Article published in The Economic Times
Dated: 29-4-2011
The people of Kasargod, Kerala, are living proof of why endosulfan should be banned. Here, endosulfan was sprayed for 22 years at a stretch in cashew plantations. There was popular protest as early as 1992 when the effects of the pesticide were first noticed. In 1998, an employee in the agricultural department filed a case against this pesticide and endosulfan was temporarily banned after a court order.
But the Indian Pesticide Act doesn't give provision for a permanent ban. Therefore, the high court decided to leave the final decision to an expert committee appointed by the central government. An expert committee headed by Sharad Pawar was constituted.
In 2002 at the direction of the NHRC, NIOH under the ICMR, Hyderabad, conducted an epidemiological survey in an affected area. It was found that endosulfan was the cause of genetic problems among people. Two significant findings of the study were: "There is significant higher prevalence of neuro-behavioural disorders, congenital malformations in female subjects and abnormalities related to male reproductive system in the study group...the most probable cause for the health problems in the study area could be relatively high and continued exposure to endosulfan...
The possibility of endocrine disrupting effect of endosulfan observed in the study has great relevance to the health of future generations. Considering the potentiality of grave consequence the Principle 13 of the Rio declaration of the Earth Summit should be followed. This relates to the precautionary principle and emphasises that lack of scientific certainty is no reason to postpone action to avoid potentially serious or irreversible harm to the environment."
But it was another report prepared at the behest of the Plantation Corporation that was submitted to the committee. The committee led by Pawar submitted the concocted report and endosulfan was exonerated. This was in 2003. Now the PM and the environment minister are soliciting yet another ICMR study and the earlier NIOH report was underhandedly shelved. This is a bid to delay the ban and help the Endosulfan lobby.
Endosulfan is banned in 81 countries. According to the Kerala government, there are 7,200 severely affected people, with over 25,000 people suffering the effects of this pesticide in other ways.
