RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch welcomes govt's decision to restrict glyphosate use

Farmers across the globe have been using the herbicide for safe and effective weed control for over 40 years.

Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an RSS affiliate, on Monday welcomed the Centre's decision to restrict the use of herbicide glyphosate, saying that it was necessary for health of citizens especially farmers.

SJM has been demanding a ban on glyphosate as it is hazardous for people's health. The SJM's national co-convener, Ashwani Mahajan, said there are more than 1.4 lakh cases pending against Monsanto and Bayer for damages by the users of their glyphosate-based herbicide products after the litigants developed 10 different types of cancer, including non-hodgkins lymphoma.

The Centre had last month restricted the use of glyphosate and its derivatives, fearing health hazards and risk to human beings/animals.

''It seems that the government has firmly decided to enforce the restriction on use of glyphosate and its derivatives. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar for taking decision in people's interest,'' Mahajan said.

Glyphosate and its formulations are widely registered and used in more than 160 countries, including the EU and the US. Farmers across the globe have been using the herbicide for safe and effective weed control for over 40 years.