Unscientific disposal of sewage and pesticide residue from farmlands have contributed to organic pollution and chemical contamination of surface and groundwater resources in four river basins acros

MANGALORE: The Endosulfan Virodhi Horatha Samiti, which has decided to hold a protest at Freedom Park in Bangalore on June 7, has postponed its protest.

Senior district officials led by District Collector P. S.

Stockholm convention approves non-chemical as well as chemical alternatives

The Conference of Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, meeting in Geneva, approved non-chemical as well as chemical alternatives to endosulfan on Thursday. The non-chemical alternatives were proposed in a significant departure from past practice. The evaluation of non-chemical alternatives, as accepted by the conference, consists of an ecosystem-based approach to pest management as well as technical interventions.

The expert panel constituted by chief minister Oommen Chandy to prepare a report on new scientific norms for the inclusion of remaining Endosulfan affected persons to avail government compensation

Kerala, Karnataka Want Region Free Of Modified Crops

Thiruvananthapuram: In contrast to the stand of the Kerala and Karnataka governments, the Union agriculture ministry bats for geneticallymodified (GM) crops in the Western Ghats area in its report submitted to the Kasturirangan committee. Both Kerala and Karnataka have already called for a ‘GM-free state’. The department of agriculture & cooperation under the Union agriculture ministry says in its report that there is no reason to enforce a restriction on cultivation of Bt Cotton in the Western Ghats region as there is no perceived threat to any form of biodiversity of tetraploid species present in the region.

The Endosulfan Peedhitha Janakeeya Munnani (EPJM) will convene a ‘Jagratha’ (Vigil) convention here on Friday to urge the authorities concerned to implement the promised package in a time-bound manner to the affected families of endosulfan victims..

The meeting will be inaugurated by poet and green activist Sugatha Kumari at the Municipal Conference hall at 10 a.m. on Friday, EPJM convener Ambalathara Kunhikrishnan told a press conference here on Wednesday.

The Endosulfan Victims Relief and Remediation Cell has been functioning effectively in Kasaragod district, an affidavit filed by the State government in the Kerala High Court said.

The affidavit was filed in response to a petition seeking a directive to the government to take follow-up actions on the welfare and rehabilitation measures of endosulfan victims.

The work of the Rs.200 crore worth projects funded by the National Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) aimed at infrastructure development in the endosuflan-affected localities in the district will be inaugurated at Bovikkanam near here on April 5.

The function would be inaugurated by Social Welfare Minister M.K. Muneer and Agriculture Minister K. P. Mohanan, P. Karunakaran, MP, said at a prèss conference here on Tuesday.

Panchayat-level monitoring cell to be floated

Having received clear cut assurances from the State government on majority of issues pertaining to the complex relief and rehabilitation package, the Endosulfan Peedhitha Janakeeya Munnani (EPJM) is now trying to evolve a mechanism to ensure that the authorities implemented the decisions in a time-bound manner.