India Moves to Ban Paraquat: Draft Order Targets Herbicide Linked to Fatal Poisoning and Parkinson's Disease
The Union government has issued a draft order proposing a complete prohibition on Paraquat Dichloride, citing irreversible health hazards — a move that could reshape weed management across Indian plantations, cereals, and horticulture.
The short answer
India's Central government issued a draft order on 14 July 2026 proposing a blanket ban on the herbicide Paraquat Dichloride under the Insecticides Act, 1968, citing fatal poisoning, kidney failure, lung fibrosis, and Parkinson's disease risks. Stakeholders have 30 days to submit feedback before the ban is gazetted. The move follows recommendations from an Expert Committee and the Registration Committee, and comes as domestic sales of the chemical recovered to 1.05 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.
The draft order
Centre Proposes Complete Paraquat Prohibition Under Insecticides Act
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued a draft notification on 14 July 2026 proposing a full ban on the manufacture, import, sale, transport, distribution, and use of Paraquat Dichloride across India. The proposed prohibition would take effect on the date of final publication in the Official Gazette, and all certificates of registration held by manufacturers would be deemed cancelled from that date.
The draft gives stakeholders a 30-day window to submit feedback before the order is finalised. The Central government, acting on the Registration Committee's report, expressed satisfaction that Paraquat's continued use poses risks to human beings and animals grave enough to warrant immediate action — the legal threshold required under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
The expert process
Months of Review: How the Ban Recommendation Took Shape
The Union Ministry of Agriculture constituted an Expert Committee in January to re-examine Paraquat's registered status in India. After detailed deliberation, the panel submitted its report on 12 June, unanimously recommending a nationwide ban — a development first reported by BusinessLine in May, when the committee's consensus position became clear.
The Registration Committee, headed by Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh, reviewed the Expert Committee's findings and submitted its own views on 29 June. The committee identified multiple grounds for prohibition:
- Documented adverse health effects, including fatal poisoning, kidney failure, and lung fibrosis
- A continued history of poisoning incidents with reported high fatalities
- The absence of a specific antidote for Paraquat poisoning
The Registration Committee's recommendation for complete prohibition under the Insecticides Act, 1968 formed the direct basis for the Central government's draft order.
A major concern for Indian doctors is the high number of deaths caused by intentional or accidental exposure to PQ. Paraquat poisoning is often fatal, and also causes high morbidity including hepato-renal failure, progressive fibrosis of the lung and Parkinson disease.
The health case
Toxic and Without Antidote: The Medical Evidence Against Paraquat
Already banned in more than 70 countries, Paraquat Dichloride has a well-documented toxicological profile. The chemical is associated with fatal outcomes through ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption, and causes irreversible damage including hepato-renal failure, progressive lung fibrosis, and Parkinson's disease.
A February 2026 study published in The National Medical Journal of India, authored by Bharadwaj Sai, Satya Murthy Malla, and Ananth Rupesh Kattamreddy of Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, highlighted the scale of the problem for Indian clinicians. The paper described Paraquat as a "highly toxic compound" and flagged the high number of deaths — both intentional and accidental — that Indian doctors regularly encounter.
States have been ahead of the Centre on this issue: Telangana imposed a 60-day ban from 1 April under its maximum permissible powers, urging permanent central action, while Odisha had taken a similar step in 2023. Earlier Kerala restrictions were struck down by courts on the grounds that states cannot impose indefinite bans — reinforcing the need for a central order.
The commercial reality
A ₹ Multi-Crore Footprint: Paraquat's Deep Roots in Indian Agriculture
Despite mounting safety concerns, Paraquat's commercial trajectory in India has pointed firmly upward. Imports rose from 8,598 tonnes in 2019-20 to 20,786 tonnes in 2022-23, according to trade data. Domestic sales dipped to 74,490 tonnes in 2020-21 from 1.13 lakh tonnes in 2019-20, but had largely rebounded to 1.05 lakh tonnes by 2023-24.
The herbicide's reach spans a wide range of Indian crops — tea, rubber, coffee, cotton, paddy, wheat, maize, potato, grapes, and apples — as well as weed control in canals, ponds, and waterways. Its combination of low cost and rapid, non-selective action has cemented its role in farm-level weed management.
More than 1,500 manufacturers currently hold licences for the chemical, underscoring the significant industrial disruption a final ban would trigger. If gazetted, the order would require all registration certificates to be recalled and cancelled simultaneously.
What it means
Farms, Costs, and the Search for Alternatives
A confirmed ban would force a structural shift in weed management across plantation crops, cereals, and horticulture — sectors that have long relied on Paraquat's speed and affordability. Cultivation costs could rise for farmers who switch to manual weeding or alternative herbicides, particularly smallholders in labour-scarce regions.
The agrochemical industry faces the twin challenge of cancelled registrations and a scramble to reposition product portfolios. For policymakers, the 30-day consultation window is an opportunity to assess transition readiness — whether substitute herbicides are approved, available, and affordable enough to absorb the demand that Paraquat currently meets.
With the final gazette notification as the trigger date for the ban to take effect, the coming weeks of stakeholder feedback will be critical in determining both the timeline and the terms of any transitional provisions.
Why it matters
A confirmed Paraquat ban would force a fundamental rethink of weed-management practices in tea, rubber, coffee, cotton, paddy, wheat, maize, and several other crops where the chemical's low cost and rapid action have made it near-indispensable. Farmers dependent on chemical weed control could face higher cultivation costs as they transition to alternatives. With over 1,500 manufacturers holding licences and domestic sales back above one lakh tonnes, the agrochemical industry faces significant disruption — and policymakers must watch whether a credible, affordable substitute is ready to fill the gap before the final gazette notification.
Frequently asked
- Why is India proposing to ban Paraquat Dichloride?
- The Registration Committee, headed by Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh, identified documented adverse health effects — including fatal poisoning, kidney failure, progressive lung fibrosis, and Parkinson's disease — as well as a continued history of poisoning incidents and the absence of a specific antidote as key grounds for recommending a complete ban under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
- Which crops will be affected by a Paraquat ban in India?
- Paraquat is extensively used in tea, rubber, coffee, cotton, paddy, wheat, maize, potato, grapes, and apple cultivation, as well as for weed control in canals, ponds, and waterways. A ban would require farmers in all these sectors to find alternative weed-management solutions.
- What is the current scale of Paraquat use in India?
- Domestic sales recovered to 1.05 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 after dipping to 74,490 tonnes in 2020-21. Imports rose from 8,598 tonnes in 2019-20 to 20,786 tonnes in 2022-23. More than 1,500 manufacturers currently hold licences for the chemical.
- What happens to Paraquat manufacturer licences if the ban is finalised?
- According to the draft order, the Registration Committee will recall all certificates of registration granted to Paraquat Dichloride manufacturers. These certificates will be deemed cancelled from the date of final publication of the Order in the Official Gazette.
Source
This report summarises and analyses coverage from The Hindu BusinessLine — Agri Business. The analysis and India context are IndianAgri's own.