Nepal has banned additional three hazardous pesticides paraquat dichloride, chlorpyrifos and phorate which are not only being used to kill pests but are also being misused for suicide.
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| photo: TKP |
“The Pesticide Management
Committee has decided to prohibit the production, synthesis, export, import,
transport, commercial use, storage, and sale of the said pesticides in the
country,” reads the order published in the Nepal Gazette on Thursday.
Poison ingestion, mostly
involving pesticides, is the second leading cause of suicide in Nepal after
hanging. According to data provided by the Nepal Police, 952 people killed
themselves by consuming poison in the fiscal year 2023-24.
“Poison is easily available
in every household in rural areas across the country, as farmers often keep it
in the house to use in crops,” said Dr Dilli Ram Sharma, former director
general at the Department of Agriculture. “These hazardous substances are
easily available in agri-veterinary shops and are not only being used in plants
but also for suicide in our country.”
Earlier, in 2018, the country
banned eight pesticides carbofuran, dichlorvos, triazophos, carbaryl, benomyl,
carbosulfan, dicofol, and aluminum phosphide. Following the ban, suicides by
poison ingestion have dramatically declined, according to Nepal Police report.
Police data show that 1,320 people died by poison ingestion in 2018-19, the year authorities banned eight pesticides commonly used for suicide. The numbers dropped to 1,136 in 2019-20; 1,276 in 2020-21; 1040 in 2021-22 and 932 in 2022-23.
“These pesticides are so
hazardous that they can cause cancer, paralysis, renal failure, heart diseases
in children, and deformities in newborn babies if used for a long time,” said
Sharma. “Many countries, including India, have banned these pesticides.”
After the ban on aluminium
phosphide in 2018, people in crisis began ingesting chlorpyrifos, which is
widely available on the market.
Studies show that banning
highly hazardous pesticides is a cost-effective and affordable intervention to
reduce suicide rates.
Nepal is among the countries
with the highest suicide rates. The country witnessed an alarming rise in
suicide cases in the last fiscal year.
According to data provided by
the Nepal Police, 7,223 people killed themselves in the fiscal year 2023-024,
which is the highest ever recorded in a year.
“Restricting access to
commonly used hazardous pesticides will help reduce deaths from suicides,” said
Dr Rakesh Ghimire, principal investigator of Nepal for the Center for Pesticide
Suicide Prevention at the University of Edinburgh of the United Kingdom, which
has been carrying out research on suicides by poison ingestion in Nepal.
Studies show that a ban on a
few highly hazardous pesticides in Bangladesh, South Korea, and Sri Lanka,
among others, led to sharp reductions in overall suicide rates.
Pesticides are commonly used
to get rid of insects, fungi, weeds and diseases which damage plants and crops.
Every year more than 1,300 metric tons of 135 types of pesticides, including
insecticide, fungicide, herbicide and biopesticide, are brought into Nepal,
according to the Plant Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture
and Livestock Development.
Doctors say high levels of
pesticides in fruits and vegetables cause nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps,
dizziness and anxiety. Long-term consumption of fruits and vegetables with high
levels of pesticides can lead to kidney failure, lung disease and mental health
problems, and can even cause cancer. According to health experts, the
consumption of such fruits and vegetables may also affect pregnant women and
harm the foetus.
