A RECKLESS USE OF ENDOSULFAN

The kerala state Government is presently waging a war against its Central Indian Government over banning the pesticide Endosulfan while the central Government is doggedly supporting the use of the insecticide.

The Government of Kerala was happily using this most toxic pesticide for spraying aerially via Helicopters on its plantations in the Kasarkode district despite local people's protests for the last two decades. Endosulfan is Neurotoxic and can pass its toxic effects from mother to child. The people living in the area developed strange rare diseases and deformities. The new-born children were also not spared.Then the activists and N.G.Os came to the scene and the aerial spraying was stopped. By then the continuous use of pesticide for many years had done the damage.Now almost all families living there have one tragic story or other to narrate.

there are even reports that women are choosing to terminate pregnancy than to become a mother of a deformed child, consequently the birth rate has also come down there drastically.

India is the largest user, producer and exporter of Endosulfan as such to stop usage and production might seriously affect the industry and workers. The main reason of Indian Government's reluctance to outrightly condemning its use hinges on that aspect whereas its State Government, Kerala, has to show off vehement protest in order to remain people-friendly.

The situation would not have come to such a tragic pass had Kerala used the pesticide discretionally. The pesticide being very toxic should not have been sprayed aerially.The human tragedy in Kasarkode is a singular one happened in India as no aerial spraying had been done elsewhere.The Government owned plantation corporation in its mindless pursuit for profit gave a deaf ear to the trauma of its effects.

It proves that banning a particular pesticide alone would not save the situation unless the Governments and people are vigilant in their use of pesticides.

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