Kisan Kavach | 19 Dec 2024

Source: PIB 

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