Thursday, August 04, 2011: Agriculture Minister K.P. Mohanan today opined that the state government’s stand on the endosulfan issue was to impose a nation-wide ban on the harmful pesticide.
Minister was reacting to the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)’s report that there was no need for a national ban on endosulfan. Meanwhile opposition leader VS Achuthanandan also criticized the (ICMR)’s study report terming it as suicidal.
The Centre must strongly object the report in the Court. The CPM will stage an agitation against the report, he added. The report also says that since an alternative pesticide for endosulfan is costly, the ban can be implemented only in Kerala and Karnataka.
The ICMR study conducted in Kasargod revolved around 489 endosulfan affected victims. Out of this only 15 people were found with maximun residue limit of endosulfan.
Health hazards were reported only in areas where aerial spraying of endosulfan was undertaken. The ICMR study detected liver and kidney-related diseases. As no health-related problems were reported in other parts of the country, a national ban is not advisable, said the ICMR report.
ICMR Director General Viswamohan Katoj had disclosed the other day that modern scientific approach is needed for the rehabilitation of endosulfan affected victims.
No comments:
Post a Comment