Several field trails of GM recrops including rice, tomato, brinjal and cotton are going on in different parts of the country. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh at a recent meeting with the petitioner, Aruna Rodrigues, finalised the terms of reference of the committee, which included comprehensive review of the field trials being conducted. The panel would see whether the GM crops have met the safety parameters as prescribed by GM regulator and impact on local vegetation.
Rodrigues, in her petition, had alleged that field trials being conducted by various companies after getting approval from Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee had contaminated local vegetation and poultry. Although stray incidents of contamination had been confirmed in certain states, no case of large scale contamination was reported. The petitioner sought a stay on field trials immediately but the court did not agree. Read the full report here.
Source: Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
