INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Supreme Court on Thursday told the Centre not to allow planting genetically modified (GM) mustard until the next hearing on the matter
could come in the way of the early sowing of GM mustard this rabi season because the ideal planting time closes in 10-15 days.
The Bench of
Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia said the petitioners had pointed out the crop was hazardous.
Advocate Prashant
Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Aruna Rodrigues, said the court-appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) had advised against using any
crops and the sowing of such seeds should be put on hold.
The petition cited the reasons for not using herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops, the
to occupy an area of over 24 million hectares as of 2012
alternative work if such crops were introduced.
The petition said the TEC recommendations asked for a ban on HT crops.
It also said the
and germplasm as will happen with mustard HT DMH 11 and its HT parents will be irremediable and irreversible making our food toxic at the
said at present around 10 kg of the mother DMH-11 seed was available
Of that around 2 kg has been sourced by the Directorate of Rapeseed and Mustard, which is under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research,
moved according to plan, in less than three years GM mustard would be available for commercial use.
