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Friends,

Thanks for responding to our earlier bulletins on hazardous aerial spray of deadly endosulfan by the state-owned Plantation Corporation of Kerala(PCK) in Padre and nearby villages in Kasargod District in Kerala State. Despite the village panchayath’s resolution against such spray, the PCK went ahead and scheduled the spray for today, i.e., January 25, 2001.  

Just now CAAM has received a mail from its team member Mr. Shree Padre (spadre@vsnl.com). He says, “We have got an interim stay from Munsif Court Kasaragod, till Feb 8th against any mode of spray by state-owned Plantation Corporation of Kerala.” Mr. Padre has also furnished a mail from Mr. C. Jayakumar (thanal@vsnl.com) of Thanal Conservation Action and Information Network, Thiruvananthapuram.

Here is the text:  

The following minimum precautionary measures should be taken before undertaking aerial spraying As per Insecticides Act 1968 and the insecticides Rules 1971 of the Government of India) 

Rule 41:  The manufacturers and distributors of insecticides and persons who undertake to spray insecticides on a commercial basis (herein called as operators) shall keep sufficient stocks of such first-aid tools, equipments, antidotes, injections and medicines as may be required to treat poisoning cases arising from inhalation, skin contamination, eye contamination and swallowing. 

Rule 42:  The manufacturers and distributors of insecticides and operators shall arrange for suitable training in observing safety precautions and handling safety equipments provided to them. 

Rule 43: Aerial Spraying Operations

The aerial application of insecticides shall be subject to the following provisions: 

(a) Marking of the area shall be the responsibility of the operator

(b) The operator shall use only approved insecticides and their formulations at approved concentrations.

(c) Washing, decontamination and first aid facilities shall be provided by the operator.

(d) All aerial operation shall be notified to the public not less than twenty-four hours in advance through competent authorities.

(e) Animals and persons not connected with the operations shall not be prevented from entering such areas for a specified periods.

(f) The pilots shall undergo specialised training including clinical effects of the insecticides. 

Insecticide approved for aerial spraying:

Endosulfan 35%EC is approved for aerial spraying at a height of 2-3 meters from the tree canopy as per a document produced by the PCK (from the  Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage of the Ministry of Agriculture, GOI ) 

(Note : This approval for the PCK was given in December 1983 as per letter No. F. 8(12)-CIR of the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage of the Ministry of Agriculture, GOI.  But the same document is seen to have approved the Organochlorines Endrin, Toxaphene and BHC apart from Endosulphan.  The first three has now been banned which makes this document produced by the PCK outdated.) 

As per the District Collectors order: 

When Collector issues permission to spray the 2209 hact. in Kasaragod, 1526 ha in Rajapuram and 980 ha in Cheemeni plantations in the Kasaragod district, he stipulates the following conditions: 

The premises of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya campus, Govt.  Polytechnic campus, Parallel College compound, LBS Engineering College campus Muliyar and hospital premises should be  excluded from the spraying. 

Notice should be given to the public by the corporation sufficiently in advance of the date of spraying.  Notice should be displayed in all village offices, Panchayath offices and Ration shops in the area where spraying is done. 

All precautionary measures should be taken by the cooperation to prevent water pollution or health hazards to inhabitants in and around the plantation and neighbouring area. The corporation should arrange to cover all wells, drinking water sources in and around the locality before spraying. 

In  the event of any death of cattle occurring in the locality due to  aerial spraying the corporation should arrange to get post mortem  examination conducted at its cost and paying compensation in case of the death is found to be due to poisoning as result of aerial spraying. 

This should also be brought to the knowledge of the local public by wide publicity so that the local public can report such death of cattles and avail the compensation in all cases.

Mike announcement should be made in the area on the day to the date of spraying instructing people to take precautionary measures at the time of spraying. 

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