Rapid Fire
Kisan Kavach
- 19 Dec 2024
- 1 min read
Recently, the Ministry of Science & Technology unveiled Kisan Kavach, India's first anti-pesticide bodysuit, that prevents chemicals from leaching into the skin.
- Kisan Kavach: Kisan Kavach is designed to protect farmers from the harmful effects of pesticide exposure, including respiratory disorders, vision loss, and even death.
- It is made of ‘oxime fabric’ that can chemically breakdown any of the common pesticides that get sprayed onto cloth or body during spraying operations.
- The manufacturing process involves nucleophilic-mediated hydrolysis on cotton fabric to deactivate pesticides.
- It is developed by BRIC-inStem, Bangalore, in collaboration with Sepio Health Pvt. Ltd.
- Pesticide Use: According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), India used over 61,000 tonnes of pesticide in 2020.
- India produces about four times more pesticide than it uses.
- Pesticide Poisoning: Globally, 385 million cases of acute pesticide poisoning occur annually, causing 11,000 deaths, with highest impact in South Asia.
Read More: Pesticide Poisoning
