M. Mukundan, writer, has admitted that the cultural leaders of the State have failed to act in time against hazardous pesticides like Endosulfan, the use of which led to serious health hazards in the district.
The cultural leaders should have acted in time to avert the serious health hazards being faced by hapless victims of the prolonged aerial spraying of Endosulfan in the cashew estates of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) in the district, Mr. Mukundan said here on Wednesday.
Faced with such a burning issue, many people were trying to indulge in blame game to garner political mileage rather than working jointly to check the use of the pesticide.
When the whole region was gripped by the grim situation due to the pesticide spraying, society by and large remained indifferent and casual to the burning issue, Mr. Mukundan, who was here to attend a meeting of cultural activists against Endosulfan use, said.
“As hundreds of victims and their family members are leading a life of misery and trauma due to serious health hazards, why the authorities are insisting on yet another study and evidences,” he wondered.
The prolonged spraying of the pesticide had caused untold hardships to three generations while two more generations would have to bear the brunt of the poisoned biodiversity of the region, he said.
Holding the PCK as the main culprit, Mr. Mukundan stressed the need for implementing decent rehabilitation packages and providing expert medical care for the victims and their families.
He said the cultural activists from the State would visit houses of the Endosulfan victims to assess the situation for themselves.
