Kurnool Consumer Forum asks chemical firm to pay farmers after pesticide kills crop
Hyderabad: The Kurnool District Consumer Forum has ruled in favour of farmers in a complaint filed against Hyderabad Chemicals Limited of Balanagar and Bhagyalakshmi Fertilsers and Pesticides of Allagadda.
The forum agreed that spraying of pesticide had damaged crop and ordered compensation based on loss to average yield of maize crop per acre to the four farmers who approached it.
Mr K. Eswara Reddy of Pedda Bodanam in Chagalamarri in Kurnool district had filed the complaint stating that he had sowed maize in July on 9.5 acres by spending Rs 5,000 per acre. He spent Rs 1 lakh towards fertilizers and for agriculture labour.
“I purchased Attrzine 50% WP Crozin herbicide pesticide and used it as per the instructions of Hyderabad Chemicals Limited but the field dried up. I informed the agricultural department who visited the fields and submitted a report stating that the crop was damaged due to spraying of pesticide. I lost 30 quintals per acre.”
The opposite parties said that the complaint was concocted for wrongful gain. They contended that the herbicide was a pre-emergent, which meant it needed to be sprayed on the third or fourth day of sowing. As per the complaint, the complainant had sprayed it 13 to 15 days after germination. It said samples had been certified as being of BIS specifications by the Pesticides Testing Lab at Guntur. The farmers had to use the product under the supervision of agriculture officer, it said.
The consumer forum opined that it was the sole responsibility of the manufacturer to mention instructions clearly on the wapper of Crozin regarding its usage, how to use it, how to spray it at a particular stage of crop. It ordered the respondents to pay Rs 68,400 with interest and Rs 5,000 towards mental agony and Rs 1,000 as cost of the case.
Similar relief was given to farmers V. Nagi Reddy, V Narayana Reddy, V. Dasthagiri Reddy of Pedda Bodanam in separate cases.
