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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

28/10/22 13:03 PM IST

Centre restricts use of herbicide glyphosate over health hazards

In News 
  • The Centre has officially restricted the use of the widely used herbicide, glyphosate, fearing risk to human and animal health.
  • From now, glyphosate will be applied only through pest control operators (PCOs).
Glyphosate 
  • Glyphosate is an herbicide that is applied on the leaves to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses.
  • It is a non-selective herbicide that can kill almost all plants by stopping them from producing specific proteins required for their growth.
  • Sodium salt form of this herbicide is used to regulate the plant’s growth and ripen specific crops.
  • The glyphosate is a popular herbicide in India. Its usage became popular in the country after the illegal cultivation of Ht BT cotton started.
  • It is mainly used in tea plantations to control the growth of unwanted plants. It is also used in non-crop areas to prevent plant growth.
Why Glyphosate is banned? 
  • Glyphosate is banned because of its potential link to cancer and its role in causing deaths of important insects like bees.
  • Its usage caused rapid decline in insect population, which damaged ecosystem by disrupting food chain and plant pollination.
New Rules 
  • Pest control operators are licensed to use deadly chemicals for eliminating pests like rodents.
  • The new government order is expected to cause challenges due to the absence of the pest control operator system at the cultivation areas.
  • Adding of the pest control operator could increase cost of the herbicide significantly, which would adversely affect farmers to a large extent.
Source- Hindustan Times 

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