NEW DELHI, Feb 9 (NNN-Bernama):India on Tuesday made a crucial decision not to introduce genetically modified (GM) brinjals, thus diffusing a hot political debate that has been raging across the nation for the past weeks.

"It's my duty to adopt a cautious precautionary-based approach and impose a moratorium on the release of Bt brinjal pending an independent scientific study to find out its long term effect on human health and environment.

"There is no clear consensus from the scientific community; there is no overriding urgency to introduce Bt brinjal," India's Environment minister Jairam Ramesh announced Tuesday.

The government had to decide whether to allow the commercialisation of the Bt (bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium with resistance to certain insects) brinjals, after farmers and opponents strongly opposed the transgenic crop.

They claimed that its cultivation could damage the soil, deplete water level and that it was unsafe for consumption, despite claims that the genetically modified (GM) seeds had higher yield compared to the indigenous seeds.

At least 60 per cent of brinjal-growing states in India rejected the transgenic crop, as political leaders came under pressure not to accept the GM crop and instead promote the natural variety.

Last December, India's biotech regulator, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), gave the approval for the commercial cultivation of Bt brinjals, a decision that raked up widespread public protest.

The issue was further politicised after an American-based multinational agriculture biotechnology corporation promoted GM crops through a joint venture with an Indian company in India.

This would mean monopoly of the crop and leaving Indian farmers at the mercy of foreign multi-nationals.

Brinjal is the third important crop in India after potatoes and tomatoes. Indian farmers produce about 8.4 million tonnes of brinjals annually.

-NNN-BERNAMA