ENDOSULFAN WOES

ENDOSULFAN WOES

Endosulfan in Kasargod district continue to suffer while the incidence of children born with neurobehavioural disorders, congenital malformation and other abnormalities has come down in most of the 11 worst affected panchayats, while about 500 deaths since 1995 have been officially acknowledged as related to the spraying of Endosulfan, unofficial estimates put the total number of deaths since the late seventies at around 4,000 people are still dying from the after effects of the Endosulfan. More than 9000 people have health problem caused by the pesticide used by the state owned plantation corporation of kerala in its cashew plantations at kasargod , Rajapuram, Cheemeni and mannarkkad.
The Corporation began aerial spraying of the pesticide in its plantations spread across 15 panchayats in the district in 1978 and continued till 2001. The pesticide which is not easily degradable, contaminated the soil and water and found its way in to the food chain, affecting lower and higher forms of life in the area, including human beings. As its Kasargod estate alone, the PCK sprayed 31,510 Litres of Endosulfan between 1990 and 2000. However,its degrade products such as Endosulfan sulfate and Endosulfan diol are also toxic. The combined half-life of Endosulfan and its toxic residues is estimated to range from nine months to six years, according to the Environment protection Agency of the U.S. This means that toxic materials could still be present in the environment of the affected villages in measurable quantities especially in sediments where they accumulate.
With the reduction of the poison in the environment, insects, butterflies and other species that had almost disappeared from the affected panchayats have returned.
The children born with abnormalities have come down in this locality. The incidence of congenital abnormalities neurological disorders, abortions, epilepsy and other diseases is now comparable to the rest of population in the state. Surveys had shown that the incidence of bone deformities, infertility, mental retardations and congenital heart diseases in the panchayat is 10 times more than those among the other populations. The local people say the government has failed to De-contaminate the water sources or arrange alternative water supply either through large schemes or rain water harvesting. The sources of several existing water supply schemes are contaminated.
The plantation corporation should compensate the victims and that the government should pay pension to the victims to cover their minimum needs
Prof John Kurakar