95% fatality rate in paraquat poisoning, say Telangana doctors
HYDERABAD: A toxic herbicide used to destroy weeds in crop fields is silently claiming lives across Telangana. The chemical — paraquat dichloride — attacks the lungs, liver and kidneys, killing victims within days of ingestion, according to doctors.
Cheap and fast-acting, paraquat floods the rural market
Farmers prefer paraquat for its quick action and low cost. It burns weeds within hours, and nearly every farmer’s home or field now stocks a bottle. However, the easy availability has turned fatal. In moments of distress — over debt, domestic disputes, exam failures or relationship breakups — farmers and their children are consuming the chemical impulsively.
Since there is no known antidote, most die after days of painful organ failure, doctors said.
Medical officials at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) reported at least three paraquat poisoning cases daily. Osmania and Gandhi Hospitals together record five to six cases every week. Including cases from district and private hospitals, the toll could be far higher. Authorities estimate that 95% of victims do not survive.
Between 2020 and 2025, NIMS alone treated about 500 patients for paraquat poisoning — 95% of them died. Alarmingly, 46% of the deceased were young adults; 80% were men and 20% women.
No antidote; fatal even in small doses
Paraquat dichloride, marketed globally by Swiss firm Syngenta under the Gramoxone brand, destroys weeds rapidly. In India, several manufacturers sell local versions. But for humans, it is extremely toxic. Ingesting just 10–15 ml is often fatal.
Doctors explained that the poison first burns the mouth and oesophagus, then enters the bloodstream and attacks the lungs, liver and kidneys. The lung tissue hardens like stone — a condition known as pulmonary fibrosis — making breathing impossible even on ventilator support. Victims die within days, suffering severe pain.
Besides ingestion, paraquat spraying in fields can cause harmful side effects through skin contact or inhalation.
MLAs, MPs seek statewide ban on paraquat
The issue has reached the legislature. Sirpur MLA Palvai Harish Babu earlier raised the matter in the Assembly, recounting how a party worker from his constituency died after consuming paraquat in a suicide attempt. He urged the government to ban the chemical.
Khammam MP Ramasahayam Raghurama Reddy also raised the issue in Parliament, highlighting numerous paraquat-related deaths in the state and demanding a nationwide ban.
Safer alternatives exist, but awareness missing
Experts say safer substitutes like glyphosate and glufosinate are available in the market. Though slower, these herbicides are less harmful to humans. However, agricultural officials have failed to create awareness among farmers. Critics say the department focuses on subsidies instead of farmer education.
Doctors and activists are urging the government to immediately ban paraquat and promote alternative weedicides under subsidy.
Telangana doctors launch campaign to ban paraquat
Disturbed by the recurring deaths, doctors have launched a state-wide movement. In March, physicians from Khammam and Mancherial formed Doctors Against Paraquat Poisoning (DAPP), with 140 members.
DAPP state president Dr Satish Narayana Chowdary (emergency medicine, Khammam) and vice-president Dr Rakesh Kumar Chenna (nephrology, Mancherial) are leading the campaign under the slogan “Ban Paraquat, Save Farmers, Save Society, Save Humanity.”
The group has met Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, former vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu, district collectors and other public representatives, seeking to draw the Centre’s attention to the crisis. They plan to approach the Union ministries of agriculture and fertilisers to demand a nationwide ban.
