Wearing green jackets and yellow headbands that read "Ban Pesticides", more than 100 activists gathered at a decades-old vegetable market in the southern city of Bangalore led by Indian singer and movie actress Vasundhara Das.

"Suppliers of these pesticides cheat the farmers by telling them these chemicals make their vegetables, rice and wheat healthier, which is not the truth," said Das. "Once they start using these chemicals it is a vicious cycle.

"One should demand the ban of these pesticides and take to organic farming. As consumers we should start this movement and put pressure on the governments and courts," she said.

Greenpeace said it took up the campaign as India's Supreme Court was slated within a fortnight to hear a public interest litigation filed by a non-governmental organisation demanding a ban on pesticides and insecticides.

"Indians are routinely exposed to several deadly pesticide residues in food and water well beyond permissible levels. Even government studies have proved this beyond doubt," said Kavitha Kuruganti of Greenpeace India.

According to a report of the Indian Council of Medical Research quoted by Greenpeace, tests showed that 51 percent of food samples taken from around the country had residue of pesticides of which 20 percent had levels exceeding accepted limits.

Greenpeace said the pesticides sold by Indian and foreign companies included endosulphan, methyl parathion and phorate, most of them banned in developed countries, with Indians largely unaware of their link to illnesses including cancer, birth-defects and immune system disorders.

The Greenpeace spokeswoman said the group had already collected 5,000 signatures from farmers demanding a ban on pesticides and about 600 signatures from consumers on Friday.

"We will be submitting these signatures to the government ministries soon. It may act as an added pressure on them," Kuruganti said.

Greenpeace said it would mobilise similar drives around the country soon.

TERRA.WIRE