formulation so that the farmers do not suffer
losses due to non availability of effective control against certain insect pests in specific crops, the
label claims for other formulations of Monocrotophos may be extended in one year period from
the date of publication of this order’
(iii) after this period, all the certificates of registration of Monocrotophos 36% SL will stand
cancelled. Sale, distribution or use of Monocrotophos 36% SL shall be allowed only for clearance
of existing stock till its expiry period.
(b): No specific information related to number of incidents of Monocrotophos poisoning and the
number of deaths is available with this Department.
(c): For effective implementation of the Gazette Notification No. S.O. 4294 (E) dated
03.10.2023, directions were issued by the Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine & Storage
under this Department to the all States and UTs, to ensure that no new manufacturing is being done
for Monocrotophos 36% SL after 02.10.2024 and this product is to be deleted from the
manufacturing license of the firms/license holders and all manufacturing firms shall surrender the
Certificate of Registration (CRs) of the said formulation to Central Insecticides Board and
Registration Committee (CIBRC).Further, no specific information regarding the violation of the prohibition of
Monocrotophos 36% SL is available with this Department. However, to address any contravention
of the provisions enshrined under the Insecticides Act, 1968, a total of 12,511 Insecticide
Inspectors have been appointed by the Central and State Governments for conducting inspections
of manufacturing premises and sale points of pesticides. As per the Act, manufacture, sale and use
of prohibited insecticide is a punishable offence.
(d): The Government of India, from time to time keeps reviewing the continued use or otherwise
of those pesticides which are banned/ severely restricted in other countries of the world due to their
toxic concerns or have been reported to pose harm to human health or environment in our country
or other countries of the world. These reviews are undertaken by constituting special committees
or through the Registration Committee. Based on the recommendations of such expert committees
and in consultation with the Registration Committee, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare takes further action regarding ban or otherwise of registered pesticides.
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