Kerala forest minister opposes India's stand against Endosulfan ban

Kerala forest minister Benoy Viswom has criticised India's opposition to the global ban on Endosulfan pesticide at the sixth meeting of Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to the Stockholm Convention in Geneva last wee

Viswom told The Hindu newspaper on Monday that India's stand was not right and India should gone along with the general consensus at the meeting which favoured the ban. He added India should have come out in support of the ban.

Viswom said that the Indian government should have desisted from speaking on the side of the pesticides lobby at the meeting.

He told  newspaper that the effect of Endosulfan on the people could be clearly seen in Kasargod in Kerala, where many of the affected were in such a condition that they could be said to the living dead.

He said that when greedy corporates were marketing Endosulfan for profits at the cost of the lives of the people, the central government should have stood by the people of the country. He said it was high time the centre accepted the truth (about Endosulfan) and stood up for the welfare and future prosperity of the country.

India was the sole country to oppose the proposed ban on the pesticide at the committee meeting attended by 29 member countries.