'Endosulfan-like pesticides must be banned'

Karnataka High Court Legal Services Committee (HCLSC) chairman Justice D V Shylendra Kumar and member A N Yellappa Reddy have stressed the need for banning of poisonous insecticides and pesticides, like endosulfan.

Given the ill-effects on the health of the people for generations, it was wise to ban such substances, they opined.

Speaking at the divisional level Lok Adalat here on Saturday, Justice Shylendra Kumar and Yellappa Reddy said measures to prevent the use of dangerous insecticides and pesticides were not taken by the administration at all levels. Use of such substances and their impact should be studied. Children are born with deformities and congenital problems. The government should be held responsible for allowing the use of insecticides and pesticides, they said.

They opined that it was sad to note that the agriculture universities were behaving like the agents of corporate companies, selling insecticides and pesticides. A mechanism has to be created to monitor the impact of the use of dangerous insecticides and pesticides.