The grave personal cost of pesticide use

The district of Yavatmal in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region bears a terrible reputation: for several decades now, it has been branded the ‘farmer suicide capital of India.’ In 15 years–from 2001 to 2016–over 3500 suicides were recorded in the district.

This seemingly small chain of events ended devastatingly when, at the end of 2017, over 800 farmers and agricultural workers were hospitalised in Yavatmal–and over 20 farmers died. All of them were detected with pesticide poisoning. Spraying pesticide on towering crops so close to their nose and mouth proved extremely dangerous, and in some cases, fatal. While spraying, the farmers often tied a cloth across their face and nothing more, barely cognizant of just how toxic their crops’ medicine was.  

Hanuman Kawale, now 48 years old, was one of these farmers of Yavatmal. He suffered a severe case of vomiting, and was resultantly hospitalised for two days. “He did not know that he had to use a mask, goggles and socks while spraying pesticides on the farm. We thought the cause of his illness was consuming contaminated food and water,” says Sunita, Kawale’s wife. 

The toxic incident brought to the fore this harsh reality—pesticides meant to protect the farmers’ cotton crops are actually a silent killer. Six years after the incident, Sunita has abandoned using these chemicals in their two-acre cotton crop. "With pesticides, we harvested seven quintals of cotton per acre. Organic farming yields only two, but our cultivation costs have dropped by half,” Sunita says. Confident, she adds, “Our income may be less today, but it will definitely increase in a few years.” 

Farmers and agricultural workers across the country shoulder similar fates. 

Also read: On the deadly cost of farmer debts

Out of breath

Every farmer’s account of worsening health due to the inadvertent inhalation of pesticides helps piece together the visceral and long-term effects of these chemicals on the body. Their experiences are explained by scientific studies and health experts, who link pesticide exposure to the increased risk of serious health issues, including chronic conditions like diabetes and cancer. In extreme cases, long-term exposure to these pesticides also increases the risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

A study from Punjab found that over 93% of the state’s agricultural workers exposed to pesticides showed genotoxic damage, including chromosomal abnormalities. Most of them reported never using protective equipment. A study in Telangana found residues of 28 different pesticides in farmers' blood samples, 11 of which are classified as highly hazardous by WHO guidelines. 

Extremely high temperatures in the summer make this even worse: due to increased volatilisation, these pesticides turn into gas after spraying–resulting in a high risk of inhalation.

These risks are all the more pervasive in India because of the abject lack of strict protocols for farmers, unlike in countries such as the US. “In India, farmers do not even wear gloves,” says Dr Sudha Chepyala, an integrative internal medicine physician, practising in the US and India. She explains why this is crucial for protection against chemicals. “Pesticides enter the human body through skin—the largest organ—and mucous membranes (the nose, mouth and eyes). The toxins enter the bloodstream and damage tissues, resulting in various health conditions. I have seen young people with chronic kidney damage (CKD).” 

Extremely high temperatures in the summer make this even worse: due to increased volatilisation, these pesticides turn into gas after spraying–resulting in a high risk of inhalation. But it’s not just inhalation that puts farmers at risk. Like Dr. Chepyala explains, dermal exposure–basically, absorption of the pesticide through skin–is extremely concerning. Pesticides are designed to penetrate plant surfaces, so they can similarly penetrate human skin. Within hours, you can develop rashes, chemical burning, dermatitis–and then, the chemicals circulate throughout the body via the bloodstream. So, protective gear that shields only against inhalation of pesticide sprays is never enough. 

“After two decades of chemical farming, my family switched to organic because my father developed frequent irritation in his eyes and indigestion from spraying chemicals,” says Vaibhav Ganesh Hemane, a 29-year-old resident of Rajurwadi village in Maharashtra’s Amravati district. Hemane’s family cultivates organic cotton and toor dal on five acres of land. As organic farmers, they now spend only Rs 10,000 per acre–half of their past expenses before switching from conventional farming and chemical usage.

“We harvest about 8-9 quintals of cotton per acre now. Chemical farming would lead to 11 quintals,” he says. Under organic farming, Hemane’s family uses natural inputs such as cow dung, cow urine, Dashparni Ark and Jeevamrutha to nourish the soil and enhance plant health. Earlier, they used insecticides like Coragen and Lancer Gold.

Also read: This farmer collective is fighting for a fairer organic future

Ground reality

Pesticide manufacturers recommend using specialised safety equipment while spraying the chemicals, but for various reasons—including the inability to afford it—this practice is often overlooked by farmers. A 2022 cross section study that assessed 387 North Indian farmers found that 55% of farmers did not read or follow pesticide label instructions, and 80.2% were altogether unaware of banned or restricted pesticides. Factors such as low education levels, advanced age, and label-related issues, like technical language as well as small fonts, contribute to this low engagement with safety information, research indicates. 

India's pesticide regulation is currently governed by the Insecticides Act of 1968, which has faced criticism for being outdated and insufficient in addressing modern agricultural challenges. To strengthen the regulatory framework, the Pesticide Management Bill, 2020 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 23 March, 2020. The bill aims to promote biological pesticides, proposes the establishment of a Central Pesticides Board to advise on scientific and technical matters, and most important of all, bestows the powers to issue licenses for the manufacture, storage and sale of pesticides to respective states. 

