The decision of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants to include the pesticide endosulfan in the list of chemicals scheduled for elimination at the global level is a positive step. For the controversial insecticide to be replaced with benign alternatives, though, it is critical that official policy makes the development of low cost substitutes a priority. India has done well to reiterate its commitment to the phasing out of pollutants, which includes polychlorinated biphenyls, under the Convention. It has come up with a National Implementation Plan to cleanse the environment, while admitting that POPs have been found in human and animal blood and tissues, in the environment, and in foods. Given the evidence linking such chemicals to cancer, birth defects, diminished intelligence, and reduced immunity, there is a strong case to adopt the precautionary principle on the use of endosulfan. It is indeed significant that the World Health Organisation has classified this organochlorine insecticide as “moderately hazardous” and the POP Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention recommended its elimination on the ground that it could have adverse effects on human health and the environment.
Under the terms of its accession to the Stockholm Convention, India has the option to ratify the decision on endosulfan whenever it chooses. But, given the strong public sentiment against its use, especially in Kerala where aerial spraying of crops by the Plantation Corporation is seen as the cause for a rise in mental retardation, birth defects, infertility, and growth abnormalities, the central government should take a view sooner rather than later. A window of 11 years is available to replace endosulfan with safer alternatives based on the exemption provisions of the Convention and the date of implementation, but that is unacceptably long. Moreover, if the harmful effects of the insecticide are indeed true, as several studies suggest, there has to be urgent action at the national level. Equally important is the need to fully rehabilitate the people of Kasaragod in Kerala who have been affected by the indiscriminate use of the insecticide in cashew cultivation. The wider effects on the environment in the affected region, as recorded by the Salim Ali Foundation, underscore the need for a good remediation plan. Containing the pollution requires a systematic study of the soil, air, and water quality. Recovery of the regional ecology would be aided in no small measure by sparing further chemical stresses, and wherever feasible, by switching to organic methods. India has stopped the use of DDT in agriculture and, with sufficient will, can do the same with endosulfan.
Keywords: Stockholm Convention, Organic Pollutants, endosulfan ban
anti-endosulfan people needs to be credited. but, what about suffers of endosulphan?
Our people who have celebrated the approval of the recommendation for elimination of production and use of Endosulfan by Stockholm Convention at Geneva are still not aware of the constraints faced by state governments which had banned the pesticide. A national level ban will take time as the central government still awaits the report of ICMR. Further the ban is to be ratified by the Parliament. The formalities in respect of arriving at the compliance mechanism for banned persistent organic pollutants and financial assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the treaty obligations are still underway. We cannot expect Indian government expedite its home work on ban to avoid hanging on issues for first five years and then to seek renewal of exemptions for the next phase of five years. Taking into account the period of one year for affecting the listing, the phase- out period may get stretched for eleven years! Further it will be a distant dream to identify a cost effective alternative to Endosulfan.
Unfortunately exemption will be covered to majority of crops other than Cashew and thus it will be a herculean task for Kerala and Karnataka governments to clamp ban in remote regions for few more years. Lobbying by the pesticide industry will attempt to prevail on the regime to extend the usage for the next 11 full years! Probably this threat can be overcome if there is a concerted mission around the globe for identifying alternatives to Endosulfan. Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan may have to take forward the on-going protests against Endosulfan by interacting with Public Interest groups in other countries, especially in China, Uganda and Indonesia where the usage of Endosulfan will be continued for various crops as in the case of India. These nations too had joined with India in the Stockholm convention on POPs at Geneva for a compromise while accepting the ban on Endosulfan with exemptions. Even the Public Interest Groups in Philippines, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea and Sri Lanka will still be vigilant for ensuring the immediate implementation of the ban in their respective nations and also for preventing smuggling of the pesticide in disguise from overseas. Peoples's forums and student communities through-out our country have to be imparted knowledge on the issue. Waging war against the use of the deadly pesticide Endosulfan will certainly continue to get a place in the agenda of V.S. Achuthanandan together with his never ending anti-corruption campaigns.
Smuggling of Endosulfan into Kerala is common and unfortunately the State's agriculture officers are not empowered to enforce any ban on this under the Insecticides Act. Agriculture officers may have right to stop anyone using it upon detecting possession of the pesticide. But they cannot prevent smuggling of the pesticides through any mode of transport. Thus Endosulfan can be totally eliminated unless there is a national or global ban. This is similar to the smuggling of Banned Endosulfan into Malaysia from the neighboring Thailand. The pesticide continues to be in use in the paddy fields of Kedah, Malaysia which had raised concerns to the Malaysian regime about its implementation of the ban and the consequent health hazards posed by farmers and consumers. Malaysia is struggling to contain the smuggling of Endosulfan from Thailand and its distribution in ingenious ways. Thus the hassles of endosulfan and its usage in remote areas of Kerala and Karnataka due to smuggling from across the state boundaries will be a routine matter. In places where there are organized trade unions which educate workers on the dangers of deadly pesticides like Endosulfan, the smuggling of the pesticide from outside the state and its usage will not be possible. But if the communities are not adequately educated on the ill effects of Endosulfan and are not organized, there will be tendencies for smuggling as well as secrete usage of the pesticide. As commented by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, probably India must give a thrust for genetic modifications in cultivation of a host of crops which have to facilitate to dispose of Pesticides. We may have to adopt new technologies backed with adequate safety measures and should not be technophobic. It is not uncommon to see certain communities in remote villages in inter-state borders of all states, live in isolation from the mainstream population of the region. Majority of them being linguistic minorities will be reading news papers of a different language and will primarily watch television programmes of the language across the state border. Unfortunately such people will never come to know on certain important social issues and governmental restrictions to overcome the same while they are not used to listen to the AIR news or Television News of the home state. The concerned state should be aware of this anomaly and it has an obligation to take measures for educating people in remote places on the latest governmental orders in respect of important issues like the ban of Endosulfan. Local bodies of the region must arrange for public announcement of such ban orders and should also distribute brochures in languages usually spoken and read by the communities in enclaves, seeking the support of people for effective implementation of the same.
