CSE welcomes Punjab govt decision to ban 20 pesticides

City-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has welcomed the Punjab government decision to ban the sale of 20 pesticides and urged the Centre to follow suit.
The Punjab Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had yesterday banned the sale of 20 pesticides that are harmful to humans and environment with immediate effect.
"If a state like Punjab, which is a high pesticide user, acts in the interest of public health, it is incumbent on the central government to take necessary steps to eliminate sale of highly toxic pesticides in the entire country," said Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director General of the CSE.

The pesticides banned in Punjab have been categorized by WHO as "extremely hazardous" and "highly hazardous" and many of them are banned in several countries, he said.