Government initiative on Pest Management Trainings in India

By Mohan Rao, A.M.K., National Institute of Rural Development

1. Preamble 

The rising economic growth of India brought rapid urbanization and many of the rural areas are taking on characteristics more typical of real towns. 75% of new factories are built in rural areas and increased business in real estate, consumer appliances etc. contributing further to rural urbanization. The data on Indian districts indicate that 20 to 30 per cent of the rural workforce is primarily involved in non-farm economic activity. 

Further, climate change or variable climate with irregular rain fall further accentuated problems like poor sanitation and hygiene with unmatched infrastructure and civic amenities. These unhygienic conditions were conducive for the habitation of a variety of pests and vectors like mosquitoes, rodents, termites, flies, cockroaches, bedbugs, monkeys, pest birds etc. leading to negative impact on human health and causing structural and commodity losses quantitatively. Pests caused economic damage, while vectors caused debility again indirectly affecting economy of small farmers.

2. Common pests/vectors

Mosquitoes are common vectors of malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and zika fevers are widespread in the country. Malaria causes 7.5 million deaths per year by Anopheles. The female Aedes mosquito cause dengue fever, chikungunya and lymphatic filariasis in rural environs, while the Culex mosquito spreads encephalitis. The House rat and House mouse are found in commercial and residential places and even problem for food security in rural set up including poultry sector with Lesser bandicoot rats. Mice make nibbling of conduits and wires causing damage to computers, cars and other sensitive infrastructure necessitating their management essential by skilled personnel.

Termites are yet another group of pests with threat to wood-based structures. Due to their significant damage, all new residences are being given anti termite treatment. Post construction treatments are often given to prevent their damage. Houseflies and cockroaches are common in all places of poor sanitation and solid waste disposal. Wooden buildings that provide many cracks and crevices in which food can accumulate are vulnerable for cockroaches. Bed bugs have become more a nuisance value in the residential premises. The stored grain pests like weevils, grain borers, mites, beetles and moths cause both qualitative as well as quantitative losses to the stored commodities stressing the need for their management.  Pigeons and other granivorous birds live in cities and towns make buildings or park lands thickly covered with bird faeces threatening health security of rural and urban folks. With the loss of their natural habitats due to expansion of villages in the fringe areas, monkeys became pests in these urbanizing villages and even cities. Most of the efforts to manage them failed.

3. Pest/Vector control Industry in India

Attention on pest and vector control gained attention in recent times with larger scale economic losses and increasing debility with vector borne diseases in the country. In India, pest control market has seen exceptional growth at approximately 20% in the last few years, which is attributed to the increasing pest populations, growing customer awareness about the health issues and strict regulatory requirements in hospitality, health, food and pharmacy sectors resulting in increased demand for pest control activities. 

Key growth drivers include (i) High GDP growth: at 7.7% growth in fiscal 2017 and 7.6% in 2018, (ii) Population growth: at 1.45 billion by 2028, (iii) Rapid urbanization with 68 cities with over 1 million people, (iv) Expansion of middle classes by reaching 91m by 2030, (v) Increasing hygiene standards and (vi) Government initiatives. At Present, Rentokil Initial has a market size with annual revenue of Rs. 450 crores, operate from 250 locations and employ more than 7000 professionals with efforts on popularizing the services, client awareness and education, especially, in the advent of Covid-19 infections. 

The entire Indian pest control industry is smaller than Anticimex, the 5th largest PCO in the world, which has an annual turnover of more than US$500 million in 2019. A recent analysis with 4.0 lakh web searches covering 8 metros indicated an upsurge of 90% online requests for pest control in the past one year with rodent control at 809% and termite control at 100% growth in service requests across all cities surveyed. 

4. Skill based training programs developed in India

Although in-house training programs are conducted by Pest Control companies based on their need, Institutions like CFTRI, IGMRI, CPPTI initiated 15-day trainings as per the requirement of Insecticides Rules with no specific curriculum on pest/vector control. First time, during 2010, the first author developed the curriculum of 15 day training including vectors at the National Institute of Plant Health Management under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India in a National Workshop involving national scientists, senior regulatory body officers and professionals from pesticide industry and Pest Management industry including Associations (IPCA and PMA) held under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary (Plant Protection), Ministry of Agriculture. 

Being a pivotal organization in rural development activities, under transformation to urban hubs, the National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj under the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj planned rural employability through skill based vocational training programs in pest/vector management in a project mode targeting rural youth with X class dropouts. 

