ENDOSULFAN BAN- KERALA STATE WILL OBSERVE APRIL 25 AS ANTI-ENDOSULFAN DAY

      ENDOSULFAN BAN- KERALA STATE WILL OBSERVE APRIL 25 AS ANTI ENDOSULFAN DAY

The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday, 20th April,2011 decided to send an all-party delegation to the center to press for India's support to the proposal for global ban on Endosulfan at the conference of parties of the Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants.
   Health minister P.K Sreemathy will head the delegation which will meet Prime minister Manmohan singh and urge him that the country should support the proposal. The expert committee of the convention had recommended global ban on Endosulfan after 10 years studies. Kerala chief Minister noted that 'India was opposing the ban with out even considering the scope for getting funding from united Nation for using alternative to Endosulfan. Already 81 countries had banned the pesticide while 27 were undecided. The central government had not yet shown willingness to give any assistance to the state for payment of compensation to the victims of compensation to the victims of Endosulfan and their rehabilitation.
  The state had submitted a compensation package of Rs 217 crore as directed by the National Human Rights Commission and a rehabilitation package of Rs 125 crore for central assistance. The chief minister said that 16 teams had studied the effect of Endosulfan on the people of Kasaragod district during the past 10 years. It was cruel for the centre to insist on subjecting the victims to further studies. The Kerala state would observe April 25, the day on which the conference of parties begins in Geneva, Switzerland, as anti-Endosulfan Day. Mas pledges would be taken at all district head quarters.
 The chief minister assured that the government was taking steps for decontamination of the environment in the affected areas and supply a pure drinking water besides giving various assistance to the victims. Many women in the affected areas were resorting to abortion fearing that their children would be born with of abnormalities
  Forest minister Benoy Viswom sid that 256 people had died of Endosulfan in Kerala. Close to 10000 victims had officially been recognized and over 4,270 patients registered and assisted by a special package drawn up by the state government..

                                                                                                       Prof.JohnKurakar