The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday granted stay on a decision taken by the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee. The Committee decided to grant registration for 0.55% alphacypermethrin incorporated long-lasting mosquito nets.
A Division Bench of Justices Pushpa Sathyanarayana and P. Velmurugan granted stay and ordered notice to the Centre.
The court was hearing the petition filed by advocate M. Solomon Bernard Shaw of Madurai.
He said that the insecticide embedded mosquito nets were used in tackling mosquito menace. The nets were regarded as cheap and cost effective.
However, given the exposure to insecticides by the users for several hours, the dosage and the application of such products had to be strictly administered. It was needless to say that insecticides were inherently poisonous and the percentage applied had to be determined with the highest standard of diligence to ensure there is no risk to human life or health, he said.
In December 2021, the Committee had decided to grant registration for 0.55 per cent alphacypermethrin incorporated long-lasting mosquito nets. This has been done despite the data being inconsistent and no mandatory study. There was no scientific application of mind. It demonstrates an approach that is arbitrary, callous and negligent, he said.
When there was no sound scientific justification, the Committee ought not to have considered the application. It should be borne in mind that alphacypermethrin poisoning could cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,mucosal irritations, salivation, tearing, motor coordination disorder, chorea, inertia, tremors and chronic seizures, the petitioner said.
The obvious risk to public health from such an unverified product was absolutely shocking. The standard of care to be applied must be absolute, and any variation from statutory standards naturally presents the greatest possible threat to human life and health, which can never be compensated in pecuniary terms, he said.