4.1. Objectives

4.1.1. The objectives were to identify vocational training programs to the different levels of personnel – Technician level, (i) Supervisory level and Entrepreneurial level in pest/vector management, (ii) to prepare certification and assessment standards, (iii) to prepare Qualification Packs for 8 levels of Pest Management sectors, (iv) and to prepare curricula for the Qualification Packs, lesson plans, teaching and learning materials and teaching manuals.

4.1.2. To build capacity in development of competency standards, qualification packs, course curricula, learning material and assessment standards in the country.

4.2. Scope

It is expected to have good employability due to the industry growth of about 15 – 20% per year, job attrition at high job market, skill based manpower with X pass sticking to these jobs and ability to establish own entrepreneurship in these sectors.

4.3. Key Features and expected outcomes of the Scheme 

It is demand driven cluster of short term training courses on pest/vector management in habitations based on Modular Employable Skills (MES) identified through Qualification Packs. Minimum Skills Sets were identified for gainful employment or self-employment in these sectors. Various funding agencies exist for interested entrepreneurs in private sector and Central/State Institutions to provide training to interested persons. The essence of the scheme is in the certification and assessment by the NIRDPR under National Council of Vocational Training that is nationally and internationally recognized. All training programs are aligned with the national skill qualifications framework. Qualification pack (training outcome to meet skill requirements in pest and vector management) prepared for all the 8 programs were approved by National Skill Development Agency. 

4.4. The qualifications & planned outcomes 

4.4.1. General Pest Management (GPM) Technician 

Course Code : NIRDPR/SPM/QGPMT/2020 Term – 270 Hours

-  Carry out the job of controlling Termites, Mosquitoes, Cockroaches, Bed bugs, Flies, Rodents, Birds, Other Vertebrate pests weeds etc in Residential and commercial establishments and surroundings.

-  Having knowledge of various pests and their Habitats, Knowledge of various pesticides and their uses, Knowledge of various equipment’s and their uses.

-  Having knowledge of various treatment methods using appropriate pesticides and tools observing all safety aspects.

-  Having ability to communicate the treatment methods and safety aspects to the customers, keep an accurate and reliable documentation and record of the treatment carried out and maintain all data pertaining to the services carried out.

-  Having full responsibility to carry out an effective treatment observing all safety aspects.

4.4.2. General Pest Management (GPM) Supervisor

Course Code : NIRDPR/SPM/QGPMS/2020  Term 341 Hours

-  Supervise the job of controlling Termites, Mosquitoes, Cockroaches, Bed bugs, Flies, Rodents, Birds, Other Vertebrate pests weeds etc in Residential and commercial establishments and surroundings.

-  Having knowledge of various pests and their Habitats, Knowledge of various pesticides and their uses, Knowledge of various equipment’s and their uses , Calculate the dosage & dosage rates.

-  Having knowledge of various treatment methods using appropriate pesticides and tools observing all safety aspects and , knowledge of pest management in specialized facilities, carry our risk assessment and inspection and monitoring.

-  Having ability to communicate the treatment directions to the technicians, keep an accurate and reliable documentation and record of the treatment carried out and maintain all data pertaining to the services carried out.

-  Having full responsibility for planning an effective treatment and ensuring proper execution through the technicians.

4.4.3. General Pest Management (GPM) Manager

Course Code : 2020/AGR/NIRDPR/03869 Term 417 Hours 

-  Managing the Business of General Pest Management controlling Administration, Marketing , operations and all other aspects of office administration.

-  Having knowledge of various pests and their Habitats, Knowledge of various pesticides and their uses, Knowledge of various equipment’s and their uses , having thorough knowledge of all aspects of operations , administration and marketing and Manpower and office management.

-  Having knowledge of various treatment methods using appropriate pesticides and tools observing all safety aspects and , knowledge of pest management in specialized facilities, carry our risk assessment and inspection and monitoring. Have responsibility for quality delivery of services through proper administration at different situations.

-  Having knowledge of all statutory and mandatory requirements, being responsible for all matters related to the business including Human resources.

-  Having full responsibility for running the business of pest management and personal and public safety including the choice of materials and also for the entire work force.

4.4.4. Vector Control Technician (Local Bodies) 

Course Code : 2020/AGR/NIRDPR/03874 Term 204 Hours

-  Carry out the job of controlling Mosquitoes, Rodents, Flies, Birds & other vertebrate pests and weeds in and around local body limits.

-  Having knowledge of various pests and their Habitats, Knowledge of various pesticides and their uses, Knowledge of various equipment’s and their uses.

-  Having knowledge of various treatment methods using appropriate pesticides and tools observing all safety aspects.

-  Having ability to communicate the treatment methods and safety aspects to the residents, keep an accurate and reliable documentation and record of the treatment carried out and maintain all data pertaining to the services carried out.

