The Maharashtra government has issued directives to name agriculturists in FIRs involving the large-scale death of farm labourers due to pesticide spraying.
"The farm owners should also take responsibility in such cases. The owner should not allow labourers to work in their farms without necessary safety precautions," a senior official from the department was quoted as saying by The Times of India. "If a poisoning case is reported this year, then we will name the farm owner in the police case," he added.
The pesticide dealers have also been asked not to sell their products without gloves and protective eyewear. The official said that action will be taken against the dealers found violating this rule and their license can be cancelled.
The state government has also asked the farm owners to inform the local administration in case of pesticide poisoning. A committee that had been constituted for finding facts, blamed the local administration for its failure to prevent such deaths.
"Last year there was a sudden increase in the use of pesticides to deal with resistant pests that have affected Bt Cotton, a genetically modified pest-resistant variety grown in the region for since many years. The increased usage of pesticides led to the deaths," an expert told TOI.
Most patients were being treated at government medical colleges. However, officials found that no systematic records were being maintained by them in such cases. The hospitals did not also notify about the incidents to the district authorities.
According to an official, the problem of pests infesting Bt Cotton is also being reported. Precautions are being taken in advance as heavy spraying of pesticides will happen this year, said the official.
