Prelim Snippets- 03.02.2020

1.Drones using Agrochemical Spraying – Illegal

Why in News?
  • The Union Government has recently clarified that drone-spraying is illegal as per the Insecticides Act, 1968.
Highlights:
  • As per the Insecticide Act, 1968 does not allow aerial spraying.
  • It impacts a larger area while decreasing the efficacy on the target pests.
  • There is no scientific validity that drones help in precision spraying.
  • The weather and wind conditions can result in drifting of the fine hazardous chemical beyond the range of application.
  • The Drones and unmanned Remote-Controlled machines can be harmful tools for Spraying Chemicals.
Central Insecticides Board:
  • It is established under Section 4 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 and it works under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
  • Its aerial application of pesticides needs approval or permission from the Central Insecticides Board (CIB).It has not granted any approval or permission in the past for the use of drones to spray pesticides.
Kasargod Incident:
  • Over 20 years of aerial spraying, the Kasargod in Kerala left many people especially children with mental and physical disorders like deformities and other health complications. The health effects include neurotoxicity, late sexual maturity, physical deformities, poisoning, among others.
  • In 2011, the Supreme Court banned its production and distribution of Endosulfan.

2.Fruit Train

Why in News?
  • Recently the ‘fruit train’, was flagged off from Tadipatri Railway Station in Andhra Pradesh.
About Fruit Train:
  • It is carrying a load of 980 metric tonnes of locally grown bananas to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, from where the consignment will be exported to Iran.
  • It is the first time in India that an entire train is being sent to the gateway port (JNPT) for Export.
  • It helps to save both time and fuel as 150 trucks would have been required to send a consignment of this size by road to JNPT, which is over 900 km away, before the temperature-controlled containers are loaded on Ships.
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