Chennai, Apr 18 (IANS): After complaints of banned pesticides available in some districts, the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department has formed special squads to conduct surprise checks.

The state agriculture department had issued a circular of December 12, 2022, banning the sale and use of six pesticides based on the directive from the Centre. These pesticides, according to the Centre, were used by many people for committing suicide and hence it was banned from being used in the agricultural fields and farms.

Fertilizer shops were directed to stop sale and distribution of these pesticides under the Insecticide Act 1986 and the Insecticide Rules of 1971.

The farmers of Tiruppur, Pudukottai and Salem districts complained that chemicals like monocrotophos -- one among the six banned pesticides in Tamil Nadu -- was being widely used in these areas. According to the farmers, the banned product was reaching the hands of gullible farmers through online sale.

Satyamoorthy K., a farmer in Salem while speaking to IANS said, "The monocrotophos is widely used here in coconut farms and this helps the farmers to wade off the attack by white flies."

However, he said that in Pollachi, Kangeyam and Uudmulpet farmers in large numbers were using the banned pesticide.

Following complaints from the farmers in large numbers from different parts of the state, the state agriculture department constituted squads to trace shops that sell the banned fertilizers as well as the farmers, who are using the product even after directive from the agriculture department that the pesticide was banned.

Sources in the agriculture department told IANS that even after the seizure of monocrotophos, the fertilizer is being illegally procured and used in coconut groves.

The department is of the opinion that online sale outlets are pushing the sale of these banned pesticides, and the department has already constituted special squads to check, stop and prevent the use of these pesticides.