SC for export of lying stock of endosulfan
The Supreme Court on Friday indicated that it could allow export of the stock of endosulfan lying with the manufacturers in the country.
A 3-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia also questioned the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), CPI-M’s youth wing, for opposing the export of the material.
The DYFI had filed the public interest litigation prompting the apex court to ban the use and manufacturing of the substance in the country. “Why do you want the poison to remain in the country? There should be a common sense approach. If it can be exported, then let it happen,” the Bench, also comprising justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar, said.
“Why are you bothered about the other countries if they want to import it,” the Bench asked. The court said that it would pass the detailed order on the mechanism as to how the insecticide could be sold to the overseas company on December 13. The apex court had on September 30 allowed the export of accumulated stock of endosulfan lying with the manufacturers here to the willing countries but maintained that the ban on the use and production of the pesticide would remain in operation.
It had granted the permission to export the product upto quantity of 1090.596 mt. “Our main concern is that we don’t want our people to suffer…Why should this material lie on Indian soil? If some countries are willing to import it, we should go for it,” the Bench had said.
The court had earlier on May 13 imposed the complete ban on production, sale and use of endosulfan as an interim measure. The Bench had also said that it would keep on passing “continuous mandamus (directions)” till the disposal of the PIL.
