The Central Government has notified a ban on Paraquat Dichloride, a herbicide linked to deaths from poisoning, under the Insecticides Act, 1968. The ban covers its manufacture, import, transport, distribution, sale and use in India. The decision followed recommendations of the Registration Committee and an Experts Committee, which pointed to health risks, high fatality rates and the lack of a specific antidote. Farmers commonly used it for weed control after harvest. Paraquat Dichloride is already banned or tightly restricted in more than 70 countries.