On May 17, the Supreme Court requested a response from the Centre and other parties regarding an appeal claim that excessive use of pesticides on crops and food products is leading to loss nationwide.
The plea was issued by a bench consisting of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
Notices were sent to the Union government, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and other relevant parties, requesting their responses.
In court, Anitha Shenoy, a senior advocate, presented evidence gathered by the appellant indicating a significant rise in pesticide-related fatalities nationwide.
Advocate Akash Vashisht filed a plea before the top court, highlighting the harmful effects of the excessive use of pesticides and inorganic chemical substances on food crops and food items. The plea emphasized that this practice is the primary cause of cancer and other fatal diseases in the country.
It compared food pollution to air pollution, stating that contamination of food and crops is a silent killer. Once pesticides contaminate food, their toxicity spreads rapidly throughout the food chain, making it impossible to remove or reject these harmful elements and compounds from the human body.
The plea also cited data from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), revealing that a significant number of food samples were found to be adulterated or misbranded.
The plea further criticized the Central government and its authorities for their failure to address the issue effectively. Additionally, the plea referred to data from the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, which reported numerous deaths due to pesticide poisoning in several states.
Finally, the plea requested the court to take action and optimize the existing regulatory framework concerning the use of pesticides and other inorganic chemical substances on food crops and items.
Date : 18 May 2023 Time : 10 AM to 05 PM Faculty : Asmita Thaokar (FSSAI National Level Resource Person)
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