CSE study: 'Analysis of samples from Padre Village in Kasaragod district of Kerala for Endosulfan Residues'. Feb 21, 2001

February 21, 2001

The international negotiation by UNEP to ban such Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) has already short listed 12 chemicals and endosulfan is expected to be the 13th name in the list. The irreversible damages to the environment and human health by the pesticides already used in the last 25 years are beyond any assessment. The damages by the persistent pesticides are long lasting and will create problems for the generations to come.

Recently the people and few voluntary groups involved in conservation activities and environmental education living nearby one of the plantations, Periya Division, have come together and demanded a complete stoppage of aerial spraying and to start a cleaning programme for the area as soon as possible. The people living nearby one of the plantation, Periya division are affected by ailments like headache dizziness, skin lesions, sudden abortions, neurological disorders, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, cancer and physically andmentally handicapped children etc. The younger generation is losing their immunity and occurrence of fever and other diseases are very high. The cattle and dogs die within one week after spraying. Stream fishes and the whole water body and the soil are contaminated with chemicals. The area does not have a public water supply system and the people depend on wells that are contaminated. CSE offered to conduct laboratory tests on sample collected from the Padre village free of cost in their newly established Pollution Monitoring laboratory.