-  Having full responsibility to carry out an effective treatment observing all safety aspects.

4.4.5. Vector Control Supervisor (Local Bodies)

Course Code : 2020/AGR/NIRDPR/03873 Term 223 Hours

-  Supervise the job of controlling Mosquitoes, Rodents, Flies, Birds & other vertebrate pests and weeds in and around local body limits.

-  Having a good knowledge of various pests and their Habitats, Knowledge of various pesticides and their uses, Knowledge of various equipment’s and their uses.

-  Having knowledge of various treatment methods using appropriate pesticides and tools observing all safety aspects and collating information collected from the field.

-  Having ability to communicate the treatment methods and safety aspects to the Technicians, keep an accurate and reliable documentation and record of the treatment carried out and maintain all data pertaining to the services carried out and communication of various treatment aspects to the residents.

-  Having full responsibility for the treatment and its safety aspects and ensuring the same from the technicians.

4.4.6. Fumigation Technician

Course Code : 2020/AGR/NIRDPR/03868 Term 200 hours

-  Conduct of Fumigation of Cargo Containers / Stacks under Gas proof Sheets with Methyl Bromide / Aluminium Phosphide.

-  Having Knowledge of : Fumigation Principles, Regulations, Fumigants & Their properties, Fumigation Methodology, Application of Fumigants.

-  Carry out Fumigation of Cargo Containers / Stacks with Methyl Bromide / Aluminium Phosphide using appropriate equipments.

-  Calculating and applying the correct quantity of fumigant, Monitor at prescribed intervals to ensure success of fumigation and preparing field records.

-  Achieve desired result ensuring personal protection and public safety and Training of operational staff.

4.4.7. Fumigation Supervisor

Course Code : 2020/AGR/NIRDPR/03867 Term 200 hours

-  Conduct of Fumigation of Cargo Containers / Stacks under Gas proof Sheets with Methyl Bromide / Aluminium Phosphide.

-  Having Knowledge of : Fumigation Principles, Regulations, Fumigants & Their properties, Fumigation Methodology, Application of Fumigants, Stored Grain Pests & Wood Borers.

-  Carry out Fumigation of Cargo Containers / Stacks with Methyl Bromide / Aluminium Phosphide using appropriate equipments.

-  Calculating and applying the correct quantity of fumigant, Monitor at prescribed intervals to ensure success of fumigation, Documentation , Maintain records and generating reports.

-  Achieve desired result ensuring personal protection and public safety and Training of operational staff. 

4.4.8. Pest Management Technician (Poultry, Aqua & Live Stock)

Course Code : 2020/AGR/NIRDPR/03872 Term 228 hours

-  Carry out the job of controlling various vector pests in Poultry, Live stock and Aqua culture units.

-  Having knowledge of various pests and their Habitats, Knowledge of various pesticides and their uses, Knowledge of various equipment’s and their uses.

-  Having knowledge of various treatment methods using appropriate pesticides and tools observing all safety aspects and collating information collected from the field.

-  Keep an accurate and reliable documentation and record of the treatment carried out and maintain all data pertaining to the services carried out and communication of various treatment aspects.

-  Having full responsibility for the treatment and its safety aspects.

These skill training courses are already listed in the “Pest Management” head of National Qualification Register (NQR – www.nqr.gov.in ) by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) after approval by the first NCVET. The above qualifications are also available through “Recognition of Prior Learning program (RPL) “whereby people who are already in employment will be accredited and certified through assessments, without undergoing regular courses. These programs will be conducted through Accredited Training Centres or Training Partners (On the Job Training Programs). Since these are approved National Qualifications, funding for trainings could be obtained through various Government schemes like DDU-GKY, PMKVY, NRLM, NULM etc.

5. Anticipated outcome

With the availability of 8 certificate courses with employable skills in pest management targeted for X class holders in major sectors like general pest management, vector control, pest control in poultry, aqua and livestock and fumigation technology facilitate employability to the youth in these sectors. 

Since most of these pests are also vectors, human and farm animal burden will also come down in the areas wherever the projects are implemented. As on now, there are no Standard Operation Procedures drawn by subject matter experts and the pest control industry in driven by few individuals and reports also emenate time to time on hazards caused due to pesticide mis/abuse by the operators. These NIRDPR driven courses are skill oriented and hence such hazards could be by and large preventable. 

Needless to mention pest management will save the grain and commodities from pest attach. All these events bring FOOD AND HEALTH SECURITY to the country. Further, once trained in these courses, overseas opportunities of pest management jobs might also increase.