Hyderabad: Telangana recorded the highest number of suicides due to insecticide consumption in India in 2024, with 4,252 deaths, according to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The figure accounts for nearly 16% of the country’s total 26,921 insecticide-related suicides.Of the 4,252 deaths reported in Telangana, 3,341 victims were men, and 911 were women, highlighting a sharp gender disparity. Telangana was followed by Maharashtra with 3,748 deaths, Tamil Nadu (3,364), Andhra Pradesh (2,871), Karnataka (2,613) and Madhya Pradesh (2,569).Together, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh accounted for 7,123 of India’s 26,921 pesticide-related suicide deaths in 2024, meaning more than 25% – one in every four such deaths nationwide – came from the two Telugu states.In hospital wards across Telangana, paraquat has emerged as one of the most common substances involved in fatal poisoning cases. Doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Telangana and public health experts have linked a significant number of these deaths to paraquat dichloride, a highly toxic herbicide widely sold in rural agricultural markets.Commonly available at fertiliser shops for ₹250 to ₹300, paraquat is extensively used for weed control. However, medical experts warn that it is extremely lethal even in small quantities. With no antidote available, paraquat causes irreversible damage to the kidneys, liver and lungs. Doctors say that consuming as little as 20ml to 30ml can prove fatal, with a mortality rate ranging between 80% and 100%.Studies conducted at Gandhi Hospital have found that the majority of patients admitted after consuming paraquat do not survive.Though there was no official state-level data earlier on paraquat-specific deaths, the IMA Telangana and Doctors Against Paraquat Poison (DAAP) had previously estimated that around 5,500 to 6,000 deaths occur annually in the state due to paraquat poisoning.
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In response to mounting concerns, the Telangana govt imposed a 60-day ban on the sale, stocking, distribution, manufacture and use of paraquat and its derivatives across the state from March 31 this year. However, experts point out that under the Insecticides Act, states can enforce such restrictions only temporarily unless the Centre approves a nationwide prohibition.Public health experts have stressed that only a permanent national ban can effectively prevent further deaths. Paraquat has already been banned in nearly 70 countries, including several European Union nations, China and Brazil, but regulatory action in India is still pending.Dr Mahesh Reddy, president of DAAP, said that after the Telangana govt’s ban, online sales were also stopped, and paraquat was removed from many fertiliser shops. “But unless the central govt imposes a nationwide ban, the chemical can still enter states through illegal channels or neighbouring markets. A permanent central ban will be far more effective in preventing deaths across the country.”He added that the situation in Telangana districts remains alarming. “Across the 10 erstwhile districts of Telangana – Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak, Warangal, Khammam, Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar – we are seeing around 100 to 150 poisoning cases every month in each district, with nearly 40 to 50 deaths monthly,” he said.At Gandhi Hospital, Dr Karthik Nagula said paraquat has become the leading cause of fatal poisoning cases examined at the hospital. “Nearly six to seven out of every 10 poisoning deaths we examine are due to paraquat consumption,” he added.
