Apex court allows export of unused stock of endosulfan
15 Dec 2011
Leading pesticide maker Excel Crop Care will be exporting 1,188 kilo litres (KL) of controversial chemical pesticide endosulfan, an insecticide, following a Supreme Court order allowing a few pesticides firms to ship their unused stock of the formulation.
The export is subject to the fulfillment and compliance of specific conditions. The apex court in May banned the manufacture, sale, use and export of endosulfan, a controversial insecticide.
However, in September it allowed the export of endosulfan for which orders had already been received.
The Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI) sought the court's permission to export the remaining stock of 2,698 KL of formulations, lying with 30 producers, after converting and repackaging the stock. About 1,600 KL was with three of the top manufacturers.
While the petitioner, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, opposed the move to allow the companies to export the product, the Supreme Court allowed its export subject to close scrutiny by the customs and excise department and the ministry of environment and forests.
Endosulfan, a highly controversial chemical pesticide, has been in use in India for more than 40 years.