NEW DELHI, AUGUST 26: The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has published a draft notification proposing a nationwide ban on carbosulfan, a widely used insecticide applied to paddy, cotton, and horticultural crops across India. Under the proposed order, the import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution, and overall use of the chemical will be entirely prohibited across the country to mitigate severe risks to human health and non-target organisms.
Addressing the regulatory decision, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan affirmed that the step was essential for public safety and sustainable agriculture. He asserted that what was crucial had to be done, maintaining that the government had been considering the measure for a long time and issued the order after consulting all relevant stakeholders. He declared that the move reflects the administration’s growing scrutiny of hazardous agrochemicals from a safety standpoint.
The proposed prohibition follows detailed evaluations conducted by an expert committee constituted on January 14, which submitted its final findings on June 12. Consulting subsequently with the Registration Committee under the Insecticides Act, 1968, the ministry examined extensive data confirming that carbosulfan converts rapidly into carbofuran—a highly toxic metabolite responsible for acute systemic toxicity and severe cholinesterase inhibition. Panel findings underscored significant toxicity threats to pollinators, birds, aquatic organisms, and other non-target wildlife, while also noting the absence of a specific antidote for carbosulfan poisoning alongside global restrictions on the substance.
To ensure compliance, the Centre has directed the Registration Committee to recall all active certificates of registration for carbosulfan, granting certificate holders a three-month window to surrender their documentation before statutory action under the Insecticides Act, 1968, is initiated. State governments have simultaneously been instructed to implement necessary regulatory measures within their respective jurisdictions.
Assessing the economic and operational impact, agriculture policy analyst Ramesh Sharma maintained that the prohibition of carbosulfan will likely push farmers towards costlier or less-established alternatives, potentially increasing cultivation costs for major kharif crops such as paddy and cotton. He stated that agrochemical manufacturers will need to quickly adjust their product portfolios and phase out carbosulfan formulations, adding that the move may accelerate the adoption of bio-pesticides and safer chemical alternatives.
