Endosulfan and Kasargod - A Timeline

1977-The Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) has been cultivating cashew in 4500 hectares of land in this district. PCK started spraying organochlorine pesticide called endosulfan that has been banned in many countries then, by aerial methods to counter the tea mosquito. Plantaions Muliyar, Periye, Enmakaje, Cheemeni and Pedre were sprayed with endosulfan continously. Nearly 4696 agricultural plots spread across 11 grama panchayath were exposed to endosulfan.

1981-The first media report regarding the effects of endosulfan in kasargod appeared. it was written by Shree Padre, a progressive farmer, activist and journalist who lives in Padre village. (births of mutant and deformed calves were found by then.)Apart from this plenty of diseases also started appearing among the plantation workers and common people.

1997- Dr. Y.S. Mohana Kumar, the local physician of kasargod wrote his concerns regarding unusually large number of people suffering from diseases of the central nervous system there to the Kerala Medical Journal in 1997.

1998-Leelavathy of Periye village, who is employed by the PCK as an assistant agricultural officer filed an petition demanding the to stop aerial spray of endosulfan in kasargod.Because of her efforts the munsif court ordered a stay in aerial spraying in Periye. Eventhough it was not implemented properly. PCK went aginst the order in high court but failed.

2000-An aerial spray of endosulfan was carried got despite the strong protest from people of Padre.It was after the arrival of police to restrict agitation spraying was done. An anti endosulfan commitee was made in kanjangad.

2001- Eventhough no political party took the matter initially, it was the Kerala cpitook the issue issue first. BJP has also decided to take up the matter and join the protest.But having lost their faith in the political leaders poor villagers decided to approach the court. And a petition was filed in the court.

2002-kanjangad anti endosulfan commitee exteneded to kasargod.

2003- As situation was a leading highly complicated centarl govenrment asked kerala to ban endosulfan.

2004- Kerala banned endosulfan. But even then endosulfan was still was used in the state by other names. Availability of pesticide in the neighbouring states also affected effective implementation.

Plenty of media reports and studies were carried out the people and crops of kasargod.

2011- Strong protests from whole kerala to ban the killer pesticide. Stockholm convention bans pesticide world wide.