Farmers accuse a pesticide production company for distorting their crops

Farmers accuse a pesticide production company for distorting their crops

Subject: Environment

Section : Pollution

Context: Cotton farmers of Bharuch district in Gujarat have accused Meghmani Organics Limited for causing deformities and distortions to their crops.

More on the News:

• During the cotton farming season of 2021, over 18000 farmers from 280 villages of Bharuch district suffered from economic losses due to crop damage, covering thousands of acres of land.
• They say that the excessive production of a herbicide called 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is distorting the growth of leaves and the plant.
• Losing faith in the state authorities, the farmers have filed a petition in the Gujarat high court against the state bodies and the private company, demanding compensation and remedial action which they are still awaiting.

2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

• 2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, commonly known as 2,4-D, is a herbicide that is widely used in agriculture, forestry, and lawn care to control broadleaf weeds.
• It is a synthetic compound that belongs to the group of phenoxy herbicides, which also includes other herbicides such as 2,4,5-T and MCPA.
• It is registered for use in terrestrial and aquatic environments
• It is a plant growth regulator, and mimics auxin, the natural plant growth hormone. Unlike auxin, which regulates, 2,4-D stays within plant tissues in high quantities and does not fluctuate. As a result, it causes rapid cell growth and plants die when their transport system is blocked and destroyed by abnormally fast growth.
• The herbicide is effective against many types of broadleaf weeds, but has little to no effect on grasses.
• 2,4-D has been in use since the 1940s and is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world.
• In high doses, 2,4-D can be toxic to humans, causing skin and eye irritation, respiratory problems, and other health issues. Some studies show that 2,4-D is possibly a carcinogen and an endocrine disruptor in humans.
• It can also contaminate water and harm aquatic ecosystems.
• On May 14 2020, the government of India had released a draft order prohibiting the import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and use of 27 insecticides. 2,4-D was in the list.