Ban Synthetic Pesticides around National Parks, Sanctuaries, RFs and Protected areas

[Roopak Gangadharan]

The central government stand on this issue is both comic and tragic. It says there is no scientific evidence for a ban when the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) a high profile institute under its own control has submitted a detailed report with contents which justify a ban ten times over. Even the NHRC is shouting for a ban.


Roopak

[Mrudul Godbole]

Kochi endosulfan unit ordered to close

Roy Mathew
Public sector Hindustan Insecticides charged with polluting environment
Repeated demands to shift hazardous wastes to common treatment facility ignored

Pesticide residues leaching into neighbourhood

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) on Tuesday ordered Hindustan Insecticides Limited, Kochi, manufacturing endosulfan, to close down its operations on charges of environmental pollution. The public sector company has been asked to close down “all operations and process in the industry with immediate effect.” However, it will have seven days to report compliance as some processes need time for total shutdown, says the PCB order.

Chairman K. Sajeevan said in an interview that the company, which manufactures other pesticides, besides endosulfan, had been continuously violating conditions of the ‘integrated consent to operate' granted by the PCB that specified proper handling of effluents and hazardous waste. Repeated demands made by the Board to shift hazardous wastes to the common treatment, storage and disposal facility at Ambalamedu were ignored. Nor did the company respond to a show-cause issued last month.

The Chairman said pesticide residues and their degradation products were leaching into the neighbourhood. The nearby stream, Kuzhikandam Thodu, was contaminated, leading to death of fish in the past. People were living within 200 metres of the factory; and four industries in the locality — HIL, FACT, IRE and Mercum — were supplying drinking water to 2,140 families.

The PCB order said HIL had violated provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, the Environment (Protection) Act and the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules. As per the consent given for its operation, the company had to close the earthen lagoon containing hazardous waste on its premises after transferring the liquid part to the effluent treatment plant and shifting the entire quantity of hazardous wastes to the common disposal facility.

Backfilling of the lagoon after de-sludging was to be completed before June 2010. However, the company had not even kept its promise to complete the work by April 30, 2011. An inspection by the Board officers on April 18 and May 2 confirmed that no measures had been taken by the company to remove the sludge. There was also the chance of toxic sludge seeping into nearby waterbodies through storm water.

Link - http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/11/stor...1162310700.htm

[Mrudul Godbole]

Some positive news..

Court to consider passing interim order banning endosulfan

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that it would consider passing an interim order on Friday imposing a ban on the production of endosulfan, considering the harmful effects of this pesticide on the people of this country.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar posted the matter for further hearing on May 13 after impleading the pesticide manufacturers. The Bench was hearing a petition filed by the Democratic Youth Federation of India.

Senior counsel Krishnan Venugopal, appearing for the petitioner insisted on the court to impose a ban. However, Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam informed the court that the government had constituted two committees to go into the harmful effects of endosulfan on the people.

He said the two committees would be made into one and two experts, one epidemiologist and one immunologist would be inducted into the committee and a report would be submitted in three months. The court could consider passing an interim order thereafter, he said.

The SG said the Centre issued a notification banning endosulfan in Kerala in 2006 itself but its use had to be phased out after a cost effective alternate pesticide was found out.

Senior counsel Soli Sorabjee, appearing for the manufacturers said the manufacturers should be heard before any order was passed. The CJI told the counsel “if we allow manufacture of a pesticide which is found to be harmful, we can't put the clock back. If the report is in your favour, we can always reconsider our order.”

However, after Mr. Sorabjee insisted on further hearing the Bench posted the matter for Friday. The DYFI in its petition said the valuable life of a large section of people was directly affected because of the use of endosulfan a pesticide which was already banned in 81 countries all over the world and its use of was not permitted in another 12 countries. The petitioner said several studies had documented that endosulfan could also affect human development.

It said endosulfan was the only pesticide applied to cashew plantations in the hills for 20 years and had contaminated the village environment.

The excessive use of chemicals and pesticides for optimising agricultural production created alarming danger to health and safety of living beings in general and agricultural workers in particular.

Link - http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/12/stor...1265400900.htm