Despite the High Court’s gag order directing the State government not to speak about the ban, it is now planning a major awareness programme against the harmful pesticide.
Minister for Energy, Food and Civil Supplies Shobha Karandlaje, who was largely responsible for the short term ban, is now keen on the awareness drive aimed at farmers.
Alleging that the sale of endosulfan was backed by a big lobby of manufacturing companies, she said alternative pesticides to endosulfan do exist. Farmers should be made aware to choose safer ones which do not affect human health and the environment.
Non pesticide movement
Experiencing the ill effects of use of pesticides, a non pesticide movement (NPM) is gaining momentum in the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh.
Published 30 April 2011, 17:36 IST