Punjab bans use of glyphosate

The Punjab government Wednesday banned the sale of "cancer causing" weedicide glyphosate.

The systemic herbicide has been observed to be a group 2A cancer causing material, a government release said.

Besides cancer, this chemical is also known to cause other health problems and has the potential to damage the human DNA as per experts from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, the release said.

Glyphosate is sold in the country under various brand names such as Round-up, Excell, Glycel, Glider, Glydon, Sweep, Glyphogen, among other.

Earlier, the Punjab State Farmers Commission had also recommended the ban on sale of this chemical in the state.

State Agriculture Secretary K S Pannu said the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC), Government of India, has recommended the use of this herbicide only in tea gardens and non-cropped area and therefore there is a dire need for strict compliance of the existing label claim of herbicide-Glyphosate as per the conditions of registration under Insecticide Act, 1968.

There is no cultivation of tea in Punjab and on account of 200 per cent crop intensity in Punjab non-cropped area is too meagre, he said.