- Created on Thursday, 08 May 2014 19:43
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Image courtesy: NPIC of the US
The Union Government is belatedly gearing up to formulate regulations for production and marketing of insecticide-laced paints that would kill/repel mosquitoes, cockroaches, houseflies and such pests from the buildings.
India’s Pesticides regulator named Registration Committee (RC) constituted under the outdated Insecticides Act, 1968 last month asked its secretariat to draft guidelines for registration of pesticides additive-based paints for control of household pests. The Committee intends to consider the draft registration norms at its next meeting.
This directive follows a presentation by Asian Paints Limited on 11th April 2014 to the Committee on the use of Deltamethrin in paints for control of mosquitoes, cockroaches, etc.
Deltamethrin is one of the world’s ten top selling insecticides. It belongs to the category of insecticides called synthetic pyretheroids. These are chemically manufactured variants of pyrethrins, the natural insecticides that are present in chrysanthemum flowers.
RC could have ordered drafting of the guidelines for insecticides-laced paints several years ago if it had risen above the typical case-by-case approach. It could have, for instance, called for transparent registration norms on 15th February 2012 when it allowed a leading pesticides firm, Tagros Chemicals India Limited to produce deltamethrin as “paint additive”.
Following a presentation by Tagros on the proposal, RC had then decided: “As the Deltamethrin is already registered for use in the country the label expansion
for additional use or new formulation may be allowed as per existing guidelines.”
Interestingly enough, Tagros hold trademark for this pesticide under the brand “Wallop” in South Africa since 7th January 2010.
It appears RC has taken different stance on the same subject within a span over a little over years perhaps due to oversight or indolence.
This viewpoint gets confirmed by the fact RC had missed earlier too an opportunity to lay down registration norms. It did not realize the need for laying registration regulations when it approved U.K. Paints India Limited’s application for grant of registration for indigenous manufacture of deltamethrin insect control paint at its meeting held on 24th January 2005.
Deltamethrin and other pyrethroids are also used for treating mosquito bed nets under the national and international public health programmes with the support of World Health Organization.
RC had laid down the norms for registration of deltamethrin impregnated polyester mosquito bet nets in February 2004.
The effect of deltramethrin-based paints and mosquito nets last for a few years. These products are thus environmental friendly and safer than the frequent application of the insecticide as a spray.
According to National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) of the U.S, “Deltamethrin can kill insects by direct contact or if they eat it. It disrupts their normal nervous system function. It is less toxic to mammals due to their higher body temperature, larger body size, and decreased sensitivity to the chemical.”
