Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government has
asked the Centre to delegate the responsibilities of managing
the use of pesticides to the states.
The request was made in the back ground of on-going campaign
in the state by various NGO` and Institutions for a complete
ban on use of endosulfan pesticide which allegedly caused
various health problems.
In a letter send to Union Minister for Forest and
Environment Jairam Ramesh, State Forest Minister Binoy Viswam
wanted the Centre to entrust the power to regulate, sale and
use of pesticides to the state.
Similar demand was also raised by State Agriculture Minister
Mullakara Ratnakaran the other day.
`The state must have the right to ban or withold a pesticide
from use, if it is seen determental to its local conditions`,
Viswam said in the letter as a continutation of dicussion on
endosulfan issue.
Kerala is a land of rich biodiversity. The wildlife
territories lay close to agriculture lands and farming
communities, he pointed out.
A study conducted in the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in
Kannur district had showed that number of insectivorous birds
had come down, apparently due to the use of pesticides in the
planations nearby.
State also called for changes in the Pesticide Management
Bill-2008, as it had failed to address issues such as
pesticide misuse, contamination and poisoning and issues
related to polluation caused to wildlife, wetlands and
environment.
The pesticide management and regulatory system in the
country had failed to protect biodiversity, forests, wetlands
as well as wildlife, he pointed out.
A campaign by various NGO`s was progressing the state
for a complete ban of endosulfan as the spraying of this
pesticide at state-owned cashew plantation in parts of the
Kasargode district had allegedly caused death of several
persons and serious health problems to hundreds of persons
over the years.
PTI
