Thiruvananthapuram: Seeking to widen his
government's campaign against Endosulfan, Kerala Chief
Minister V S Achuthanandan has written to his counterparts in
other states requesting them to bring combined pressure on the
Centre to impose a nationwide ban on the pesticide.
Ahead of a Kerala 'hartal' tomorrow called by ruling
CPI(M)-led LDF on the Endosulfan issue, Achuthanandan, in his
letter, highlighted the ill-effects due to use of the
pesticide over the years in Kerala's Kasargode district where
over 400 people died and hundreds were suffering from serious
health problems.
He also attached copies of reports of studies on the
death and environmental devastation caused by Endosulfan
spraying over the years in a state-run cashew estate in
Kasargode.
The 87-year-old CPI-M leader, who recently observed a
day-long fast on the issue, wanted his counterparts to prevail
upon the Centre to ask for global ban on Endosulfan at the
ongoing Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Realising the grim danger posed by the pesticide to
living beings and nature, it had been banned by 80 countries
but the UPA Government at the Centre was still reluctant to
take action, Achuthanandan said.
He said there was no need for further studies to
establish the grievous consequences of Endosulfan as the
experience of Kerala had sufficiently brought out that aspect.
An all-party delegation from Kerala had met Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh recently to press the demand for ban
of Endosulfan.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, April 28, 2011, 12:58