The Central government has implemented an immediate ban on paraquat dichloride following the draft notification issued on Tuesday by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. According to Kisan Tak, this immediate implementation represents a significant acceleration from the 30-day objection period that was previously provided to stakeholders. The ban acts under Section 27 of the Insecticides Act, 1968, prohibiting import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and use of paraquat dichloride across the country, with the ban set to come into force on the date of final publication in the Official Gazette. This decision follows the proposal seeking a nationwide ban that was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and could receive approval soon. If the order is finalised, the import, manufacture, transport, distribution, sale and use of paraquat dichloride will become illegal from the date of its final publication in the Official Gazette, with registration certificates for the herbicide will be withdrawn, and holders will have three months to surrender them or face action under the Act. State governments will be responsible for enforcing the ban, as reported by Moneycontrol.
The proposed ban follows a comprehensive examination by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, which constituted an Expert Committee in January to examine the continued use of Paraquat Dichloride insecticide registered in India. According to reports, the expert panel submitted its report on June 12, after which the Registration Committee, headed by Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh, submitted its views on June 29. The Registration Committee has identified several areas of concern including documented adverse health effects, continued history of poisoning incidents and reported high fatalities, absence of a specific antidote, and the chemical's severe toxicity to humans and animals. The expert committee's findings reveal that Paraquat Dichloride is banned or severely restricted in more than 70 countries globally, with the European Union member countries, China, and several other nations having already imposed bans. After duly considering the report of the Registration Committee, the Central government is satisfied that 'the use of Paraquat Dichloride insecticide is likely to involve risk to human being and animals as to render it expedient or necessary to take immediate action.' The Centre also consulted the Registration Committee under Section 5 of the Insecticides Act, 1968, which reviewed studies, data and safety concerns before recommending a complete ban, as reported by Moneycontrol.
In India, paraquat dichloride (24 per cent SL) is currently approved for use on nine crops after approval from the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC). These approved crops include tea, coffee, cotton, paddy, sugarcane, maize, rubber, grapes, and wheat. However, some states have already taken steps to limit the use of paraquat, with Telangana having temporarily banned its sale, Andhra Pradesh imposing restrictions, and Odisha having restricted its use in the past. Kerala had earlier banned paraquat over public health concerns, but the decision was later overturned by a court on technical grounds. Under the Insecticides Act, 1968, state governments can temporarily stop the sale of a pesticide, but only the Central government can impose a permanent nationwide ban. The Centre's move comes amid growing pressure from states that have already imposed temporary restrictions and sought permanent intervention by the Centre. Concerns over off-label use and residues entering the food chain have strengthened calls for a nationwide prohibition, as reported by Moneycontrol.
Commonly known as 'paraquat', this chemical is employed for weed control and crop desiccation but can cause severe illness or death through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact, with symptoms ranging from digestive and respiratory distress to permanent organ damage. According to experts at the Cleveland Clinic, this highly toxic chemical can cause serious illness or death, sometimes within hours. Early signs of paraquat poisoning include diarrhoea, which may be bloody, irritation or redness in your mouth or throat, and can cause death or permanent damage to vital organs including the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs. A February 2026 study published in The National Medical Journal of India described Paraquat as a 'highly toxic compound' capable of causing severe illness and death through ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption. The study, authored by doctors from Andhra Medical College, noted that 'a major concern for Indian doctors is the high number of deaths caused by intentional or accidental exposure to PQ,' with Paraquat poisoning often being fatal and causing high morbidity including hepato-renal failure, progressive fibrosis of the lung and Parkinson's disease. Doctors emphasize that paraquat is among the deadliest agricultural chemicals as it doesn't have a specific antidote, with even small quantities proving fatal. If it enters the body, paraquat directly attacks the lungs, causing irreversible fibrosis that leaves patients unable to breathe, and can also damage vital organs such as the kidneys, liver, skin and eyes. Paraquat has no known antidote and even small quantities can be fatal, as noted by Moneycontrol.
Reacting to the ban, Kalyan Goswami, director general of the Agro Chemical Federation of India (ACFI), said the sweeping prohibition presents significant operational and economic challenges for the agricultural sector that require careful reconsideration. As reported by Business Standard, he stated that paraquat, considered the third most widely used herbicide globally, remains important for rapid weed control across multiple crops, helping farmers address labour shortages, reduce manual weeding costs, and support timely land preparation and conservation agriculture. Following the final notification, all registration certificates issued for paraquat formulations will stand cancelled, with manufacturers and dealers holding valid registrations having three months to surrender those certificates to the Registration Committee, failure to comply inviting legal and penal action. Syngenta, the company historically associated with paraquat, has announced that it will stop global production by the end of June 2026, though other manufacturers are expected to continue producing the chemical. Some farmers argue that paraquat is an effective and affordable weed-control option, especially at a time when farm labour is becoming more expensive and difficult to find, while others say the serious health risks outweigh its benefits. The ban represents the beginning of a wider conversation and policy-level action, as India still allows the use of several toxic pesticides that have been banned in other countries, with these pesticides possessing risks ranging from cancer and neurological disorders to environmental damage.
