Supreme Court of India Puts Temporary Ban on a Key Pesticide

By Jim.Robinson|May 18, 2011

On May 13, India’s supreme court voted to put a temporary ban on endosulfan, a key cotton pesticide. The interim order was issued to immediately ban the production, use and sale of endosulfan all over India.

A three-member panel including of the Chief Justice of India heard the public interest writ petition, which was filed by the Democratic Youth Federation of India against the Union of India, Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India, and others.

In hearing the arguments, the panel felt the need for a detailed report from an expert committee headed jointly by the Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research and the Agriculture Commissioner. Until that interim report from the committee is completed (within the next eight weeks), the endosulfan ban will be in place.

Endosulfan is already banned in the European Union, Australia, the United States, and many other countries. India is the top producer and exporter of endosulfan and has an 80 percent of its market share. The supreme court of India will take up this case in the second week after the summer vacation. Until then–at least–this pesticide will be unavailable in India both for domestic and export usage.