Bombay HC issues notice to senior officials over pesticide

The Bombay High Court today issued notice to senior officials of the Maharashtra government on a PIL seeking that the sale of harmful pesticides be stopped as these have resulted in the death of 19 farmers in Yavatmal district.
The Nagpur bench of the court asked the chief secretary, secretary of the agriculture department, Commissioner of Agriculture (Pune) and district collector of Yavatmal to reply by October 13 on the petition by Anand Narayan Jammu, a social worker.
The division bench of justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Swapna Joshi asked two of the respondents -- Commissioner of Agriculture (Pune) and collector of Yavatmal -- to file an affidavit in person on measures taken by the administration to stop the sale of harmful pesticides and insecticides in the affected areas.

The petition mentions that there is a total failure of the state and district administration in implementation of mandatory provisions of the The Insecticides Act, 1968 and rules of 1971.
It also sought a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the families of the deceased farmers and Rs 10 lakh for those affected by pesticide poisoning.
The petition mentions that 19 farmers and farm labourers took ill and died after being exposed to pesticides during spraying on cotton crop in last one month.