Kanhangad: Protestors are concerned that persons born after 2005 will be excluded from the endosulfan affected list. This concern comes from a new government order that has put forth certain conditions.

As per the findings of the expert committee, the adverse effects of endosulfan insecticides only last for about six years. Based on this report, the health department issued a new order. The order states that Endosulfan was banned in Kerala on October 25, 2005 and therefore, only those born before October 11, 2011 will have exposure to the insecticide.

Family members of the victims and activists are concerned whether this time period will be moved further backwards in case of Kasaragod because the last time that Endosulfan was used here was 1999. 

In 1978, Endosulfan insecticide was sprayed by helicopters in the cashew plantations of the Plantation Corporation throughout the district. Two decades later, in 1998, Leelakumari Amma approached the Hosdurg court and obtained a stay order against it. There was no use of this deadly substance for many months after this.

In 1999, the Plantation Corporation moved the court to lift the stay order and sprayed Endosulfan once again. Leelakumari Amma approached the High Court and a stay order followed at the end of the same year. Since then, Endosulfan has not been used here. 

Going by the criteria put forward by the new order, the six year period would end for Kasaragod in 2005. Activities wonder whether those born after 2005 in Kasaragod would be excluded from the list of those affected.

MP Rajmohan Unnithan, MLA C.H Kunhambu, MLA N.A Nellikkunnu, M Rajagopalan, MLA A.K.M Ashraf and MLA E. Chandrasekharan reacted strongly against the order and opined that no ‘timeline’ can be set for those affected and that benefits should be made available to all victims.