Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh has launched Kisan Kavach, the first-of-its-kind anti-pesticide bodysuit, to protect farmers from the harmful effects of pesticide exposure. The indigenous innovation marks a transformative step in ensuring farmer safety.
The bodysuit developed by BRIC-inStem, Bengaluru, in collaboration with Sepio Health, offers protection against pesticide-induced toxicity, which often leads to severe health complications. Regular exposure to pesticides can lead to breathing disorders, vision loss, and, in extreme cases, death.
“Kisan Kavach is not just a product but a promise to our farmers to safeguard their health as they continue to feed the nation,” Jitendra said.
The bodysuit is washable and reusable and can last up to a year. It employs advanced fabric technology to deactivate harmful pesticides upon contact, ensuring farmer safety.
Jitendra also lauded the efforts of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and BRIC-inStem for spearheading the project and delivering a society-centric innovation.
“Over the last decade, the number of biotech startups in India has surged to over 8,500, putting us on track to achieve a $300 billion bio-economy. With initiatives like Kisan Kavach, we are not only safeguarding our farmers but also advancing towards climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable development,” he added.
The manufacturing process, detailed in the journal Nature Communications, showed that it involves the covalent attachment of a nucleophile on cotton fabric, which is stitched as “Kisan Kavach”.
The fabric can deactivate pesticides upon contact through nucleophilic-mediated hydrolysis, thereby preventing pesticide-induced toxicity and lethality.