But this bill, too, has its own criticisms. For instance, the representation of decision-making bodies is said to be inadequate. Critics are also concerned that it does not sufficiently promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. The bill remains pending in the Parliament, with stakeholders advocating for amendments to address these critical issues.

In 2021, approximately 61,000 metric tons of pesticides were used in India for agricultural purposes, a study said.

As of March 31, 2024, the Indian government has prohibited the manufacture, import, and use of 49 pesticides such as Alachlor, Aldicarb, Aldrin, Benzene Hexachloride and several others due to their potential risks to human health and the environment. ​However, farmers and experts we spoke to said that many of them are widely available. “Even red coded pesticides such as Monophyl are openly sold in India,” says Sangeetha Pradeep, Senior Project Coordinator at Pesticide Action Network, India. 

In fact, India recently opposed the global elimination of Chlorpyrifos, an insecticide toxic to humans and wildlife under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Instead of a complete shutdown, India requested exceptions to certain crucial crops, citing the lack of alternatives and the threat to overall food security in the country. 

The Indian government promotes chemical-free agriculture through initiatives like the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF), which oversees organic and natural farming nationwide, and Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) that provides financial aid and training for natural farming. Both campaigns, though, have relatively limited reach. 

In 2021, approximately 61,000 metric tons of pesticides were used in India for agricultural purposes, a study said. “Their numbers and toxicity are also increasing, posing an enormous threat,” explains D. Narasimha Reddy, an economist and former Dean, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad. “The Indian government, however, is ignoring the deadly impact of pesticide use on humans and the environment. Instead of tightening regulations, it is focusing on liberalising and subsidising pesticide products while incentivising profits.” 

Also read: How Shree Padre built journalism for farmers, by farmers

Working at the grassroots

The small district of Idukki in Kerala is famous for its spice plantations–especially cardamom–and infamous for the excessive use of pesticides in these plantations. This is not a light accusation: in 2023, so much pesticide residue was found in Kerala’s cardamoms (much of which come from Idukki) that the state’s High Court ordered the revered Sabarimala temple to make its holy offering of Aravana without its signature cardamom, for the first time. Tonnes of already prepared Aravana went to waste. The temple and Kerala’s state authorities had to put into place firm regulatory mandates to make sure they can source organic cardamom for their offering next year. 

Local residents as well as farmers of Idukki live with a serious threat to their health, only because of the extraordinary amount of pesticide used. And so, the work of a small movement that has taken root in this district comes as a relief. Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India, a not-for-profit organisation focusing on sustainable agriculture and reducing pesticide use, has begun to educate farmers and campaign for cultivating chemical-free cardamom in collaboration with the Savitri Trust. This project, named the Cardamom Agroecology project, aims to promote a paradigm shift from conventional farming to a more robust, sustainable way to look at the cardamom. More than 300 farmers have switched to organic farming in Idukki, thanks to their extensive educational classes. 

30-year-old Anoop Thankachan from the Konnathady village owns four acres of land, and has begun his switch to organic farming by stripping one acre of it of all chemicals and pesticides. “After spraying pesticides, I used to get skin rashes, a burning sensation in my eyes, dandruff and breathing difficulties,” Anoop says. Across the remaining three acres, too, he has reduced pesticide usage, confining it to mildly toxic potassium. 

The switch has also been economically beneficial. “I used to spend Rs 5,000 a month on pesticides; now, it is just Rs 2,000 on organic sprays. Organic solutions such as pineapple tonic (made with fermented pineapple, neem, jaggery and other ingredients) boosts flowering in cardamom. From the blooms, I can tell this season’s yield will be better," Thankachan says. 

Like PAN India, not-for-profit organisations such as Jaivik Kheti and the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation are working towards promoting chemical-free agriculture in several pockets. PAN India itself is working at the ground level in Yavatmal and Thrissur. In these villages, there are 39 pesticide poisoning monitoring committees, consisting of women farmers and workers. The organisation’s back-to-back training programmes in Yavatmal resulted in 264 farmers (across 300 acres of cultivated land) giving up pesticides altogether. “This victory wouldn’t have been possible without the women volunteers who spearheaded the movement. Few women workers no longer work in the fields that practice chemical farming—such extreme steps are the need of the hour,” Sangeetha Pradeep says.

In December 2024, India’s first protective suit—the Kisan Kavach—was introduced to safeguard farmers from pesticide exposure. In 2020, Bengaluru researchers introduced a skin gel called poly-Oxime which, when applied on the skin, deactivates toxic pesticides. These are useful preventive measures, but their impact remains negligible on the ground: the Kisan Kavach costs Rs. 4,000, rendering it unaffordable for small and marginalised farmers; many others just remain unaware of the gel. 

The transition to organic farming after facing the brutal effects of pesticide usage is often rocky. The change in cultivation techniques leads to an initial decrease in crop yield, as the soil undergoes a period of detoxification and adjustment. The productivity of the crop will suffer, too. But with a consistent routine of using organic materials and practices, experts assert that the yield gap can be reduced.

{{quiz}}

Editing and additional inputs by Neerja Deodhar and Anushka Mukherjee