<p>Bengaluru: Ahead of the meeting of conference of parties (COP) to Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, activists from India and elsewhere came together on Wednesday to urge the Union government to take urgent action for restricting the use of pesticides like Chlorpyrifos which have been banned by other countries.</p><p>In a web-based media briefing, activists of the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) noted that India has been blocking moves to restrict the use of pesticides which have been proved to be hazardous despite the fact that alternative, better options, were available.</p><p>PAN India chief executive officer A D Dileep Kumar said the health impacts of chlorpyrifos, including neurotoxicity, irreversible brain damage in unborn children, reproductive toxicity, and its ability to travel thousands of miles contaminating remote ecosystems make the case for global elimination. "The time for decisive action is now," he said, pointing to the proposal to that effect at the Stockholm convention COP.</p><p>Jago Wadley, International Advocacy Manager, PAN United Kingdom, stated that India was among a few countries who have been delaying action against such pesticides. He gave an example of a group of countries, including India, blocking the consolidated efforts to restrict use of paraquat.</p><p>"As many as 72 countries have banned it but paraquat continues to enjoy support of some," he said, adding that India was among the countries blocking the progressive move against the pesticide since Rotterdam convention COP 5 in 2011.</p><p>Public policy expert Narasimha Reddy Donthi pointed to the delegations representing India at the COPs of the conventions. He said In 2017, India sent an inter-ministerial delegation consisting of experts from environment, chemicals and fertilisers, agriculture, health and family welfare and other ministries.</p><p>In the latest meetings, the country was represented by one person. "At the 17th meeting of the persistent organic pollutants review committee to the Stockholm Convention, the government sent an IRS officer," he said.</p><p>C Jayakumar, Executive Director of Thanal, stated that India can and must choose different paths to move away from dependency on dangerous pesticides. "We are proud to bring Indian perspectives to the global stage and stand with countries that are already moving toward non-chemical, sustainable pest management alternatives," he said.</p><p>PAN Asia Pacific executive director Sarojini V Rengam said pesticides like chlorpyrifos and paraquat should be restricted without further delay. She said the toxic chemicals continue to endanger the lives of farmers, agricultural workers, indigenous communities, women, children and the environment.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Ahead of the meeting of conference of parties (COP) to Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, activists from India and elsewhere came together on Wednesday to urge the Union government to take urgent action for restricting the use of pesticides like Chlorpyrifos which have been banned by other countries.</p><p>In a web-based media briefing, activists of the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) noted that India has been blocking moves to restrict the use of pesticides which have been proved to be hazardous despite the fact that alternative, better options, were available.</p><p>PAN India chief executive officer A D Dileep Kumar said the health impacts of chlorpyrifos, including neurotoxicity, irreversible brain damage in unborn children, reproductive toxicity, and its ability to travel thousands of miles contaminating remote ecosystems make the case for global elimination. "The time for decisive action is now," he said, pointing to the proposal to that effect at the Stockholm convention COP.</p><p>Jago Wadley, International Advocacy Manager, PAN United Kingdom, stated that India was among a few countries who have been delaying action against such pesticides. He gave an example of a group of countries, including India, blocking the consolidated efforts to restrict use of paraquat.</p><p>"As many as 72 countries have banned it but paraquat continues to enjoy support of some," he said, adding that India was among the countries blocking the progressive move against the pesticide since Rotterdam convention COP 5 in 2011.</p><p>Public policy expert Narasimha Reddy Donthi pointed to the delegations representing India at the COPs of the conventions. He said In 2017, India sent an inter-ministerial delegation consisting of experts from environment, chemicals and fertilisers, agriculture, health and family welfare and other ministries.</p><p>In the latest meetings, the country was represented by one person. "At the 17th meeting of the persistent organic pollutants review committee to the Stockholm Convention, the government sent an IRS officer," he said.</p><p>C Jayakumar, Executive Director of Thanal, stated that India can and must choose different paths to move away from dependency on dangerous pesticides. "We are proud to bring Indian perspectives to the global stage and stand with countries that are already moving toward non-chemical, sustainable pest management alternatives," he said.</p><p>PAN Asia Pacific executive director Sarojini V Rengam said pesticides like chlorpyrifos and paraquat should be restricted without further delay. She said the toxic chemicals continue to endanger the lives of farmers, agricultural workers, indigenous communities, women, children and the environment.</p>