Skip to content Skip to navigation

Still India is in Endosulfan love

By editor |

Endosulfan –‘the secret killer’ is still active in India whereas the United States has decided to ban the use of it recently after a lengthy scientific review. It is an inexpensive organochlorine pesticide that builds up the environment. Endosulfan affects kidneys, foetus increases risk of testicular, and prostate cancer in men, breast cancer in women and mutagenic.


Not only the grains and vegetables, even that most of fruits and vegetables are largely unfit for human consumption due to their high chemical content, pesticides continue to be used recklessly in the fields of India including tea gardens of Assam. Punjub a province of India, which is called the ‘Granary of India’ constitutes 2.5 percent of the total agricultural land in the country, but consumes more than 18 per cent of the total pesticides used in India


Endosulfan –‘the secret killer’ is still active in India whereas the United States has decided to ban the use of it recently after a lengthy scientific review. It is an inexpensive organochlorine pesticide that builds up the environment. Endosulfan affects kidneys, foetus increases risk of testicular, and prostate cancer in men, breast cancer in women and mutagenic


In a news published in SCIENCE, 18 June 2010 (VOL 328) Noami Lubric from Zurich (Switzerland) reports the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled that the compound- which has a variety of uses from Florida’s tomato crop to California’s cotton should be phased out on a schedule to be negotiated with the manufacturer . It is to be noted more than 60 other countries for a ban. But the holdouts – including India and China argue that the pesticide should continue to be permitted where farmers cannot ford substitutes. It is unfortunate that India’s representataives at last year’s annual meeting of POPRC (Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee argued that endosulphan is not toxic to humans or the environment at levels currently detected. India also questioned whether Indian users the source of “long-range transport.”


The report by Noami Lubric says that when POPRC holds its next meeting in October to concider the socioeconomic impacts of restricting endosulfan use, India is expected to make the argument that a ban would harm poor farmers. The Indian Government owns the country’s main producer of endosulphan, Hindustan Insecticides Limited. Environmental groups say China, another major endosulphan manufacturer and user, is likely to support India’s position.


USEPA concluded that endosulphan poses a hazard to both wildlife and humans, citing eviedence of fish deaths downstream from treated areas and indications of neuro-degenerative impacts in animals, with implications of humans, particularly farm workers. Among recent data cited by EPA is a study published online earlier this year in Ecotoxicology showing that fish at lower trophic levels in the Everglades may retain endosulphane in tissues and pass it on to wading birds that feed on them. (Compounds that collect in tissues and are passed to predators up the food chain are said to “bioacumulate.” Previous studies have detected low levels of endosulphan in Arctic animals’ tissues, a key indicator of bioaccumulation. Other studies have found traces of endosulphan in human breast milk.


The Health Ministry of Federal government of India has issued a warning about adulaterated fruits and vegetables but doing nothing against endosulphan. The state (provincial) government of Kerala last month (July 2010) finally announced a relief package for victims of endosulphan pesticide. But the noise is yet to reach other states of India where different variety of pesticides use and its impact is much greater.

Other “Silent Killers” active in India

# Heptachlore: Reproductive disorders, blood dyscariasis
# Chlorodane: Reproductive disorders, blood discariasis, non
Hodgkins lymphoma
# Fenthion : Mutagenic, carcinogenic
# Dimethoate: Reproductive disorders, carcinogenic
# Acephate : Carcinogenic, mutagenic
# Permithion: Neurotic complications in children, carcinogenic
# Deltamethrin: Potential endocrine disruptor
# Carbaryl: Genetic mutation,effects kidney, nervous system, non
Hodgkins lymphoma
# Mancozeb: Goiter, birth defects
# Captan: Mutagenic, carcinogenic
# Carbendazim: Affects male reproductive organs
# Simazine, Astrezine: Cancer of testes


By Chandan Kumar Duarah
Address of the writer: C K Duarah, Science Writer, Sadin Publications, Chandmari, Guwahati Assam,781003By Chandan Kumar Duarah

Comments

Sandra's picture

Submitted by Sandra on Thu, 09/09/2010 - 07:03
This is a wake up call and no one is listening. I don't rsad about people taking care of themselves while they are spraying this pesticide. How come the government doesn't give the workers gloves, hats, protective clothing etc..Part of the problem is the individual responsibility of the workers to protect themselves, it goes both ways. Pesticides in not a solution, organic gardening is a positive solution. In this day and age people know about harmuful pesticides. They don't live in a closet. The government creates this problem and also allows it to persist.

Pages

Add new comment

Random Stories

Golden Langur jumps into tourist's attention

26 Nov 2016 - 6:35pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
A Swedist tourist expressed his happiness and attraction over seeing Golden langur, a rare species found in Chakrashila wildlife sanctuary in Kokrajhar district. Fedrick, a Sweden tourist, who is...

Adivasi averse to Cong

12 Feb 2014 - 4:56pm | AT News
Adivashi people are averse to vote the ruling Congress this time. The reason is nothing but the delay-delaying tactic in terms of according ST status.This was what several Adivasi organizations...

