Varanasi: Chandauli district administration has imposed a ban on the sale of certain prohibited and hazardous mosquito-repellent incense sticks. The ban includes products containing unapproved, toxic insecticides that pose serious health risks when burned and inhaled.The directive was issued on Monday by the district agriculture protection officer, Vinod Kumar Yadav. The banned brands include Sweet Night, Dinosaur, Shri Dengu Killer, Sleep Well, and Comfort among others.Strict warnings were issued to all grocery stores, insecticide sellers, and pest control operators to immediately stop selling these products and remove any existing stock. Hazardous chemicals including Dimefluthrin (or Dimefluthrin) and Meperfluthrin are used in these items.These incense sticks are not approved by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) for use in such products. They violate the Insecticides Act, 1968, and related rules. These chemicals can enter the lungs via smoke, causing respiratory issues and other health problems, especially for children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.Yadav said that if these products are found being sold, strict legal action will be taken against the concerned sellers under the Insecticides Act-1968 and Rules-1971. He said that at the govt level too, a surveillance on these incense sticks has been intensified.“My special appeal to the residents of the district is that they use mosquito nets and thus avoid the use of such poisonous chemicals,” said Yadav.
