Kerala government stops endosulfan production at Hindustan Insecticides
28 May 2011
The Kerala government today decided to stop production of endosulfan at the Eloor unit of Hindustan Insecticides Ltd (HIL).
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) clamped a ban on the use of the pesticide in the state last November after reports of deaths linked to it in 12 villages of Kasargode district.
Announcing the decision, state health minister Adoor Prakash said the government had also decided to withdraw the closure notice issued to the company by KSPCB for repeated violations of the directions for removal of hazardous chemical waste from the unit.
The people from Eloor-Kalamassery area had lodged complaints against the unit for causing severe health problems to people living in the vicinity.
According to KSPCB chairman K Sajeevan, the company had been dumping chemical residue inside the premises of the factory since 2006, which violated the pollution control Acts and KSPCB had issued warning notices to the company several times.
A team of experts from KSPCB had inspected the factory on 2May and reported that the waste was still lying there following which, the closure notice was issued, he said.