The campaign against Endosulfan has been going on for several years now. It has been condemned as the causative agent of all kinds of unrelated ailments and illnesses, like 'neurological disorders, congenital malformations, severe allergies, reproductive disorders, cancers, mental retardation', respiratory disease, gynaecological problems, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, malformations, spastic disorders, cancer, and liver and hormonal problems. It is impossible for one single chemical to be the cause of such a diversity of illnesses. In August 2005, Central government submitted before the Kerala High Court that no link has been established between the use of Endosulfan and health problems reported in Padre village in Kasargode district. There have been any number of studies on the acute and chronic toxicity of Endosulfan, and the overall conclusion is that it is safe if used properly. At the same time, any substance -- even common salt -- will be a health hazard if wrongly used. The oral LD50 of Endosuofan for rats ranges from 18 to 355 mg/kg body weight -- this is a VERY HIGH dose. It is IMPOSSIBLE to ingest such a huge quantity accidentally in the course of spraying operations.
The force behind the anti-Endosulfan propaganda is the European Union. EU wants a ban on Endosulfan, as it is a low-priced generic pesticide, and it is manufactured in India. EU wants India to push for expensive pesticides which cost a bomb. EU is propagating copiously funding environmental NGOs (ENGOs) for campaigning against Endosulfan. NGOs are also probably making money through misdirected govt munificence. In August 2006, the Kerala Chief Minister announced Rs.50,000 each as solatium to the families of victims who had died of 'Endosulfan poisoning'. It is quite likely that much of this 'solatium' ended up in the pockets of anti-Endosulfan activists.
This editorial is long overdue, nevertheless appreciates the editorial board for bringing out this well balanced and precise piece.
I would like to bring to the notice that endosulfan has not only destroyed the future of many families in Kasaragod but has done so of the plenty in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka which borders the Kasaragod district of Kerala.
Endosulfan has been identified as a hazardous chemical with many confirmations on its adverse health impacts. Out of the 100 plus countries that participated in the convention, it is understood that India was the only country that explicitly talked against the ban of endosulfan. This clearly indicates that there is a nexus between the endosulfan manufacturers and its beneficiaries. 11 years may have been a business agreement and not a solution to the Indian populace...
"Better late than never." So goes the adage. Though your editorial comes late, it endorses a human cause. The pernicious effects of endosulfan is not confined to a geophysical or contemporary demographic entity. It is a potential threat to the coming generations. In this respect, it is anaolgous to nuclear devastation. It is bewildering that India has taken a stand in support of the production and use of endosulfan in the country. The Union agricultural minister's avid support for this killer insecticide has never been to protect the interests of the poor farmers of the country. Our farmers and agricultural labourers are not only poor but ignorant also. Many amongst the uesers of the insecticide in the farm and the cashew plantation are ignorant of the terrifying ill effects of the poisonous liquid they spray and many of them still contend for its continuation. All said and done, its ban comes as a consolation. Now what matters is the consumate implimentation of the ban.
While the adverse impacts of endosulfan on both the environment and human beings are well known, sticking to its use for enhanced crop growth will be counterproductive. Adoption of sustainable agricultural methods on a large scale should be the way forward as it will serve the dual purpose of ensuring food security and conservation of environment at the same time.
The govt should immediately take compulsive actions to ban the use of Endosulfan.Such potentially hazardous pesticide should not be used to boost agricultural output.
Recently there was much hue and cry in the print media and among our state politicians for a ban on endosulfan and we got a strong case for this from people affected in Kasargod, Palakkad and Idukki.It is pleasing that India agreed for a ban on endosulfan at Stockholm conference when we watched the news in the tv on a hartal day.But my worrying point is that there was no initiative for any financial incentives/Helps for the people born with deformities and reproductive disorders.Politicians are using this issue for vote politics rather than doing some tangible results.Other concern is exemption for the ban for 11 yrs so that an alternative cost effective solution will be developed and that too after ratification.What happened to women's reservation bill?.Does this period give some one license to smuggle this insecticide from other states for a genocide in Kerala.I am also much cynic about our central gov who easily bow down to rich farmer lobby of north to have a country ban on endosulfan.Lets hope for better results.
Of course it is high time to eschew such an absymally hazardous insecticide. Immediate action should be taken in the national level to to tackle this adverse condition, which otherwise will jeopardize and cripples the development of the nation.
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