Normalcy back to BTAD areas

29 Jul 2012 - 9:42pm | editor
Kokrjhar is limping back to normal along with Dhubri and Chirang. The district administration relaxed curfew in Kokrajhar district on Sunday. But night curfew will stay from 6 in the evening to 6 in...

Assam Rifles Commander visits Assam-Manipur border

25 Jan 2013 - 6:12pm | Anup Biswas
To assess the general security situation in these far flung and remote villages of Dima Hasao District, Brig  Gajinder Singh, Commander of Haflong based Assam Rifles Sector Headquarters at made...

Other Contents by Author

North Lakhimpur - Elections Development

North Lakhimpur: AGP President Brinaban Goswami and Sarbananda Sonowal are in North Lakhimpur to discuss poll strategies for the coming Municipality Elections. Arun Sharma is also a part of the various meetings that have been organised in the last couple of days.Meanwhile various citizen groups have started expressing concern on the absolute no development in North Lakhimpur and Lakhimpur district overall. Lakhimpur is an important strategically and location ally for Assam. N Lakhimpur is the premier town in the Upper Assam North Bank. But there is no development taking place in these areas laments the citizens. The state of the roads are pathetic, civil administration is non existent and...

AASU warns CM not to take things easy

Namrup : The AASU, Advisor Mr. Samujjal Bhattacharya has said that the Tarun Gogoi led Government seems to be suffering from a laid back approach as it has come to power again. He is of the view that the Government should be more proactive while dealing with the various problems that seem to be engulfing the states. Bhattacharya expressed concern on the plight of the villagers in the Assam Nagaland Border and has asked the Government to immediately look into it.

7,000 Indians Take Advantage of Kuwait Amnesty

Kuwait : As the two-month amnesty for illegal immigrants residing in Kuwait ends on June 30, the Indian embassy in the Gulf country has already issued nearly 7,000 emergency certificates to benefit from the scheme. So far the embassy has issued 7,000 emergency certificates to take advantage of the amnesty, Mr PM Thomas, first secretary at the Indian embassy in Kuwait said.

Mr RS Sharma new ONGC Chief

The government has issued formal orders appointing Mr R S Sharma as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), India’s biggest oil producer. Sharma was already acting as the interim CMD of ONGC since May 25 last year. Sharma would be heading the company till January 31, 2011, official sources said.

Sibasagar Bandh was peaceful

The dawn to dusk Sibasagar Bandh called on Friday by various organisations like AASU, AJYCP and Gorkha Association in protest against the Naga aggresion was a total success. No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere.

PC Ram is alive

PC Ram is alive. Ram's son Pravin, his wife and daughter all spoke to him over telephone on Saturday morning for around 15 minutes and confirmed that it was indeed him on the phone. Ram has confirmed on the phone that he is being treated well and has been kept like a guest. Police authorities have claimed that they were all along sure that Ram was alive and had declared him death only because his son had identified the dead body recovered earlier.

NAB To Bring 41 Jobs To India

Australia's leading bank, National Australia Bank (NAB), has decided to offshore its 41 back office finance jobs to India by the end of this year. Confirming that NAB is planning to offshore the jobs to Bangalore by the end of this year, Bank's corporate affairs manager Ms Kerrina Lawrence, said, "41 back office finance roles will be transitioned outside of the company by the year's end. The off shoring of jobs, which the Finance Sector Union of Australia (FSU) said will affect 90 employees of the bank's wealth management finance division in Sydney. But, Ms Lawrence said, it was not known how many employees would be affected by the change. Elaborating the bank's...

Australia to encourage immigration from India

In a bid to overcome the shortage of skilled workers in various fields, Australia has decided to fast-track the process of approving immigration applications by setting up assessment centres in India and other countries. The government has appointed a consortium to assess skills of would-be migrants in India an other countries like Britain, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The consortium of TAFE colleges of Victorian and West Australian state will concentrate on workers in occupations where there are shortages of labour in Australia, including electricians, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters and bricklayers. The intention is to ease skills shortages by reducing the time it...

Reporters protest against Strikes and Bandhs

Dibrugarh: Around 20 reporters in Dibrugarh had taken out a Motorcycle to protest against Bandhs and strikes that are called so frequently and sometime for very flimsy reasons. They feel that this is not helping anyone and hindering the development of Assam

3 people killed in Sibasagar due to Naga aggression

A group of Naga people suspected to be sympathisers and supporters of of NSCN (I-M) attacked villagers on the Assam side in Sonapur, Borholla and Dhekiajuli on Assam-Nagaland border under Geleky sector in Sivasagar District around 3.15 in the morning. Three people have been reported dead in these various incidents. In Sonapur, the Naga attackers shot dead Sarabat Ali and Min Bahadur Chetri and one Kamal Bahadur Chetri was also killed when the Nagas detonated a land mine at Sarasajiya Village. Villagers while speaking to AssamTimes on the spot have expressed anguish that this is not the first time that this has happened and that there have been various such instances in the past but the...