Environmentalists and local people have been raising concern over the rampant use of weedicides in the rubber estates close to the Chimmini wildlife sanctuary.
The plantations have been using Glycine, a highly poisonous weedicide, for destroying the weeds. “Glycine is a glyphosate compound, which is a total killer of plants. It burns the plant totally. The indiscriminate use of the weedicide in the estate pollutes the Kurumali river, which has been used by many for their water needs,” said A.T. Jose Master, general convenor of the Kurumalipuzha Patana Samithy under the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad.
The plantations use the weedicides to get away with labour charge for removing the bush. The studies by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has proved that glyphosate causes cancer in human beings. The report published by the National Pesticide Information Centre in September 2015 too has alerted that use of glycine causes cancer in human beings and other mammals. The weedicide causes anxiety, high heart beats, and depression too .
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The use of the Gycine in the estate close to the Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary has been destroying the bio-diversity of the sanctuary. The studies show that 72 types of plants are under the threat of total extinction due to the use of the weedicide. The IARC studies show that it will also affect the fish population by decreasing their impunity, the Patana Samithy study notes.
The pesticide used in plantations in Palappilly-Echippra areas will directly reach the Kurumali river through rainwater, which has many small and big drinking water projects. The impact will be huge as thousands of people are using the drinking water projects, says the Kurumalipuzha Patana Samithy.
“The rampant use of the weedicide adversity affects the soil quality, killing the earthworms, and other useful bacteria. Studies have found that fish population in the river has been dwindling,” Mr. Jose notes.
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The workers, who are spraying the weedicide, are not using any protective measures.
The empty bottles and covers of the highly poisonous weedicide are being dumped carelessly in the area, he adds.
Though the government circular in July 2015 instructed to check the use of weedicides including glyfosate with strict monitoring of the agriculture officers, such guidelines are not maintained here, alleges the local people.
The Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishat demanded immediate action to stop the use of weedicide to protect the environment and the human beings.