New Delhi, May 13 -- New Delhi: The Centre is considering a nationwide ban on crop-protection chemicals paraquat and carbosulfan after Telangana and Odisha imposed restrictions on their use, two people familiar with the matter told Mint.

Paraquat is extensively used for weed control and conservation tillage, while carbosulfan is considered one of the few effective options against gall midge attacks in paddy-growing regions.

However, as the kharif sowing season advances, the agrochemical industry has approached the Centre, contending that restricting the two widely used chemicals at the start of the cultivation season could disrupt weed and pest management practices and pose risks to the production of key cereal crops, particularly rice....