Of the 1,444 respondents, 1,402 said they used pesticides. Nearly half had been using them for more than 10 years, while 47.95 percent reported using them for five to 10 years. “Farmers overwhelmingly cited pests as their target, but 21.01 percent also used pesticides against plant diseases and 7.19 percent against weeds,” Donthi said.

The survey found that unsafe storage and disposal practices are common. One-third of respondents stored pesticides inside their homes. Among 1,020 respondents, 21.76 percent said they decanted pesticides into other containers, while 12.56 percent reused pesticide containers to store water, food or household items. Disposal methods included burning, reported by 60.37 percent, and burial, by 34.58 percent. As for leftover pesticides, 72.51 percent said they burned them. “Burning pesticide containers is a practice that poses significant risks by releasing toxic fumes and pollutants into the air, which can harm humans, animals and the surrounding environment,” the report says.

The use of alternatives was negligible, with only seven respondents reporting pesticide-free practices, such as organic traps or repellents. Donthi said awareness and access to agroecological alternatives remained low.

The report documents both acute and chronic health problems. Acute symptoms included dizziness, nausea, vomiting, skin irritation, and difficulty breathing, while chronic problems included persistent weakness, neurological problems, and long-term illnesses related to prolonged exposure. Emergency medical support was found to be inadequate, with delayed access to hospitals and limited trained staff in rural areas.

“Personal protective equipment is rarely used. Farmers cited reasons such as cost, lack of availability and discomfort. Training on PPE is limited and procurement is patchy. We found that even when training was provided, recommendations were not consistently followed. Access to pesticide labels and leaflets was also limited, and many farmers were unable to read or understand the information provided. We also found that instructions were often inaccessible due to language barriers or technical jargon,” Donthi said.

Farmers also reported relying heavily on advice from pesticide retailers, rather than scientific guidance. The most frequently reported chemical was monocrotophos, used by almost half of those surveyed. Other commonly used products included imidacloprid, acephate, fipronil, flonicamid, emamectin benzoate, glyphosate, lambda cyhalothrin, and paraquat dichloride.

“Almost 19 of the active ingredients identified are classified as highly hazardous pesticides (HHP), and several are linked to genetic defects, endocrine disruption and organ toxicity. Monocrotophos is associated with genetic damage, glyphosate with bladder and liver toxicity and possible carcinogenicity, acephate with endocrine disruption, carbofuran with testicular degeneration and risks of fatal poisoning, chlorpyrifos with thyroid toxicity and the liver, and paraquat dichloride with serious lung injury if inhaled,” Donthi said.

These chemicals were primarily used on cotton, soybeans, chickpeas, and chickpea crops, with cotton showing the highest pesticide intensity. The report says repeated exposure and weak emergency response systems continue to leave farmers vulnerable to poisoning and long-term illness.