A committee has been formed in the Kottayam district to enforce the State-wide ban on use of Endosulfan, according to an official release.
With the District Collector as the Chairperson, the committee includes the Principal Agricultural Officer as Convener, District Superintendent of Police, Sales Tax Commissioner, Assistant Excise Commissioner, Public Prosecutor, Revenue Divisional Officer, District Labour Officer, the representatives of the Kerala Agricultural University and the Pollution Control Board, Deputy and Assistant Agricultural Directors and other nominees of the Collector.
The empowered body has been formed to prevent the use, distribution and storage of the pesticide. As part of the ban enforcement, measures such as conducting raids in plantations, vehicles and distribution godowns shall be adopted.
Raids shall be conducted under the supervision of the Agricultural Officer and the Assistant Agricultural Director. Any substance that has been discovered or suspected to be Endosulfan, shall be confiscated. The action shall be taken in accordance with the Central Pesticide Act 1968. The samples of the confiscated pesticides would be sent to the Central Insecticide Laboratory (CIL) at Faridabad in Haryana. Further actions shall be taken on the basis of the lab results.
During the first meeting of the committee that was convened here on Friday, the District Collector Mini Antony informed the public that possession of Endosulfan, if any, should be informed to the Principal Agriculture Officer.
