HEALTH DEPARTMENT SURVEY IDENTIED 4000 VICTIMS OF ENDOSULFAN

HEALTH DEPARTMENT SURVEY IDENTIFIED 4,000 VICTIMS OF ENDOSULFAN

    The Health department survey identified nearly 4,000 victims after screening 16,000. The house hold survey and the screening done in 11 affected Panchayat during December and January identified 3,937 victims, besides 336 in nearby Panchayats. The numbers are likely to go up at least by 500 as the health department continues to receive complaints about non-inclusion on the list. The survey and accompanying studies officially confirmed the extent of damage done by the pesticide. Which the centre denies

   Mohammed Asheel , Assistant Nodel officer of the Snehasantvanam project, which is overseeing the remediation programme of the victims, says new cases will continue to be reported as the effects of Endosulfan will persist for another 20 years. The department has constituted an expert team to screen fresh cases.

  Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad pawar had maintained in Parliament that some states had opposed a national ban on Endosulfan. However, Right to information activists have found out that no state government had so far written to the centre opposing a ban. Only a few farmers and the Endosulfan lobby had argued against the ban. The Banerji Committee and R.B Singh Committee appointed by the union government had advised the government against use of Endosulfan near water bodies.

   Endosulfan is a broad spectrum organ chloride in pesticide, which is very toxic to organisms and the environment, studies in India and abroad had detected its residues in nearly 5,000  most widely consumed foods, including fruits, vegetables, fish and meat. High levels of resides were detected in all samples of cauliflower and bringal taken in Ranchi (Jharkhand) in 2005. It has been found in grapes, guava rice and Mangoes in India.

  While acute toxicity from the chemical can causes death and several other problems. Chronic exposure of smaller quantities of pesticide over a long period hits the immune, endocrine, reproductive and nervous systems causing a wide range of problems.

The health survey showed that 526 victims of Endosulfan in Kasaragod districts were bed ridden

Prof. John Kurakar