Compensation for 10 pesticide death in 2018 released now

Nagpur: Even as four persons are reported to have died of pesticide inhalation in Vidarbha this year, the state released compensation for the kin of victims of 2018 only this month. In November first week, the state revenue department issued a government resolution (GR) naming 10 deceased across Maharashtra whose next of kin will be given Rs4 lakh each.

They had died between July to August 2018.

This indicates that at least 10 may have died of accidental inhalation last year too. Inhalation deaths attracted government attention for the first time in 2017 when nearly 60 died across the state.

In Yavatmal alone, more than 20 deaths were recorded. The district registered the highest toll. Control measures followed the next year yet there were deaths.

The amount of Rs4 lakh was fixed after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in 2017.

A source in the revenue department said that the primary order was issued in July 2018. It gave a standing order for issuing a compensation of Rs4 lakh for inhalation deaths. The order also covers deaths due to Naxal attacks, stampedes at public places, falling of dilapidated builds among others.

“The recent GR is in lines with the July order. Even if standing orders were issued, an approval has to be taken for each case for allocation of funds,” said the source.

The 10 deceased mentioned in the current GR include three from Jalgaon, two each from Akola and Chandrapur, and one each from Nagpur and Gondia. The deaths took place between July to August 2018, said officials.

Kavitha Kuruganthi, from Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA), said, “This shows that the government is not taking steps in a reactive manner to such incidents. If the compensation is delayed for more than a year it also indicates that farmers are low in priority for the administration.”

This year out of four deaths in Vidarbha, two are from Akola and Buldhana each. After the deaths of 2017 even the pesticide companies had swung into action creating awareness. However, the entire focus was on Yavatmal district. No deaths were reported in Yavatmal in 2018 and 19.

At Adilabad in neighbouring Telangana, the district administration is collecting data about the cases of deaths due to inhalation. The collector had also restricted sale of monocrotophos — one of the major pesticides found to be used by the victims. Orders were issued to sell the chemical only on the basis of a prescription by agriculture officer. However, a stay was issued against after the traders moved high court.