Chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos Latest News

The 2025 COPs (Conferences of the Parties) of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions are being held in Geneva (April 28–May 9) to address hazardous chemicals like chlorpyrifos.

About Chlorpyrifos

• Chlorpyrifos, a pesticide classified as ‘moderately hazardous’ by the World Health Organisation, is still approved for use in India on 18 crops, despite bans in over 40 countries.
• It is linked to neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, irreversible brain damage in unborn children, and the ability to contaminate distant ecosystems due to its mobility.

Global and National Advocacy

• Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India:
  • It advocates placing chlorpyrifos under Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention, requiring prior informed consent before trade.
  • It calls for its inclusion under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention, which demands a complete global ban, though exemptions are usually allowed.
  • It stresses that safer alternatives are already available, making a total ban both feasible and necessary.
• Unauthorised Use in India: A 2022 report found the illegal use of chlorpyrifos and other agrochemicals like paraquat, raising serious regulatory and enforcement concerns.

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What is CIBRC?

• The Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIBRC) operates under the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, part of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• It was established in 1970 to ensure the safe regulation of insecticides across India, particularly focusing on minimising risks to human health, animal safety, and the environment.
• Legal backing:
  • The Insecticides Act, 1968 forms the statutory basis for CIBRC. It came into effect from 1st August 1971 along with the notification of the Insecticides Rules, 1971.
  • The Act mandates the regulation of import, manufacture, sale, transport, and use of insecticides through a centralised registration process.

Source: DTE