Environmentalists have raised concern over the alleged use of glyphosate on forest department land for pea cultivation in parts of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district.
Mandi Divisional Forest Officer S S Kashyap said crops planted illegally on forest land had been destroyed and FIRs would be filed against those responsible.
Officials said the practice had been reported in some areas between Thachi and Dharghat and could affect forest soil and nearby water sources.
Pesticide Action Network India says glyphosate is registered in India only for weed control in tea plantations and has called for stronger restrictions on its use.
Environmentalists have raised concern over the alleged spraying of glyphosate on forest department land in parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Mandi district, saying the practice could affect biodiversity, soil, water sources, livestock, wildlife and human health.
Guman Singh, convener of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, said glyphosate herbicide was being used to clear grass and vegetation for pea cultivation on forest land in the Thachi range under the Nachan Forest Division in Mandi district.
According to Singh, forest department officials have begun destroying the crop, but have not been able to stop the use of glyphosate on forest land or the damage to local biodiversity.
He described the alleged use of glyphosate in forest areas as a serious violation, saying it posed risks to public health, livestock, wildlife and vegetation.
Mandi Divisional Forest Officer S S Kashyap told Down To Earth that the department often receives information about such activities during routine checks and patrolling. He said the practice was not widespread, but incidents had been reported in some locations.
“We have formed teams to monitor these incidents and are conducting on-the-spot investigations,” Kashyap said. “Such activities were found in a few locations and the crops have been destroyed.”
He said such cases are usually reported during the rainy season, when crops such as peas are grown. “This time, it is largely under control,” he said, adding that those responsible were being identified and action was being taken. FIRs would also be filed against the culprits, he said.
Kashyap said people often sow seeds near their own land or in other locations, and the activity is not always noticed immediately. “When the seeds are sown, they are not noticed. It is only after the plants emerge that we become aware of them. The department then takes action,” he said.
He added that similar cases were reported last year in the Saraj region. This year, one or two cases had been found in areas between Thachi and Dharghat. Kashyap said glyphosate use could affect forest soil and contaminate nearby water sources, and that the department was treating the matter seriously.
Pesticide Action Network India has long called for a ban on glyphosate, citing concerns over its health and environmental impacts.
According to the organisation, glyphosate is registered for use in India under the Insecticides Act, 1968, for weed control in tea plantations. However, it says the herbicide is being used illegally to remove weeds and unwanted vegetation in several edible and non-edible crop fields, homes and institutional premises.
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued an order through a gazette notification dated October 21, 2022, seeking to restrict glyphosate use in the country.
According to the notification, after consultation with the Registration Committee constituted under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and considering the report of an expert committee, the Central Government said it was satisfied that the use of glyphosate posed a threat and risk to human and animal health.
The order said: “The use of glyphosate is prohibited and no person other than pest control operators shall use glyphosate.” To implement the order, the government asked registration certificate holders to return the certificates for further processing.
It also said that if a person failed to return the registration certificate within three months, appropriate action would be taken under the Insecticides Act, 1968. The order further said each state government must examine the matter and take all necessary steps to implement the order in accordance with the Act and rules.
Narasimha Reddy Donthi, public policy expert and consultant with Pesticide Action Network India and honorary visiting faculty at the Impact and Policy Research Institute in Delhi, told Down To Earth that the ministry order had not been finalised and therefore had not been implemented nationwide.
He said using glyphosate for weed control in Himachal Pradesh and elsewhere was illegal unless it was for registered use in tea plantations. Its alleged use in pea cultivation was a matter of concern because farmers and workers may not be aware of the possible health risks associated with exposure, Donthi added.
A report by Pesticide Action Network India says glyphosate has the potential to disrupt hormones. It says herbicides containing glyphosate and glyphosate-based compounds can alter gene receptors and molecules in oestrogenic pathways, potentially contributing to health problems in women.
The organisation also cites the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015.
After exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup, thousands of farmers and agricultural workers in the United States filed lawsuits against the manufacturer alleging links to cancer. Several cases have resulted in compensation, while many other lawsuits remain pending in US courts.