We complain about our untidy colony premises, drainage systems and waste disposals. We hold strikes and protest for price hike of vegetables and petrol. We never bother about widespread epidemic until someone in our family gets it. Same way, we’re not bothered about the dreadful situation that thousands of people go through in our neighboring districts caused by the very harmful pesticide ‘Endosulfan’. Endosulfan is a chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide which consists of highly toxic compounds which are responsible for severe intoxication and several deaths worldwide. It is used widely for insect control in cashew crops, tea plantations, vegetables and grains but it’s absorbed by humans and animals too. Badiadukka village in Kasargod district, Muthalamada village in Palakkad district and Idukki district in Kerala are the major areas which were badly affected by this pesticide. For better yielding and pest repelling, Endosulfan was given to plants through aerial spraying in bigger plantation areas. But, it was sprayed over water in the wells which are used for drinking purposes, ponds, lakes and even on people who were outside their shelters during the time of spraying. This caused many serious illnesses for people living in those areas including Endocrine disruption, Learning and Nervous disorders, Infertility and Impotency, Early puberty in girl children and several other reproductive failures and disabilities.
As per the Govt. of Kerala health records, When Mrs. Leelavathi gave birth to a girl child, the baby’s reproductive organ was completely protruded outside and Leelavathi’s breast milk contained 46 ppm (parts per million) of Endosulfan. Not only breast milk but also blood in the umbilical cord of the babies born in the village contained blood in it. “Every time officials or journalists come here, we’ve a hope that we’ll get justice soon but we’re being disappointed for the past few years. They just come, take down what we say or capture our pictures and videos and get paid for their job and forget about us”, says Mrs. Sreekumari whose two kids have burnt and wrinkled skin all over the body.
Out of 14 countries which uses Endosulfan, India stands first in the usage and production of this deadly harmful pesticide. The Plantation Corporation Ltd., who owns all these hectares of lands doesn’t bother to take any steps to find a solution to this problem which is actually caused by them. “As per Article 21 of the Indian constitution, every citizen has got the ‘right for living’ and these victims are being denied of that. Govt. of Kerala initially tried taking steps to ban this but as per the Indian Insecticides Act, States has got no rights to ban the usage of any pesticides and the Central Government is not willing to lift a ban on this cause of their own reasons and justifications”, says Dr. C. Jayakumar, director of Thanal, an NGO that helps to find a solutions to problems of this kind. Dr. Jayakumar has been the representative from India at the Stockholm Summit to discuss the hazards caused by Endosulfan and other harmful pesticides.
Vegetables and other products produced in these districts are being consumed by us in some way or the other. This means that the day when we also start suffering cause of this pesticide is not too far. Knowingly or unknowingly we are encouraging the same by not protesting or trying to find an alternate to this issue. We should not let a pesticide to steal our future and our generations yet to come.
