Disposal of endosulfan stocks faces a new hurdle, with a popular movement taking out a protest march to Plantation Corporation godowns in Kasaragod district. The protesters have called for the pesticide stocks to be returned to the company for safe disposal.
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Inaugurating the protest march at Periya Plantation Corporation godown, Rajmohan Unnithan, Congress leader and MP, said he and his party would stand with the affected people against the decision to dispose and deactivate endosulfan at their current storage.
Mr. Unnithan said such a decision had been taken by authorities when the affected people have not yet been compensated as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Dinesh Kartha, State general secretary of the Kerala Congress, said the endosulfan stored in the Plantation Corporation godowns at various places in Kasaragod district posed a threat to public safety.
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About 1,438 litres of endosulfan have been stored in PCK godowns for over 20 years. The endosulfan solution is stored in 914.55 litres in Periya godown, 73.75 litres in Cheemeni and 450 litres in Rajapuram.
In 2012, when there was threat of endosulfan leaks from old godowns, they were transferred to new godowns through a scheme called Operation Blossom Spring. Authorities at the time announced that endosulfan in the reservoirs would be deactivated soon, but no action was taken, said Mr. Kartha.
The process of deactivation at Kasaragod itself is of great concern to the people of the district. Mr. Kartha said Kasaragod, which had suffered the most from endosulfan, should not be turned into a chemical laboratory again.
He said the decision to deactivate endosulfan in Kasaragod district should be withdrawn.