NEW DELHI: With the environment ministry’s expert panel approving field demonstration of GM Mustard, a group of civil society and farmers’ organisations have approached the ministry for scrapping it, saying there are risks pertaining to biological contamination as well as deliberate leakage of seeds.
The trials are being done without approval of the states concerned, they further contended.
The ‘Coalition for a GM-Free India’ alleged the trials were recommended on an area of five acres each, which is “creeping commercialisation” and a clear strategy to present citizens with a fait accompli.
“This is being done even though many unanswered concerns remain with regard to GM Mustard, which is herbicide tolerant crop. What is also objectionable is that these are supposed to be field demonstration studies. It is unclear what this new kind of field trial is that GEAC has come up with. Why should impact assessment be a demonstration by the crop developer?” asked the organisation.
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) of the ministry had in September approved the application by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants, University of Delhi, for conduct of field demonstration studies on honey bees and other pollinators at Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in an area of five acres each. Kavitha Kuruganti from ‘Coalition for a GM-Free India’ said the GEAC was encouraging the applicant to inform Delhi and Punjab, rather than seek an NOC.