Hyderabad: Telangana has reported the highest number of suicides due to insecticide consumption in India in 2024, with 4,252 deaths, according to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). This figure accounts for nearly 16 percent of the country's total 26,921 insecticide-related suicides.
Of the 4,252 deaths in Telangana, 3,341 were men and 911 were women, highlighting a significant gender disparity. Maharashtra followed with 3,748 deaths, Tamil Nadu with 3,364, Andhra Pradesh with 2,871, Karnataka with 2,613, and Madhya Pradesh with 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 percent—one in every four such deaths nationwide—originated from the two Telugu states.
Paraquat: A Major Concern
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 rupees, 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 20 to 30 milliliters can prove fatal, with a mortality rate ranging between 80 and 100 percent.
Studies conducted at Gandhi Hospital have found that the majority of patients admitted after consuming paraquat do not survive.
Government Response and Calls for a Nationwide Ban
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.
In response to mounting concerns, the Telangana government 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 government's ban, online sales were also stopped, and paraquat was removed from many fertiliser shops. “But unless the central government 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.
He noted 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.
