Will ban endosulfan if adverse effect on health proved: Ramesh

Will ban endosulfan if adverse effect on health proved: Ramesh

Amid growing demand by environment activists and various political parties for a central ban on the use of endosulfan, Environment Min Jairam Ramesh has said the pesticide will be banned if its adverse effect on health is proved.

"Endosulfan is banned in Kerala. I respect the decision of the government of Kerala and if there is evidence to show that it has all India health effects, we will ban it at the national level," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi on Friday.

Ramesh was reacting to a question on Kerala's demand for all India ban on the pesticide.

However, the minister said endosulfan is a broad spectrum pesticide and there are no other cost effective alternatives to it as yet.

The country is witnessing a concerted campaign by a section of the society since last few months, seeking nation- wide ban on the use of endosulfan following reports of adverse effects among the inhabitants of Kerala's Kasargod district after the Plantation Corporation of Kerala resorted to aerial spraying of undiluted endosulfan on cashew plantations.

Ramesh said he was aware of the disaster in Kasargod and have asked for more evidence.

"Some people say there are other districts in Karnataka, which have also been affected. I am very sensitive to this issue," he said.

The government had all along maintained there was no cause-and-effect relationship between the use of endosulfan and incidence of adverse health effects.

At the sixth meeting of Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee held in Geneva last year, India had raised its voice against moving any further on the issue till its concerns, both procedural and substantive, were addressed by the Conference of Parties of the Stockholm Convention.

Alleging that there were lot of lobbies working for and against the endosulfan, Ramesh said, "I do not want to fall victim to any lobby -- either the anti-endosulfan or pro- endosulfan lobby...I will go by the evidence that I have. I fully support the ban that the Kerala Government has imposed."

"I can assure you that I will not be persuaded by the manufacturers' lobby. If there is evidence that endosulfan should be banned or phased out, I will be the first one to support it," he said.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture will decide ultimately on the availability of alternative to endosulfan, Ramesh added.

An all-party delegation from Kerala led by health minister P K Sreemathi will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday to press for a nationwide ban on endosulfan.

CPI welcomes Ramesh's decision to put Posco clearance on hold

The CPI on Friday welcomed Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's decision to put the forest clearance for the Rs 54,000 crore Posco steel project in Orissa on hold and suggested that he should withdraw the clearance given to it.

Party National Secretary D Raja said Ramesh's decision is "positive" in the given atmosphere and wanted to know whether he was articulating his personal views or that of the UPA Government. "It is a welcome and a positive move in the given situation.

The Minister has put on hold the forest clearance given to the Posco project," he said, adding the Environment Ministry has specifically raised questions whether the Forest Rights Act has been implemented in the project.

However, Raja said there is a doubt whether the Environment Ministry intends to fully comply with the law or not as "the Ministry's own enquiry established that the Act was not implemented."

Raja, who has written several letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Posco project, suggested that Ramesh withdraw the clearance given to the project.

"The Environment Ministry should abide by the law and decide on the fate of the project soon.How long will the people of the area protest?" he asked.