CPSP works in Maharashtra to collect data regarding insecticide poisoning deaths across regions of the state. CPSP’s researcher Aastha Sethi is working to collect data regarding specific compounds responsible for poisoning deaths. CPSP has established relations with the Government Medical College, Yavatmal and the Maharashtra state Medical Education and Drugs Department to assist them with setting up of treatment protocols and a poison information centre within the hospital. A proposal to train two doctors from Yavatmal in poisoning treatment protocols is also pending with the state department.
CPSP is collaborating with the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture for a study on Andhra Pradesh’s climate resilient zero budget natural farming programme and its effects on pesticide access patterns, agricultural productivity, and input costs.
CPSP is also working on a research analysing the agricultural productivity patterns in Kerala following the state government’s ban on fourteen highly toxic pesticides in 2011.
The Indian government released a draft notification proposing to ban twenty-seven highly hazardous pesticides. CPSP is leading an expert submission in collaboration with various Indian researchers to advocate for the proposal to be legally enforced by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
The COVID crisis has impacted data collection work in Maharashtra as well as treatment-protocol training. However, using this time to collaborate and establish relations with stakeholder organisations as well as work on research and publishing, we hope to work on various topics such as crop yield patterns, pesticide poisoning treatment and data collection protocols in Maharashtra and other Indian states.
Going forward, subject to grants and limitations imposed by COVID-19, CPSP aims to work on a field study to determine the efficacy of using atropine injections as a poisoning treatment intervention in Yavatmal. By reaching out to various relevant organisations and research institutes working in this space we also hope to participate in many more collaborative studies in India.
